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- Lt J S D Hardy, RSO of 1 Border Regiment in Operation Ladbroke
- Did Operation Ladbroke Even Exist?
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- Operation Ladbroke Sites – the Coup-de-Main Objectives
- Italian Cavalry Attack British Glider Troops on the Ponte Grande Bridge
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Tag Archives: Ponte Grande bridge
Operation Ladbroke Sites – the Coup-de-Main Objectives
Ever wondered exactly where the Operation Ladbroke sites are in Sicily? Here’s a handy battlefield guide to the South Staffords’ coup-de-main objectives. Please note: it may not be safe or possible to visit some of the Operation Ladbroke sites. See the warning at the bottom of … Continue reading
Italian Cavalry Attack British Glider Troops on the Ponte Grande Bridge
The source was impeccable: the BBC. The news was incredible: Italian cavalry had charged British airborne troops holding the Ponte Grande bridge. In the middle of WW2, could it possibly be true? The thunder of hooves, clods of earth flying, weapons … Continue reading
South Staffords near Syracuse – rare photograph
South Staffords glider troops photographed near Syracuse on the day after the epic battle for the Ponte Grande bridge – a unique picture, a dramatic story. Photographs of airborne troops taken during Operation Ladbroke, the glider assault that began the Allied invasion … Continue reading
Unpublished shot of a tank on the Ponte Grande
A previously unseen film shows what the heroic defence of the Ponte Grande bridge by British glider troops was all about – tanks and vehicles crossing, headed into Syracuse. This is the remarkable story of how that footage came to be taken. … Continue reading
The Lost Photos of Operation Ladbroke
Somewhere somebody has an album with some unique, unpublished photographs of Operation Ladbroke in it. Historians have seen them, but nobody knows where they are now. A plea for bringing them to light. I’m hoping readers may be able to … Continue reading
Nothing Is Impossible by glider pilot Victor Miller – Book Review
‘Nothing Is Impossible’ is the best account we have of Operation Ladbroke by somebody who was there. Now the second edition greatly expands Victor Miller’s account. Review of ‘Nothing is Impossible – A Glider Pilot’s Story of Sicily, Arnhem and … Continue reading
Battle plans for Staffords glider troops in Operation Ladbroke in Sicily
The 2nd battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment was chosen as the leading glider assault troops for Operation Ladbroke, the opening move of Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily. These are the orders they were given just days before the battle. … Continue reading
Galpin’s Glider – New photo of Operation Ladbroke’s star landing
Staff Sergeant Dennis Galpin’s glider landing during Operation Ladbroke was famously perfect. But where was it exactly? And is that his glider in the well-known photo? There is a well-known photograph of a Horsa glider taken in Sicily after Operation Ladbroke (see it … Continue reading
Seizing Bridges, Building Bridges – Battlefield Tour Guide Roberto Piccione, Syracuse, Sicily
In 1943 British glider troops seized the Ponte Grande, a bridge near Syracuse, Sicily, launching the Allied invasion of Italy. Now Roberto Piccione builds bridges between former enemies. Beside a perfect tourist cove, where no tourist goes, opposite the golden walls of … Continue reading
Admiral Leonardi takes on the Royal Navy and the SAS
It’s an extraordinary story: in July 1943, Italian Admiral Leonardi manned an abandoned gun battery almost alone against the might of the Royal Navy. Firing several shots, he forced a British ship to turn and flee. But is the story … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts, Battlefield Visits, Operation Husky - Sicily 1943, SAS Special Raiding Squadron (SRS) in Sicily
Tagged Augusta Sicily 1943, Battery AS362, Battery AS674, Italian artillery, Operation Husky Sicily 1943, Operation Ladbroke Sicily 1943, Ponte Grande bridge, SAS Special Raiding Squadron (SRS)
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Peter Davis of the SAS – a precious first-hand account
Until now, book-length personal records of the SAS in Sicily, written while memories were fresh, totalled exactly one. For fans and historians who find such first-hand accounts invaluable, Peter Davis’ exciting new book has doubled our treasure. Book review: ‘S.A.S. Men … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts, Operation Husky - Sicily 1943, Reviews & Profiles, SAS Special Raiding Squadron (SRS) in Sicily
Tagged Augusta Sicily 1943, Blair Paddy Mayne, Italian artillery, Operation Husky Sicily 1943, Operation Ladbroke Sicily 1943, Ponte Grande bridge, SAS Special Raiding Squadron (SRS)
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German predictions for Operation Ladbroke & airborne landings in Sicily
German General Kurt Student’s June 1943 report reproduced in full. One month before Operation Ladbroke, the opening glider assault in Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily, the leader of Germany’s airborne forces produced an intelligence report. It predicted with startling … Continue reading
Greatest Feats, Feats Forlorn: Jim Wallwork, Pegasus Bridge & Operation Ladbroke
The Horsa glider coup-de-main landings in Sicily and Normandy are umbilically linked. The one gave birth to the other. Glider pilot Jim Wallwork, justly remembered for his extraordinary feat at Pegasus Bridge, was also present in Sicily, although with somewhat different … Continue reading