The Wartime Memories Project

- Battle of Anzio during the Second World War -


Battles of WW2 Index
skip to content


This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you agree to accept cookies.


If you enjoy this site

please consider making a donation.



    Site Home

    WW2 Home

    Add Stories

    WW2 Search

    Library

    Help & FAQs


 WW2 Features

    Airfields

    Allied Army

    Allied Air Forces

    Allied Navy

    Axis Forces

    Home Front

    Battles

    Prisoners of War

    Allied Ships

    Women at War

    Those Who Served

    Day-by-Day

    Library

    The Great War

 Submissions

    Add Stories

    Time Capsule

    TWMP on Facebook



    Childrens Bookshop

 FAQ's

    Help & FAQs

    Glossary

    Volunteering

    Contact us

    News

    Bookshop

    About


Advertisements











World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

Battle of Anzio



   The Battle of Anzio began on the 22nd of January 1944 with the Allied amphibious landing in Italy, codenamed Operation Shingle and ended on the 5th of June 1944 at the capture of Rome.

 

16th January, 1944 Preparations for beach landings

22nd January 1944 Battle of Anzio

22nd January 1944 Air cover over battle area

22nd Jan 1944 Landings

22nd January 1944 Battle of Anzio

23rd January 1944 Battle of Anzio

24th January 1944 Battle of Anzio

25th January 1944 Battle of Anzio

26th Jan 1944 Ready to Move

27th Jan 1944 Shelling

28th Jan 1944 Aircraft Active

29th Jan 1944 Recce

30th Jan 1944 Attack Made

30th January 1944 Battle of Anzio

31st Jan 1944 Attack Made

1st of February 1944 Conference and meetings

2nd Feb 1944 Positions Occupied

2nd of February 1944 Action

3rd February 1944 Battle of Anzio

3rd Feb 1944 Counter Attacks

3rd Feb 1944 In Action

3rd of February 1944 Conference

4th Feb 1944 Heavy Shelling

4th of February 1944 Counter attack

5th Feb 1944 Heavy Shelling

6th of February 1944 Air raid

7th February 1944 Battle of Anzio

7th Feb 1944 Heavy Shelling

7th of February 1944 Air raids

8th Feb 1944 Enemy Active

8th of February 1944 Enemy attack

9th Feb 1944 Break Through

16th February 1944 Battle of Anzio

18th February 1944 Battle of Anzio

18th February 1944 Battle of Anzio

21st Feb 1944 Padre  

THE BRITISH ARMY IN ITALY 1944

Reverend G B Fairhurst, Padre of the 2/5th Queen's Regiment, talking to two of the men in his battalion and an American soldier in the Anzio bridgehead, 20-21 February 1944. © IWM (NA 12082)



21st Feb 1944 Padre

21st Feb 1944 Air Raid

22nd February 1944 Change of Command

23rd Feb 1944 Withdrawal

29th February 1944 Battle of Anzio

2nd March 1944 Attack Made

3rd March 1944 Ops

7th March 1944 Ops

11th March 1944 Supply Route

23rd March 1944 Dug in

14th April 1944 Endless patrols

16th April 1944 114 Squadron Airman killed

19th April 1944 Dog-fight over Anzio

1st May 1944 Move North

15th May 1944 Battle of Anzio

22nd May 1944 Holding the Line  

THE BRITISH ARMY IN ITALY 1944

D Company, 1st Battalion,Green Howards occupy a captured German communications trench during the offensive at Anzio, Italy, 22nd May 1944. IWM (NA 15297)



22nd May 1944 Holding the Line

23rd May 1944 Breakout from Anzio

25th May 1944 Breakout from Anzio

26th May 1944 Breakout from Anzio

30th May 1944 Breakout from Anzio

4th June 1944 Entry into Rome

4th June 1944 Shot down over Anzio


If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.





Those known to have fought in

Battle of Anzio

during the Second World War 1939-1945.

The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List



The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.

Announcements



  • The Wartime Memories Project has been running for 24 years. If you would like to support us, a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting and admin or this site will vanish from the web.
  • 22nd April 2024 - Please note we currently have a huge backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 263973 your information is still in the queue, please do not resubmit, we are working through them as quickly as possible.
  • Looking for help with Family History Research?   Please read our Family History FAQ's
  • The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web.
    If you enjoy this site

    please consider making a donation.

Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text.



We are now on Facebook. Like this page to receive our updates.

If you have a general question please post it on our Facebook page.


Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to WW2. We would like to obtain digital copies of any documents or photographs relating to WW2 you may have at home.

If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted. World War 1 One ww1 wwII second 1939 1945 battalion
Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.



Want to know more about Battle of Anzio?


There are:62 items tagged Battle of Anzio available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War.


Ronald Sydney Turner 2nd Btn. North Satffordshire Regiment (d.8th Feb 1944)

Ronald Turner served with the British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch.

Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.

Dan



PO. William Kennedy HMS Nigeria

My grandad served on Nigeria and Albrighton during WW2, his name was William Kennedy and I know that he was involved with signals and was a petty officer. He didn't really share much of his experiences with me as I was probably too young at the time. I know he was torpedoed twice and was also invloved in the Anzio landings. I have recently read with huge interest Jack Edwards "Twenty-Two Hundred Days To Pulo We" and recommend it to anyone else interested in HMS Nigeria during WW2. If anyone can help me by sharing info on links, websites, or anything else that would help me track down a record of my Grandads history in the Navy then I would be most grateful.

Duncan Kennedy



Richard Lawson Oxford & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

My dad, Dick Lawson was prisoner at Stalag 9c Bad Sulza. He worked in the Salt mines at minegan and was released by the Americans in 1945. He served with the Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry and is still alive, living near Croydon and going strong. We are looking to contact anyone who was in Stalag 9c after the Anzio Landings in 1944.

Paul Lawson



Able Sea. Thomas "Ron" Hall Gunner HMS Manchester

Thomas (Ron) Hall was born in South Shields, Co. Durham on 11 April 1917, the family home being in Hebburn-on-Tyne. Although christened Thomas, he was always known as Ron by his RN friends and his wife's family - no-one knows why! At the age of 16 he joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Sailor. After training at the shore base HMS Ganges, he was sent for gunnery training at HMS Excellent, Portsmouth.

At the outbreak of war, he was serving on HMS Glasgow, but was transferred to HMS Barham, where he was wounded in May 1941. Barham had been assisting with the withdrawal of Allied forces from Crete, during which time she was subjected to almost constant German attacks. The gun turret in which Thomas was serving was hit, and he was the only one to emerge from the wreckage.

Posted ashore in Alexandria on 2nd July for rehabilitation, his next ship would be the Cruiser HMS Carlisle. On 9th April 1942, Thomas joined HMS Manchester, which had been assigned the role of escort to convoy WS-21S - better known as Operation Pedestal - the convoy which would save Malta from starvation and surrender. On 13th August, whilst rounding Cape Bon, Manchester was crippled by Italian torpedoes and was later scuttled off Kelibia Roads, Tunisia. Thomas survived and was taken prisoner and interned by the Vichy French at Laghouat in Algeria.

With the landing of British and American troops in Morocco and Algeria as part of Operation Torch on 8th November 1942, Thomas and his shipmates were able to return to England in December. After 8 months ashore, Thomas was assigned to the Destroyer HMS Janus, which provided artillery support for the Allied landings at Anzio on 22nd January 1944 under Operation Shingle. Janus was sunk the next day by a German air attack. Thomas was again saved, but the experience of being sunk for a third time would have a lasting effect on his nerves. He was invalided out of the Royal Navy in November 1945, and died in 1973, aged 55.

Ivan



Gdsmn. George Doleman 3rd Btn. Grenadier Guards

George Doleman enlisted on 6th of December 1939 at the age of 20. He trained at Chelsea Barracks before transfer to the Holding Company at Windsor. Then to 3rd Battalion in London.

He moved to North Africa in November 1942 for Operation Torch and tTook part in North Africa campaign and Tunisia Campaign. There were significant battles in the Medjez-el-Bab and along Mareth Line.

He Moved with 3rd battalion to Italy on 1st of March 1943. The Regiment took part in the Italian Campaign at Salerno, Monte Camino, Anzio, Monte Cassino and along the Gothic Line. The Guards battled for Perugia, entered the City and fought beyond the City. Then moved to approaches to Arezzo, captured it then into Arno Valley. This was the beginning of August 1944. He was Posted to the 5th battalion on 1st of March 1945 and returned to the UK, he was posted to Training Battalion Grenadier Guards in May 1945. He was sent to Germany for several months from October 1945 until February 1946. Finally on 9th of March 1946 he was moved to the Military Disembarkation Unit at Strensall followed by the Military Dispersal Unit at York.

Peter Doleman



Able Sea. Robert Lemon HMS Janus (d.23rd Jan 1944)

Robert Lemon was a R.N.V.(W).R. volunteer and was a Telegraphist He lost his life when HMS Janus was bombed at Anzio.




James "Tom" Parker 2nd Btn. Sherwood Foresters

Tom Parker was my granddad. His story was published in the Telegraph after he was reunited with his comrade Gilbert Fogg after sixty years.

Stephen Curley



Cpl. John V. Williams D Coy., 1st Ranger Btn. 6615th Ranger Force

John V. Williams served with D Coy., 1st Ranger Btn. 6615th Ranger Force His unit participated in the Battle of Anzio and was involved in the bloody fighting to take the town of Cisterna.

Jay Williams



PO. Charles Henry John Cooper HMS Janus (d.23rd Jan 1944)

The destroyer HMS Janus was supporting the Allied landings at Anzio, Italy when she was bombed and sunk on 23 January 1944 with a heavy loss of life. Petty Officer Cook, Charles Cooper was among those of her crew who died.

Andy De Cusati



Able Sea. Francis Claude Burchell Radar HMS Aurora

Frank Burchell, left and friend on HMS Spartan

Ordinary Seaman Frank Burchell survived the sinking of HMS Spartan at Anzio on 29th of January 1944. He joined HMS Aurora at Taranto, serving as Able Seaman from 20th of March 1944 to 9th of July 1945.

Alan King







Recomended Reading.

Available at discounted prices.



The Rock of Anzio: From Sicily to Dachau

Flint Whitlock


Anzio was one of the greatest battles of World War II-a desperate gamble to land a large amphibious force behind German lines in Italy in the hope that the war could be shortened by capturing Rome. It also turned out to be one of the bloodiest battles in U.S. military history. Based on extensive research into archives, photos, letters, diaries, previously classified official records, and scores of personal interviews with surviving veterans of the 45th, The Rock of Anzio is written with an immediacy that puts the reader right onto the battlefield and shows us war through the eyes of ordinary men called upon to perform extraordinary deeds.


A Sailor at War 1939-1945

Ken Welsh


One man's war as seen through the eyes of a volunteer sailor, Albert Welch, who served on the Royal Naval warships HMS Mauritius, HMS Capetown, HMS Widnes and HMS Centurion during World War 2. The book represents the factual history of the ships that Albert served on during this period in the context of his detailed eye witness accounts of major battles, some of which were to become momentous events in world history. Albert’s vividly described, eye witness account is fully illustrated with over 100 photographs, many of which are taken from Albert’s wartime photo albums. This book provides a broad perspective on the war at sea, the home front and visits to exotic foreign ports, contrasting periods of humour, tragedy, danger, boring routine, and the full horror of warfare up close. Above all, it shows the risks these young men took for King and Country and the sacrifices so many of them ultimately made to preserve our freedom today.
More information on:

A Sailor at War 1939-1945







Links











    The free section of the Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers. We have been helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by recording and preserving recollections, documents, photographs and small items.

    The website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources and we currently have a huge backlog of submissions.

    If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small to help with the costs of keeping the site running.



    Hosted by:

    The Wartime Memories Project Website

    is archived for preservation by the British Library




    Copyright MCMXCIX - MMXXIV
    - All Rights Reserved

    We do not permit the use of any content from this website for the training of LLMs or for use in Generative AI, it also may not be scraped for the purpose of creating other websites.