Italian Campaign
Orsogna / Sangro River
The 2NZEF first saw action at the Sangro River and Orsogna in November-December 1943 before moving on to Cassino in early 1944. (click on image for full campaign map)
Campaign memories: Sangro River, Gordon Johnston
Gunner Gordon Johnston, 63740, was called up in 1940 and went into camp at Papakura near Auckland to train in the artillery. He left New Zealand at the end of 1941 in the Seventh Reinforcements on board the Aquitania. He served in North Africa before going to Italy with the New Zealand Division in late 1943. Here he talks about the Div's first action in Italy at the Sangro River. In Trieste in 1945, Gordon met his future wife, Luciana, who came to New Zealand after the war.
Hear Gordon
Johnston discussing conditions at the Sangro River near Orsogna (mp3,
254k)
Transcript
'It was our first, it was right at the bottom of Italy and that was our first big barrier, across the Sangro River. It was a big barricade across there and the Germans tried to stop us there. And we fired a lot of stuff there but we got caught shortly afterwards by the snow. We got snowbound and, here's another wee story because we, the Div—nobody could move. … Most of the guys, they got either into bivvies or into casas. But I had this armoured car, and it had a hole. How did we keep warm? We had these, probably you've heard of these things—they had these, we had these charcoal—a tin with charcoal in, and a couple of bits of wire on it, and you poured a bit of petrol on, lit it and it would keep going but the charcoal would die down, so every now and then you had to get out, give it a swing round to get a bit of air in it. And at night time you'd look out over wherever everybody was, the Div was, and you'd see these, these things swinging round in the night.'
Fanning a charcoal brazier by swinging it.
Alexander Turnbull Library, War History Collection, DA-05452
Campaign memories: Orsogna, Joseph Bacos
Private Joseph Bacos, 42209, enlisted in January 1940. Upon arrival in the Middle East, he was posted to the Divisional Ordnance and served there during his time in North Africa. When the 18, 19 and 20 Battalions were withdrawn and turned into an armoured brigade, Joseph seized the opportunity to retrain as a tank gunner. He went to Italy with the 20 Armoured Regiment in December 1943. Here he talks about his first time in action at Orsogna.
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Joseph Bacos speaking about his time at Orsogna (mp3,
331k)
Transcript
'C Squadron of the 20th were supposed to support the Maori Battalion on the attack on Orsogna. It was a mountain town. Well, our tank had to go to the workshops because our gun was not recoiling properly. It was coming back very slowly. So we went to the workshops and I renewed acquaintances with my old comrades—the Ordnance. We were there three days and went up to join the Squadron and found out they'd gone into action that afternoon. And thirteen tanks had gone in and nine had been shot up and several of the boys were killed. That was the worst night I've ever experienced in my life. I wasn't afraid so much. I felt quite sad. Fellows I'd been talking to about a week earlier. You know, stiff and dead. Never see their home country again. I don't think I slept that night.
The next day we went up to support the Maori Battalion—the attack failed. But that's when we got hit. We got a direct hit. … 11 o'clock at night. And it killed the spare driver, Shorty. A young boy of 22. It landed right in front of the turret. It was high explosive. Had it been armour-piercing we would have all been killed. But he was killed. Shorty. He got shrapnel all over him and he died the next morning. That was my first tank battle. Well, it wasn't a tank battle—first time in action in a tank. '
Snow covers a New Zealand tank near Orsogna on New Year's Day, 1944.
Alexander Turnbull Library, War History Collection, DA-14619
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