Banks of Sicily (51st Highland Division's Farewell)

[Lachlan09]

That Lady Astor was a complete ar*e !

As in the song, she did label the Allied Forces (particularly the British) fighting in Italy as “D-Day Dodgers”, shirking their responsibilities in Normandy. Little did she know or care about the hellish conditions and suffering of the Italian Campaign. She was also a liar. At least 2 divisions, the 50th Northumbrian and 51st Highland were diverted from Italy to take part in the Normandy invasion, both landed on D-Day.

Not only that, as my Dad told me (he hated her guts for this) she also riled the men of the 14th Army in Burma, making comment to beware of “the men with the crows’ feet” (ie the white creases in the corners of the eyes, characteristic in the universal mahogany Indo/Burma tans of usually white-faced Brits). My Dad told me that, according to the 14th Army rumour-service, the reason she picked on the 14th Army boys was because her daughter had recently caught a nasty little anti-social disease from a 14th Army officer on leave in Blighty.

I hope it was true.

[macwilkin]

That Lady Astor was a complete ar*e !

As in the song, she did label the Allied Forces (particularly the British) fighting in Italy as “D-Day Dodgers”, shirking their responsibilities in Normandy. Little did she know or care about the hellish conditions and suffering of the Italian Campaign. She was also a liar. At least 2 divisions, the 50th Northumbrian and 51st Highland were diverted from Italy to take part in the Normandy invasion, both landed on D-Day.

Not only that, as my Dad told me (he hated her guts for this) she also riled the men of the 14th Army in Burma, making comment to beware of “the men with the crows’ feet” (ie the white creases in the corners of the eyes, characteristic in the universal mahogany Indo/Burma tans of usually white-faced Brits). My Dad told me that, according to the 14th Army rumour-service, the reason she picked on the 14th Army boys was because her daughter had recently caught a nasty little anti-social disease from a 14th Army officer on leave in Blighty.

I hope it was true.

Astor did not invent the term, however; she took it, according to Henderson, from a letter that was sent to her by an Eighth Army squaddie who signed it "D-Day Dodger".

The 14th Army truly are forgotten heroes; after reading Fraser's Quartered Safe Out Here several years ago, I am convinced of that even more. My grandfather served with a Signal Battalion of the 14th US Air Force in the CBI Theatre, and he had nothing but praise for the British & Commonwealth forces he worked with during that time. He particularly admired the Chindits and the Gurkhas, but the Scots held a special place in his heart. Whenever He & my grandmother would go see the various regimental bands on tour in Phoenix, the squaddies showed him nothing but respect when he told them where he served during the War.

T.

[Lachlan09]

My father always had great things to say about the Americans who piloted and crewed the C-47 Dakotas which used to drop supplies, while Force 136 groups were on ops behind Jap lines in Burma.

Going back to Sicily and before I forget to mention, there’s a photo sometimes used in history sites showing a squad of British infantry in Tunisia, advancing up the side of a rocky hill before putting in an attack, with a covering Churchill tank behind them. The photo is of the 8th Argylls of 78th “Battleaxe” Division, 1st Army, and the hill is Longstop, where Major Anderson of the 8th Argylls won the V.C. The main soldier in the photo is Willie Gillies, of Tayinloan, Kintyre, Argyll and I had the honour to meet him back in 1969 in the pub in Tayinloan. My dad knew him and introduced me.

[BoldHighlander]

My grandfather served with a Signal Battalion of the 14th US Air Force in the CBI Theatre, and he had nothing but praise for the British & Commonwealth forces he worked with during that time. He particularly admired the Chindits and the Gurkhas...

So did my 2nd cousin (he was in Burma w/ Merrill's Marauders) ith: