Page 37 - QARANC Vol 18 No 1 2020

Ex Cassino Serpent
The Gazette QARANC Association 35
16 – 20 September 2019
After a very busy year, the QARANC Recruiting Team (Major Jordan, Corporal Boswell, Corporal Williams and Lance Corporal Douw) undertook a much anticipated battlefield study of Monte Cassino and the intense fighting that led to the destruction of this imposing feature. The aim was to gain a better understanding of the challenges that the Army Medical Services faced during the Italian campaign in 1943-44, how this led to the evolution of AMS doctrine and to identify lessons that still resonate in our own recent history.
Following in the footsteps of our predecessors we started our journey at Salerno, where we divided into our three syndicates, with each syndicate discussing different topics throughout the week. Adding colour and greater detail to our presentations were our invaluable academics: Major (Retd) Tim Saunders and Mr Pete Starling who provided valuable insights into the realities of Op Avalanche for the British 10th Corps.
Salerno War Cemetery, the grave of Sister S Butler QAIMNS
On a beautiful sunny day, standing on the beach, it was sobering to reflect on the six Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS) nurses who were killed when His Majesty’s Hospital Ship Newfoundland was sunk by dive-bombers. We than proceeded to ‘Hampshire Lane’ where the 5th Battalion Hampshire Regiment suffered equally appalling casualties, before moving to the tobacco factory, at Persano, whose five large, fortress-like stone buildings occupied very strategic real estate. Both sides realised its importance and it became the scene of some vicious fighting, frequently changing hands over a period of days.
Retracing the route that allied soldiers took led us to the town of Monte Cassino, where we examined the events leading up the devastating bombing of both the town and the Abbey in 1944 by the Allied Forces. The uphill walk from Cavendish Road to the abbey sounded exhausting but in fact became a very rewarding day as it gave us a real insight into what soldiers had to endure. The route starts near Ciara village and is a steep uphill slope, taking the form of a tank path built by the Italian and New Zealand engineers and was later used to launch attacks on Germans.
On the climb we discussed how difficult, time-consuming and morale sapping it must have been for the soldiers. The Polish tank memorial, Albaneta Farm, Snakehead Ridge, Hill 593 and Doctor’s House, all stops along the way, served as waypoints at which we discussed the significance of each location.
During our study we visited several cemeteries: the Commonwealth graves at both Salerno and Cassino and the Polish cemetery at Cassino, as well the German and Italian ones. Each was immaculately maintained and
Salerno War Cemetery
Albaneta Farm
were unified in their serene calmness. The Cassino Memorial commemorates over 4,000 Commonwealth servicemen whose final resting place is unknown, amongst the names is Sister Dorothy Mary Cole QAIMNS, one of the six nurses killed at Salerno. Here we laid a wreath on behalf of the Corps in honour of those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
If you ever drive south from Rome, it is worth stopping at Cassino for a few hours of quiet contemplation. The inscription above the ancient gateway is particularly pertinent and is one of the few parts of the building to survive the fighting intact. The monastery’s motto, it says, simply: PAX.
Lance Corporal Olga Douw Healthcare Assistant
Castle Hill
Cassino War Cemetery and Memorial