The
Italian Campaign began with the invasion
of Sicily on July 10, 1943, and ended
with the surrender of the German armies
in northern Italy on May 7, 1945. It
was the longest land campaign in western
Europe waged by the Allies in the Second
World War. Two of the five divisions
Canada sent overseas served with distinction
in Italy – 1st Canadian Infantry
Division, which landed in Sicily and
carried the Canadian advance to Ortona,
and 5th Canadian Armoured Division,
which entered the line in January 1944
and played an important part in the
Canadian Corps’ battles in the
Liri Valley, the Gothic Line, and the
Battle of the Rivers.
To mark the 65th anniversary
of the landings in Sicily, and to honour
the Canadian who served in the Italian
Campaign, this exhibit presents a narrative
in word and image of a lesser known
part of Canada’s war. It describes
the five major battles in which the
Canadians fought while showing the
multifaceted human experience of the
war in Italy. It aims to impress upon
the visitor the challenges faced by
the Allies in Italy as they confronted
a formidable enemy in a landscape dominated
by mountainous terrain and an infinite
amount of rivers. In these conditions,
success depended on the resourcefulness
and courage of soldiers in their various
roles as infantrymen, tank crewmen,
engineers, artillerymen, signallers,
and support personnel – ordinary
young Canadians whose efforts and sacrifice
created a permanent link in the histories
of Canada and Italy.
|
Juno Beach Centre |
Canada in WWII
