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Operation Husky - Sicily
Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily was launched on the 10th of July 1943 with amphibious and airborne landings by the British 8th Army and 7th US Army. In bad weather a substantial portion of the airborne force failed to get to Sicily, and many of those who did arrive were off course and missed intended landing grounds. Nevertheless the Italian coastal units were caught off-guard by the sea-borne forces and many coastal gun batteries were rapidly captured intact. The scattered paratroop landings actually served to confuse the Italian defenders who were unable to make a coordinated stand, and by the end of the first day the town of Syracuse was in British hands. Meanwhile American troops, backed by a heavy naval bombardment, had secured 40 miles of coastline creating a landing area for more sea-borne troops to follow.
The German forces organised a major counter-attack on the 13th July, but by that time the Allies had been able to land 478,000 troops and artillery, as well as securing airfields and bringing in air forces. On the 22nd July the Americans secured the capital of the island, Palermo, and in two weeks the Allied troops had occupied the entire western end of the island. The following day Mussolini was deposed in Rome.
Progress along the eastern side of the island was much slower with strong rearguard action by retreating German defenders, but with the fall of Mussolini, and lacking directions from above, many Italian troops were reluctant to continue the war. On the 8th August the Americans made an unsuccessful attempt to outflank the Germans with an amphibious landing. Three days later the Germans organised a massive withdrawal of their own forces. Over a two-day operation they took 100,000 men out of Sicily to the Italian mainland. The way was then left clear for the US 3rd Division to move into Messina and complete the conquest of the island. Operation Husky was declared complete on the 17th August after 38 days.
June 1943 On the Move
3rd June 1943 Invasion of Sicily
12th June 1943 Move to Malta
21st of June 1943 Orders
25th of June 1943 Signals
25th of June 1943 Instructions
25th of June 1943 Frequencies
25th of June 1943 Detachment Duty Card
25th of June 1943 Instructions
25th of June 1943 Ammunition
25th of June 1943 Signals
25th of June 1943 Orders
28th of June 1943 Orders
28th of June 1943 Traffic Control
28th of June 1943 Fuel
28th of June 1943 Orders
28th of June 1943 Stores
28th of June 1943 Signals
28th of June 1943 Orders
28th of June 1943 Markings
28th of June 1943 Signage
28th of June 1943 Ferry Services
26th of June 1943 Orders
3rd July 1943 Attacks on Sicily
5th July 1943 Survivor swam 4 miles to captivity
5th July 1943 Bomber escort to Sicily
5th July 1943 On the Move
6th July 1943 Airfield on Sicily bombed
7th July 1943 Wellington lost off Sicily
7th July 1943 Escort for heavy bombers
8th July 1943 Escort to USAAF bombers
9th Jul 1943 In Action
9th July 1943 Dog-fight over Sicily
July 1943 Shipping
10th July 1943 Aircraft lost
10th July 1943 Invasion of Sicily
10th July 1943 Invasion of Sicily
10th July 1943 Landing
10th Jul 1943 Invasion of Sicily
10th July 1943 In Action
10th July 1943 Bomber escorts
10th July 1943 Landings
10th July 1943 Under Fire
10th July 1943 Enemy Overcome
10th July 1943 Protection
10th July 1943 Air cover for invasion
10th July 1943 Landing
11th of July 1943 War Diary
11th July 1943 Air cover over invasion forces
12th July 1943 On the Move
12th July 1943 Shipping cover
13th July 1943 Move to Sicily
13th Jul 1943 In Action
13th July 1943 On the March
13th Jul 1943 In Action
14th Jul 1943 On the Move
14th July 1943 In Support
14th July 1943 Invasion of Sicily
14th July 1943 Advance party
14th of July 1943 At Docks
14th July 1943 Vehicles
14th Jul 1943 Advance
14th July 1943 Missing off Sicily
14th July 1943 In Action
15th Jul 1943 Newspaper
15th July 1943 Move
15th Jul 1943 Paratroopers
15th Jul 1943 Hard Fighting
16th Jul 1943 Patrols
16th July 1943 Air battle over Sicily
16th July 1943 In Action
16th July 1943 Hard Fighting
16th Jul 1943 Torpedo Attack
16th Jul 1943 Enemy Aircraft
17th July 1943 Into Sicily
17th July 1943 Supplies transported into Sicily
17th Jul 1943 Attack Made
17th Jul 1943 Heavy Fighting
17th July 1943 Move into Sicily
19th July 1943 Move into Sicily
20th July 1943 To Sicily
21st Jul 1943 Orders
22nd July 1943 In Action
22nd July 1943 Move to Sicily
23rd Jul 1943 On the Move
24th Jul 1943 On the Move
25th July 1943 Dog-fight over Sicily
26th Jul 1943 On the Move
27th Jul 1943 On the Move
28th Jul 1943 On the Move
29th Jul 1943 In Action
29th Jul 1943 On the Move
30th Jul 1943 On the Move
31st Jul 1943 Under Fire
August 1943 Relocation
1st Aug 1943 On the Move
2nd August 1943 Stand to
3rd Aug 1943 Into Sicily
3rd August 1943 Relocation to Sicily
3rd August 1943 Orders
3rd Aug 1943 On the Move
4th Aug 1943 On the Move
4th August 1943 Orders
4th August 1943 In Persuit
4th August 1943 Support
5th August 1943 Move of 99 and 252 Btys
5th August 1943 Move
5th August 1943 In Action
5th August 1943 Advance
5th August 1943 Lost on raid on Sicily
6th August 1943 Conference
6th August 1943 Advance
6th August 1943 Advance Stalled
6th August 1943 Wellington missing
7th August 1943 Advance
7th August 1943 In Action
7th August 1943 Command
7th August 1943 On the Move
7th August 1943 Advance
7th August 1943 Bombers lost over Sicily
8th August 1943 In Reserve
8th August 1943 At Rest
8th Aug 1943 On the Move
9th August 1943 Guns stay put
9th August 1943 At Rest
9th August 1943 Wellington abandoned
10th August 1943 Contact
11th August 1943 No appreciate changes
11th August 1943 Reinforcements
11th August 1943 Spitfires destroyed
12th August 1943 At Rest
12th August 1943 Rescued from the sea
13th August 1943 Orders
14th August 1943 On the Move
15th August 1943 On the Move
16th August 1943 In Action
17th August 1943 Advance
18th August 1943 On the Move
19th August 1943 Reorganisation
27th Aug 1943 Into Position
3rd Sep 1943 Anti Aircraft Artillery Support
6th Sep 1943 Reorganisation
8th Sep 1943 Move
13th Sep 1943 Awards
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Those known to have fought in Operation Husky - Sicily 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,
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Want to know more about Operation Husky - Sicily? There are:149 items tagged Operation Husky - Sicily available in our Library
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William Crosbie Black MM, DCM, BEM. Reina Del Pacifico William Black was my grandfather. He was born in Ramelton in Donegal Ireland in 1880.
He was a sailor in the Mercantile Marine. He was mobilised into the Lancashire Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery on 25th of May 1915. He received a hand written duplicate letter requiring to report to the Sefton Barracks in Upper Warwick Street together with a detailed list of personal supplies and clothing to which he would receive a gratuity of £5 on reporting for duty.
He served until 12th January 1919.
He was awarded the Pip, Squeak and Wilfred War Medals, but also awarded the DCM and Military Medal. There is a Certificate for the Gallant Act he carried out to receive the Military Medal whilst serving with the Second Army.
He also received a Mercantile Marine Medal from the Board of Trade.
In WW2 he was a Quarter Master on the Reina Del Pacifico, owned by the PSNC, which was converted into troopship. He was 59 when WW2 started. He was in many theatres of the War which included the Second Battle of Tobruk and the Invasion of Sicily.
He was awarded the Africa Star with Clasp, Atlantic Star, Italy Star, Pacific Star and Burma Star.
In the Honours List announced on 9th January 1946 he was awarded the British Empire Medal for Meritorious Service.
He ended his service on SS Orbita when his Sea Service and his War Service Certificate was issued on 29th May 1947 when he was 67.
He was a much loved father and grandfather, and died aged 82 in 1962.
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Able Sea. John McLean HMS Quebec My father, John McLean voluntarily enlisted in the Royal Navy on Thursday 14th of November 1940.
My mother relayed a funny story and said that my father left home early in the morning on the 14th to go to get some milk from a local shop and didn't return until early evening. When my mother, who was obviously upset, asked him where he had been, he proudly told her he had enlisted in the Navy and would be leaving the next day.
His service record shows that his first posting was at HMS Collingwood followed by HMS Pembroke, Northney, Quebec and HMS Copra and was released from service in January 1946. I have little information about my father's service as he passed away in 1955 when I was only 9 years old.
My mother told me that my father had been on a landing craft during the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Italy and Normandy.
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Sgt. Cyril Vivian Hawke 2nd Btn. Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry Cyril Hawke was called up in October 1941 on his 18th birthday.
He trained in Bodmin and Northern Ireland.
Serving with C Company 2nd Btn, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry he went overseas to North Africa in 1942, stayed until end of campaign in May 1943.
He then went to Italy landing at Salerno in autumn 1943 and fought through Naples, Cassino, Rome and ended up in Northern Italy by the end of 1944.
He was sent to Greece in December 1944 and then transferred to the 1st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment (reason not known) and served in Greece until end of the war.
He arrived home in 1945 and re-equipped to go to the Far East but whilst sailing through the Med the war in the Far East ended and they were taken to Libya to carry out garrison duties in Benghazi.
Later he went to Palestine for garrison duties there.
He was discharged in Canterbury on 5th of June 1947.
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Pte. Phillip Rafferty 1st Btn. Green Howards (Yorkshire Regiment) (d.11th Aug 1943) Phillip Rafferty was my maternal great-grandfather#s brother. His niece, my grandmother, has always wanted to visit his grave in Sicily. Due to circumstances, she has been unable to visit and has asked me as her granddaughter to visit, to represent the family as no one from his immediate or extended family has ever been able to do so in the past. I plan to visit the Catania War Cemetery in October 2020 with my mother. Phillip had three children and his wife was pregnant with his youngest daughter. Sadly, he never got to meet her. He served in the 1st Battalion, Green Howards (Yorkshire Regiment). He tragically died in action on Wednesday, 11th of August 1943.
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Gnr. Albert Mee 242nd Battery, 69th Medium Regiment Royal Artillery    My Father Albert Mee joined the service in 1940 and after training joined up with the 242nd Battery of 69th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery.
He was posted out to Africa in July 1942 and fought with the 8th Army and then the 6th AGRA through El Alamien, Tobruk, Tripoli and then through Sicily and Pelarmo to Monte Cassino and Rome. He then went through France and finally ended up in Germany from where he was demobbed in 1946 as far as I know.
He met up with some of his comrades in Llandudno in the late 1960's and through the British Legion became a member of those left from his war time battery unit. I remember one comrade who became a full family friend who was Ted Owens who lived in Llandudno.
My father died in 1990 and three or four of his comrades and friends from Llandudno British Legion came over for his funeral and brought the Legion flag to use at the funeral which was a wonderful gesture. It was nice to talk to these guys at the funeral and learn how much they thought of my father and that he had been a great help to them in getting through the war due to his infectious personality and general good nature.
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Pte. Louis Katzovitz 56th Reconnaissance Regiment Unfortunately, my dad Lou Katzovitz died when I was in my twenties and hadn't really matured enough to be interested in his war history. Now I would love to hear from him how his war went.
He drove a small armoured vehicle (a greyhound?) whilst with the First and Eighth Army and the 56th Reconaissance Regiment and was a radio operator.
I think he trained on the Isle of Wight for a short time and then went to North Africa (he mentioned Sousse and Hammamet) then Sicily and then Italy (Monte Cassino) through to Austria (Brenner Pass/Heiligenblut?) at the end of the war.
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Pte. Francis Devaney Seaforth Highlanders Francis Devaney was my father. He served in WW2 with the Seaforth Highlanders. He spoke very little about his experiences. I do know that he was evacuated from the beaches at Dunkirk whilst wounded and on a stretcher - shrapnel wounds. In North Africa he was at Tobruk. Then he moved to Italy, where he was involved in the Sicily landings. Then on to Salerno for another amphibious landing. He was at Monte Cassino where he served as a sniper. Injured by bullet wounds in Italy, he was also briefly a POW, although he escaped easily (according to him).
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Gnr. William Henry Redgrift 420th Bty. 1st Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery  William Henry Redgrift was my granddad. He served with 420th Battery of the 1st HAA Regiment RA.
In Bristol, he was awarded 7 days Confined to Barracks and forfeited 1 day's pay for going AWOL from 23.39hrs on 5/11/42 to 21.45hrs on 7/11/42 (he said he had been drinking with others from his group).
On 15/8/43, he and the 1st HAA embarked for Sicily; they disembarked on 27/8/43.
On 10/4/44, he was classified lep 1A A0 14/43 (this is on his service record, but I don't know what it means).
On 22/2/45, he was posted to X(4) RATD.
On 18/3/45, he was awarded 7 days C B and forfeited 1 day’s pay by RW for AWOL 12hrs 25mins (he was drunk again with his mates).
On 7/4/45, he was transferred to RA (field) X(4) (A) RATD.
On 20/6/45, he embarked for the UK. On 7/10/45, he was awarded the 1939-1945 Star and the Italy Star.
Despite my grandmother’s protestations, he then signed up for another 1 year. He was posted to Draft RAJPN, then re-posted to X(4) list, and proceeded to 50 Res J D regiment Randio. His last posting was to the 160th Field Regiment RA on 14/5/46. On 28/6/46, he embarked for the UK again. My granddad never spoke about the war to his children, but for some reason he opened up to me and told me what he did and the guns he worked on and where in the world he went, Italy at Mt. Cassino, India, etc.
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Pte. Thomas Young 2nd Btn. Seaforth Highlanders    Tom Young, (my father) joined the Seaforth Highlanders on 11th of August 1939 and was initially posted to 7th Battalion.
In July/August 1940, he volunteered for the No.11 (Scottish) Commando and on 7th of September 1940 was accepted and went for further training on the Isle of Arran, before sailing to Egypt via Cape Town. He served with this Commando unit until August 1941, being involved in the Battle of Litani River, Lebanon in June 1941.
When the 11th Commando was disbanded, he volunteered for and was accepted into the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) on 3rd of September 1941. He served with the LRDG until 19th of January 1943, mostly behind enemy lines.
He was then posted back to the 2nd Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, in Libya and Tunisia and was involved in the Sicily landings, being wounded in the battle for Sferro Hills.
He then returned to the UK and was involved in Operation Overlord, being evacuated back to the UK and treated in a Glasgow Hospital.
Tom's medals include the Africa Star with 8th Army clasp, the Italy Star, and the France/Germany Star.
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PFC. Steve R. "Biff" Mallinak II Corps The following is from a handwritten note by Steve Mallinak:
- Queen Elizabeth, board ship 3 Jan 43
- Sailed 6 Jan 43
- Arrived 8 pm, 11 Jan 43 at Gorik, Scotland
- England Liverpool
- Monarch of Bermuda, board ship 6 Feb 43
- Arrived 13 Feb 43 at Oran, N. Africa
- Azer Meeker
- Board ship 2 July 43
- Sailed 5 July 43, 8am
- Arrived 10 July 43, 7am, at Gela, Sicily
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