The 70th anniversary commemorations of the battles of Monte Cassino this weekend. The New Zealanders will hold their service on Sunday 18th May at 3.00 pm, in the Commonwealth War Cemetery. A total of 2176 New Zealanders lost their lives in Italy during World War II, and 456 are buried in Cassino. The Battle of Monte Cassino is regarded as one of the hardest-fought battles of the war. German defenders were driven from their positions but at a high cost, including the loss of 352 New Zealand lives and 1200 wounded. On the morning of the 16th Monastery Hill was still in enemy hands and Cassino had not been cleared. In deed, the enemy had had the opportunity during the night to clear away debris and reorganise a number of strongpoints. It was clear that the hope of obtaining full advantage of the surprise; attack and breaking through with the armour had gone and that further progress would be slow. Cassino had to be cleared so that the New Zealand Division could link up with the Indian Division on Hangman's Hill. At first light the New Zealand Infantry of the Sixth Brigade, with tank support, went on with the attack. Apart from isolated posts, the main enemy resistance was in'concrete defences in the south-west corner, of the town, known as the Continental Hotel area, and at points at the foot of Castle Hill blasted into the face of the hill, where the enemy resisted fiercely. It was against these points that the New Zealand infantry concentrated during the following days. Close up behind the infantry the engineers built bridges and with bulldozers and hand labour gradually cleared routes through. On the 16th tanks of the 19th Armoured Regiment were brought into the town, and that morning our 26th Battalion, supported by a squadron of tanks, swung south and made an important advance, capturing the Cassino railway station after fierce fighting. Enemy tanks and anti tank guns attempted to intervene, but were dealt with by our tanks and artillery. General Freyberg's Report The New Zealand Division, had the task of storming Cassino, commanded by Major-General G. B. Parkinson. General Freyberg states that the plan was to reduce the encounter battle to a minimum by the violence of the initial blow from the air, but the blitz bombing proved a double-edged weapon and produced obstacles which made speedy deployment of our armour impossible. Though the strong defences at Cassino have held, the main defensive system has been broken into and in the fierce battles there have been heavy enemy casualties. Many gallant exploits were performed by the British, American, Indian, and New Zealand troops who fought over the steep hills and in the town. The Cassino position is a formidable one, and not for the first time in history it has barred the way to armies advancing into the Liri Valley, which leads to Rome. Cassino, once a substantial stone town, lies at the foot of Monastery Hill, which rises sheerly out of the plain not unlike the Rock of Gibraltar in steepness and height. The road and railway to Rome pass through Cassino. The narrow plain over which we had to advance Was flooded, wired, and mined, and the entire defensive system was covered by the small but swift-flowing Rapido River. From the vantage point of the monastery the enemy could watch and bring down fire on every movement on the roads or in the open country in the plain below. This natural fortress of the enemy's Gustav Line held up the American advance earlier in the year, and it was from the American Corps that we took over, after coming across from the Eighth Army front. At Cassino they attacked again and again, gaining important peaks to the.north and a foothold in the northern edge of the town itself. These were the positions we took over, the Fourth Indian Division moving into the mountains to the north, while the Second New Zealand Division occupied, the northern outskirts of Cassino. Since the middle of February, we have maintained pressure on the Cassino front. The enemy has been attacked from the air and bombarded by artillery, and has been forced to employ his reserves to meet the threat of a break-through. He put in the first available troops to hold Cassino and the heights above it, but on February 15 the Benedictine Monastery was destroyed by heavy air bombardment, a step which was forced upon us, because, in spite of enemy protests to the contrary, it was being used as an observatory for military purposes. Prior to the main attack on Cassino itself, the Fourth Indian Division fought a battle on steep, rocky slopes to the north of the monastery. They gained ground on Point 593 and hsve held it ever since, in spite of enemy counter-attacks and very difficult conditions. The enemy had prepared their position in advance, and their firing points blasted into rock had to be stormed at night with handgrenade and bayonet. On February 17 and 18 the 28th Maori Battalion carried out operations across the Rapido River south of the town. A bridgehead was won and the engineers were within an ace of getting demolitions repaired and bridges through after magnificent work, but dawn came an hour too soon. By daylight the enemy could pick out their targets from Monastery Hill and further work was impossible under continuous fire. Supporting arms could not be got up and our bridgehead was driven back by an enemy tank attack.' Meanwhile plans were made for a full-scale attack supported by very heavy air and artillery bombardment. This was to be followed by an infantry assault which, if fully successful, would make a break for the armour into the valley below. The attack on Cassino and Monastery Hill by the Second New Zealand Division and the Fourth Indian Division, dependent as it was upon tank and air support, required firm going for the tanks and clear visibility for the bombers. This meant weeks of patient waiting, since weather conditions in February and March in Italy, leave much to be desired. "At last, on March 15, it seemed the weather was right and the attack was launched. Before dawn that morning the New Zealand troops on the northern, outskirts of Cassino were withdrawn, and at 8.30 a terrific air attack began. For the first time heavy bombers of the strategic air force as well as medium and light bombers took part in a close air-support programme of unprecedented height. From an observation post I watched already battered Cassino reduced to rubble. Squadron after squadron of Fortresses, Liberators, Mitchells, and Marauders of the American Air Force came in with short intervals between the groups to allow the huge clouds of dust and smoke to clear. Flashes of flame from bursting bombs leaped from the buildings and from the slopes above the town, and explosions reverberated through the hills and shook the ground under our feet.' No enemy aircraft appeared during the attack. Enemy A.A. guns were neutralised by artillery, and none fired after 10.30. At 12 o'clock precisely, the last flight of medium bombers planted their bombs. with impressive accuracy. Twelve o'clock was zero hour. Heavy Allied artillery (under our C.C.R.A., Brigadier C. E. Weir) opened fire, and the infantry attacked. Your division (under Major-General Parkinson) had the task of storming Cassino. During the air attack there had been no artillery fire on Cassino, as the dust and smoke would have obscured the target for the aircraft, but at zero hour between 500 and' 600 guns of all calibres opened on the corps front a bombardment heavier than at Alamein. Behind a creeping barrage the infantry, engineers, and tanks advanced into Cassino from the north. The approach was a bottleneck restricted, by massive mountains, on the west and by the Rapido River in the east. Only one battalion could be deployed at a time, a factor which was a great handicap to our operations. The positions we had withdrawn from were occupied without trouble. Our first objective, Castle Hill, a steep miniature of the monastery feature just north of the town, was stormed and captured by the 25th Battalion, and the 26th Battalion followed by the 19th Armoured Regiment attacked Cassino itself. At first our attack met with little opposition and casualties were very light. Prisoners taken were stunned and reported heavy- casualties from the bombing. The town was completely wrecked and the whole area was covered with wide and deep craters, up to 60 feet across, which could not be crossed by armour. In, some places where the bombs had missed buildings or had not penetrated the reinforced base there were snipers and enemy posts which were holding out. On the western edge of the town enemy position blasted into the base of the hill remained intact. Many gallant exploits have been performed by British, American, Indian, and New Zealand troops who fought over those steep hills and in the town. Units and individuals cannot be mentioned, in this report, but some will be recognised when awards are announced. After the hard battle the troops were tired out, but they were recovering quickly, and are in good heart. The men not only accepted the terrible winter weather but used their traditional resourcefulness and ingenuity to make the best of things. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nzlscant/soldiers_photos.htm

Thanks Olwyn, My father is one of those buried there . but not with the NZers but with his Air Crew . I am luckily enough to have been there 10years ago . Claire Claire Sinclair Paterson Invercargill, New Zealand . On Line Parish Clerk for Cubert, & Crantock Cornwall, UK ( lookups Welcome ) http://mmhamilton.tripod.com (World War 2 ,Story ) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Olwyn Whitehouse" <olwynbw@gmail.com> To: "new-zealand" <NEW-ZEALAND@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, May 16, 2014 2:00 PM Subject: [nz] Cassino - white crosses row upon row - 70 years ago. > The 70th anniversary commemorations of the battles of Monte Cassino this > weekend. The New Zealanders will hold their service on Sunday 18th May at > 3.00 pm, in the Commonwealth War Cemetery. > > A total of 2176 New Zealanders lost their lives in Italy during World War > II, and 456 are buried in Cassino. The Battle of Monte Cassino is > regarded > as one of the hardest-fought battles of the war. German defenders were > driven from their positions but at a high cost, including the loss of 352 > New Zealand lives and 1200 wounded. > > On the morning of the 16th Monastery Hill was still in enemy hands and > Cassino had not been cleared. In deed, the enemy had had the opportunity > during the night to clear away debris and reorganise a number of > strongpoints. It was clear that the hope of obtaining full advantage of > the > surprise; attack and breaking through with the armour had gone and that > further progress would be slow. Cassino had to be cleared so that the New > Zealand Division could link up with the Indian Division on Hangman's Hill. > At first light the New Zealand Infantry of the Sixth Brigade, with tank > support, went on with the attack. Apart from isolated posts, the main > enemy > resistance was in'concrete defences in the south-west corner, of the town, > known as the Continental Hotel area, and at points at the foot of Castle > Hill blasted into the face of the hill, where the enemy resisted fiercely. > It was against these points that the New Zealand infantry concentrated > during the following days. Close up behind the infantry the engineers > built > bridges and with bulldozers and hand labour gradually cleared routes > through. On the 16th tanks of the 19th Armoured Regiment were brought into > the town, and that morning our 26th Battalion, supported by a squadron of > tanks, swung south and made an important advance, capturing the Cassino > railway station after fierce fighting. Enemy tanks and anti tank guns > attempted to intervene, but were dealt with by our tanks and artillery. > > General Freyberg's Report > The New Zealand Division, had the task of storming Cassino, commanded by > Major-General G. B. Parkinson. General Freyberg states that the plan was > to > reduce the encounter battle to a minimum by the violence of the initial > blow from the air, but the blitz bombing proved a double-edged weapon and > produced obstacles which made speedy deployment of our armour impossible. > Though the strong defences at Cassino have held, the main defensive system > has been broken into and in the fierce battles there have been heavy enemy > casualties. Many gallant exploits were performed by the British, American, > Indian, and New Zealand troops who fought over the steep hills and in the > town. The Cassino position is a formidable one, and not for the first time > in history it has barred the way to armies advancing into the Liri Valley, > which leads to Rome. Cassino, once a substantial stone town, lies at the > foot of Monastery Hill, which rises sheerly out of the plain not unlike > the > Rock of Gibraltar in steepness and height. The road and railway to Rome > pass through Cassino. The narrow plain over which we had to advance Was > flooded, wired, and mined, and the entire defensive system was covered by > the small but swift-flowing Rapido River. From the vantage point of the > monastery the enemy could watch and bring down fire on every movement on > the roads or in the open country in the plain below. This natural fortress > of the enemy's Gustav Line held up the American advance earlier in the > year, and it was from the American Corps that we took over, after coming > across from the Eighth Army front. > > At Cassino they attacked again and again, gaining important peaks to > the.north and a foothold in the northern edge of the town itself. These > were the positions we took over, the Fourth Indian Division moving into > the > mountains to the north, while the Second New Zealand Division occupied, > the > northern outskirts of Cassino. Since the middle of February, we have > maintained pressure on the Cassino front. The enemy has been attacked from > the air and bombarded by artillery, and has been forced to employ his > reserves to meet the threat of a break-through. He put in the first > available troops to hold Cassino and the heights above it, but on February > 15 the Benedictine Monastery was destroyed by heavy air bombardment, a > step > which was forced upon us, because, in spite of enemy protests to the > contrary, it was being used as an observatory for military purposes. Prior > to the main attack on Cassino itself, the Fourth Indian Division fought a > battle on steep, rocky slopes to the north of the monastery. They gained > ground on Point 593 and hsve held it ever since, in spite of enemy > counter-attacks and very difficult conditions. The enemy had prepared > their > position in advance, and their firing points blasted into rock had to be > stormed at night with handgrenade and bayonet. On February 17 and 18 the > 28th Maori Battalion carried out operations across the Rapido River south > of the town. A bridgehead was won and the engineers were within an ace of > getting demolitions repaired and bridges through after magnificent work, > but dawn came an hour too soon. By daylight the enemy could pick out their > targets from Monastery Hill and further work was impossible under > continuous fire. Supporting arms could not be got up and our bridgehead > was > driven back by an enemy tank attack.' > > Meanwhile plans were made for a full-scale attack supported by very heavy > air and artillery bombardment. This was to be followed by an infantry > assault which, if fully successful, would make a break for the armour into > the valley below. The attack on Cassino and Monastery Hill by the Second > New Zealand Division and the Fourth Indian Division, dependent as it was > upon tank and air support, required firm going for the tanks and clear > visibility for the bombers. This meant weeks of patient waiting, since > weather conditions in February and March in Italy, leave much to be > desired. "At last, on March 15, it seemed the weather was right and the > attack was launched. Before dawn that morning the New Zealand troops on > the > northern, outskirts of Cassino were withdrawn, and at 8.30 a terrific air > attack began. For the first time heavy bombers of the strategic air force > as well as medium and light bombers took part in a close air-support > programme of unprecedented height. From an observation post I watched > already battered Cassino reduced to rubble. Squadron after squadron of > Fortresses, Liberators, Mitchells, and Marauders of the American Air Force > came in with short intervals between the groups to allow the huge clouds > of > dust and smoke to clear. Flashes of flame from bursting bombs leaped from > the buildings and from the slopes above the town, and explosions > reverberated through the hills and shook the ground under our feet.' No > enemy aircraft appeared during the attack. Enemy A.A. guns were > neutralised > by artillery, and none fired after 10.30. At 12 o'clock precisely, the > last > flight of medium bombers planted their bombs. with impressive accuracy. > Twelve o'clock was zero hour. Heavy Allied artillery (under our C.C.R.A., > Brigadier C. E. Weir) opened fire, and the infantry attacked. Your > division > (under Major-General Parkinson) had the task of storming Cassino. During > the air attack there had been no artillery fire on Cassino, as the dust > and > smoke would have obscured the target for the aircraft, but at zero hour > between 500 and' 600 guns of all calibres opened on the corps front a > bombardment heavier than at Alamein. > > Behind a creeping barrage the infantry, engineers, and tanks advanced into > Cassino from the north. The approach was a bottleneck restricted, by > massive mountains, on the west and by the Rapido River in the east. Only > one battalion could be deployed at a time, a factor which was a great > handicap to our operations. The positions we had withdrawn from were > occupied without trouble. Our first objective, Castle Hill, a steep > miniature of the monastery feature just north of the town, was stormed and > captured by the 25th Battalion, and the 26th Battalion followed by the > 19th > Armoured Regiment attacked Cassino itself. At first our attack met with > little opposition and casualties were very light. Prisoners taken were > stunned and reported heavy- casualties from the bombing. The town was > completely wrecked and the whole area was covered with wide and deep > craters, up to 60 feet across, which could not be crossed by armour. In, > some places where the bombs had missed buildings or had not penetrated the > reinforced base there were snipers and enemy posts which were holding out. > On the western edge of the town enemy position blasted into the base of > the > hill remained intact. > Many gallant exploits have been performed by British, American, Indian, > and > New Zealand troops who fought over those steep hills and in the town. > Units > and individuals cannot be mentioned, in this report, but some will be > recognised when awards are announced. After the hard battle the troops > were > tired out, but they were recovering quickly, and are in good heart. > > The men not only accepted the terrible winter weather but used their > traditional resourcefulness and ingenuity to make the best of things. > > http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nzlscant/soldiers_photos.htm > > > The List Guidelines > > http://new-zealand-l.blogspot.com/ > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NEW-ZEALAND-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message