Avola ( Italian: [ˈaːvola] ; Sicilian : Àvula / Àula , becoming Ràvula / Ràula if preceded by vowel; Latin : Abola ) is a city and comune in the province of Syracuse , Sicily (southern Italy ).
116-563: The foundation of the city in an area previously inhabited by the Sicani and invaded by the Sicels in the 13th-12th centuries BC, is perhaps connected to the city of Hybla Major . Hybla was the name of a pre-Greek divinity, later identified with the Greek Aphrodite . The Greeks colonized there in the 8th century. An important hoard of Ancient Greek gold jewellery and over 300 coins was found in
232-782: A Sicanian migration by land is supported by Greek geographer Pausanias , who does not seem to depend on Thucydides when he asserts that three peoples arrived in Sicily: Sicani, Sicels and Phrygians : the first two came from Italy, while the third came from Troy . Pliny the Elder and Gaius Julius Solinus also mention the Sicani, among the peoples of the Mount Albanus league in the Old Latium . The Sicans are mentioned in Virgil 's Aeneid as allies of
348-566: A beachhead they were to push northwards along the coast as quickly as possible, with the goal being to link up with other British forces in the effort to capture the Sicilian coastal towns of Syracuse, Augusta, Catania and airfields around the River Simeto. During the fighting in and around Avola between Montgomery's British soldiers and Mussolini's fascist soldiers there was an incident in which around seventy-five American paratroopers landed outside of
464-586: A distinct language is open to question; it is also unclear whether Sicanian survived as a language as late as the classical period, even in spoken form. On the other hand, the term Sicanian remains useful as a means of identifying the older, possibly non-Indo-European linguistic substrate, geographically overlaid by later arrivals such as Sicel and Elymian. Recurring suffixes like - ina , - ana , - ara , - ssus and - ssa are often found in Sicanian place names (e.g. Camarina, Telmissus and Cimissa), and are thus proposed as
580-412: A good starting point for identifying Sicanian towns. These tentatively-identified "Sicanian" toponyms seem to display similarities with other non-Indo-European substratal languages within the proposed Aegean language family , although these proposed connections remain nebulous. 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division The 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division was an infantry division of
696-561: A number equal to that at Stalingrad on the Eastern Front earlier in the year. On 19 April, the division, now commanded by Major-General Sidney Kirkman (formerly the Commander, Royal Artillery (CRA) of the Eighth Army) after Nichols was sacked by Eighth Army commander Bernard Montgomery , was relieved by the 56th (London) Infantry Division and withdrawn from the front line, and on 24 April
812-631: A position called 'the Bastion' in front of the main line while the 151st Brigade supported by the 50th Royal Tank Regiment attacked the line proper to their right. The infantry were to be equipped with short wooden scaling ladders to climb the banks of the Wadi. None of the infantry battalions had regained their full strength, and opposing them were the Italian Young Fascist and the German 164th Light Divisions . It
928-484: A similar number of casualties, as well as destroying a number of tanks. The attack had been so effective that 7th Panzer Division believed it had been attacked by five infantry divisions. The attack also made the German commanders of Panzergruppe von Kleist nervous, with forces left behind to guard lines of communication. By now Arras was becoming a salient in the German lines and increasingly vulnerable. The four Brigades of
1044-643: A wide sweeping movement around the left flank of the Gazala line at Bir Hakeim, then moved north behind it, while the Italians mounted diversionary attacks against the South Africans and 50th Division. Intense fighting quickly developed behind the 150th Brigade box in an area known as The Cauldron , as four German and Italian armoured divisions fought and initially overran the British formations which were committed piecemeal to
1160-469: Is now called, in search of Daedalus , and there perished by a violent death. A few short inscriptions using the Greek alphabet have been found in the extinct Sicanian language. Except for names, they have not been translated, and the language is unclassified due to lack of data. Due to the lack of clear linguistic or cultural boundaries between Sicani and Sicel areas to the east, the existence of Sicanian as
1276-528: Is one of the largest canyons in Europe: Cavagrande del Cassibile oriented nature reserve , where it is possible to visit enchanting small lakes. Sicani The Sicani or Sicanians were one of three ancient peoples of Sicily present at the time of Phoenician and Greek colonization . The Sicani dwelt east of the Elymians and west of the Sicels , having, according to Diodorus Siculus ,
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#17328763044931392-510: The 206th Coastal Division ), was attacked by three battalions of the 151st Infantry Brigade (part of the British 8th Army led by General Montgomery ) and captured after several hours of fighting on 10 July 1943. General Montgomery's plan was to send a three-brigade front between Avola and Cassibile in the Gulf of Noto. It was to be led by Miles Dempsey 's British 13th Corps . The plan was that as soon as Dempsey's forces had succeeded in establishing
1508-454: The 26th Indian Infantry Brigade , the 1st Greek Brigade, the 2nd Free French Brigade and the Alexandria garrison. The division's artillery was loaned to XIII Corps as reinforcements. At the start of September the 151st Brigade was detached and placed under command of the 2nd New Zealand Division in the front line, and then with the 44th (Home Counties) Division later in the month, south of
1624-476: The 44th Royal Tank Regiment , to make a 25-mile forced march to the bridge. The few paratroopers on the bridge were forced off it by lack of ammunition and newly dispatched German paratroopers of the 3rd Parachute Regiment, part of the 1st Parachute Division , only two hours before 9th Battalion D.L.I. arrived. Attacking in the early hours of 15 July, the battalion was forced back over the river after fierce hand-to-hand fighting in densely planted vineyards, with
1740-572: The 4th and 7th Royal Tank Regiment (R.T.R.), one of each in both columns, artillery and other supporting troops, totalling 74 tanks and around 2,000 men. Attacking on 21 May, the right column (8th D.L.I. and 7th R.T.R.) initially made rapid progress, taking the villages of Duisans and Warlus and a number of German prisoners but they soon ran into German infantry and Waffen-SS , and were counterattacked by Stukas and tanks and had many casualties. The left column (6th D.L.I. and 4th R.T.R.) also enjoyed early success, taking Danville, Beaurains and reaching
1856-713: The British Army that saw distinguished service in the Second World War . Pre-war, the division was part of the Territorial Army (TA) and the two Ts in the divisional insignia represent the two main rivers of its recruitment area, namely the rivers Tyne , and Tees . The division served in almost all of the major engagements of the European War from 1940 until late 1944 and also served with distinction in North Africa ,
1972-558: The British paratroopers dropped around Primisole bridge a key bridge on the Sicilian coast south of Catania . High winds and lack of landing craft frustrated swift troop concentration in both cases, with only 30 out of 125 planes dropping on the Drop Zone at Primosole. Early on 14 July, the 69th Brigade fought the Germans and Italians around Lentini, allowing the 151st Brigade, supported by tanks of
2088-583: The Elymians and Sicels . The former are thought to be the next recorded people to settle Sicily. According to Hellanicus of Lesbos , Elymians were a population of Italic origin, who arrived in Sicily after having fought a war with the Oenotrians . They settled in the north-west corner of the island, forcing the Sicanians to move across eastward. The Sicels were the next to arrive, from mainland Italy , and settled in
2204-488: The Gazala Line from the 4th Indian Division . The Gazala Line was a series of defensive "boxes", protected by mine-fields and wire and with little showing above ground, each occupied by a brigade of infantry with attached artillery, engineers and a field ambulance. The brigades' B echelons, with stores and motor transport, were sited some miles to the rear. In the event of an Axis attack, these boxes were intended to pin down
2320-654: The Ligurians . (The name Sicanus has been linked to the modern river known in Spanish as the Júcar .) Thucydides' source is unknown, although he often draws on the Sicilian historian Antiochus of Syracuse . Conversely, Timaeus of Tauromenium (writing c. 300 BCE) considers the Sicani to be indigenous to Sicily. A third theory, put forward by some modern scholars, suggests that the Sicani were immigrants, who gained control of areas previously inhabited by native tribes. The testimony of
2436-693: The Mediterranean and Middle East from mid-1941 to 1943. The 50th Division was one of two British divisions (the other being the 3rd Infantry ) to land in Normandy on D-Day , 6 June 1944, where it landed on Gold Beach . Four men of the division were awarded the Victoria Cross during the war, more than any other division of the British Army during the Second World War . In 1921, the Territorial Force
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#17328763044932552-649: The Rutuli , Aurunci and Sacrani of Old Latium. Aulus Gellius and Macrobius remember them with the Aurunci and the Pelasgians . Archaeological research suggests that the Sicani were influenced at an early stage by the Mycenaeans (prior to the Greek colonisation of Sicily). It is generally agreed by scholars that the Sicani preceded other inhabitants of Sicily in prehistory, namely
2668-624: The Second Punic War (212 BC). Hybla disappeared in the early Middle Ages, and the territory started to be repopulated during the Islamic domination of Sicily (9th-11th centuries). However, the village near what is now Avola appeared only during the Norman or Hohenstaufen rule (12th-13th centuries). The town became the feudal domain of the Pignatelli family. Like much of south-eastern Sicily, Avola
2784-554: The 150th Brigade and Division H.Q. was immediately sent to plan defences around Alamein. The rest of the division was sent to Cyprus , where it constructed defences on the island, especially around the airport and city of Nicosia. Reunited in July, the division continued its work in the island's pleasant surroundings, leaving in November, relieved by the 5th Indian Infantry Division . Landing in Haifa,
2900-471: The 150th Brigade was moved south to relieve the 201st Guards Motor Brigade in a large box with a perimeter of 20 miles (32 km), 6 miles (9.7 km) from 69th Brigade to the north and 10 miles (16 km) from the Free French to the south. By the middle of May the British were aware that Rommel intended to attack. On 26 May he launched a diversionary attack on the Gazala line, then the next day staged
3016-570: The 150th Brigade was stripped of its vehicles and the other two brigades travelled on to Iraq, crossing the Syrian Desert to Baghdad, then beyond Kirkuk, building defences on the crossings of Great Zab and Kazir rivers. In December the 69th Brigade was sent to Baalbek in Syria to relieve the 6th Australian Division which was returning to Australia. In February 1942 the 69th and 151st Brigades were recalled to Egypt. The 150th Brigade had returned to
3132-807: The 1930s, tensions built between Germany and the United Kingdom and its allies . During late 1937 and 1938, German demands for the annexation of Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia led to an international crisis . To avoid war, the British Prime Minister , Neville Chamberlain , met with the German Chancellor Adolf Hitler in September and came to the Munich Agreement , the German annexation of Sudetenland. Chamberlain had intended
3248-460: The 505th Field Company, Royal Engineers and the 149th Field Ambulance, was on the Northern edge of the advance, with the 28th (Māori) battalion providing the first half of their Northern flank, the second half would be formed by the 6th D.L.I performing a right wheel halfway through the advance. The infantry had a seven-mile march up to their starting lines during which time the objective were bombed by
3364-498: The 50th Division until the 23rd (Northumbrian) divisional headquarters was formed on 2 October 1939. At this point, they were transferred to the new division. The war-time deployment of the TA envisioned the divisions being deployed singly, to reinforce the regular army that had already been dispatched to the European mainland, as equipment became available. The plan envisioned the deployment of
3480-481: The 50th Division was ordered back to Alexandria by road. The division arrived on 11 May with all of the vehicles it had started out with some 2,000 miles previously, even though some had to be towed. The 50th Division was joined in the Nile Delta by the 168th (London) Infantry Brigade (1st London Irish Rifles , 1st London Scottish , 10th Royal Berkshire Regiment ), which had been detached from its parent formation,
3596-813: The 56th Division, but was completely inexperienced. There, on the Great Bitter Lake and on the Gulf of Aqaba they trained in amphibious landing techniques for the Allied invasion of Sicily (codenamed Operation Husky). The invasion, planned for 10 July, would land the United States Seventh Army to operate on the Western sector, and the British Eighth Army to operate in the Eastern sector, and had as its objectives
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3712-620: The 5th and 50th Divisions were becoming hard pressed and on the night of 23–24 May received orders to withdraw to the canal line. After fighting on the canal line the 5th and 50th Divisions were withdrawn north to Ypres to fill a threatening gap developing between the Belgian Army and the BEF, after a strong German attack on the Belgians on 25 May. It was late on 27 May when the 50th Division arrived at Ypres to find their positions already being shelled and
3828-401: The 69th Brigade mopped up around Lentini, the 151st Brigade rested south of the bridge, and the inexperienced 168th Brigade was sent into its first battle at Catania airfield on the night of 17—18 July. They faced veteran German paratroopers of the 4th Parachute Regiment and Gruppe Schmalz dug-in in woods and an anti-tank ditch. Almost everything went wrong, reconnaissance was faulty, surprise
3944-413: The 69th Brigade, the 5th East Yorkshires and 6th Green Howards (both reinforced by platoons from the 7th Green Howards) were joined by a composite D.L.I. battalion of three companies, one each from the battalions of 151st Brigade. The hasty plan called for the brigade to pass through a gap in the mine field and clear more mines to allow the 1st Armoured Division's 2nd Armoured Brigade to pass through during
4060-548: The 6th and 9th D.L.I. crossed the river in the face of machine gun fire and gradually established themselves on the northern shore of the river. By dawn the bridgehead was firmly established and the arrival across the bridge of Sherman tanks from the 3rd County of London Yeomanry on the Northern Shore brought about the German surrender. The battle had cost the 151st Brigade over 500 killed, wounded and missing, but around 300 Germans were dead and 155 had been made prisoner. While
4176-462: The 6th and 9th D.L.I. entered Catania. The remainder of the advance was through territory ideal for ambush, with terraced vineyards and high stone walls resulting in many casualties. With the end of fighting on 17 August, the division was rested and absorbed reinforcements. On 10 October the 168th Brigade returned to the 56th Division, then involved in the early stages of the Italian Campaign , and
4292-404: The 6th, 8th and 9th DLI were inextricably mixed up, many without commanders, all hungry, tired and desperately short of ammunition. The whole area was lit up by the twenty seven derelict burning Valentine tanks of the 50th RTR fought to a standstill by superior enemy armour. The 151st Brigade were withdrawn that night, the 5th East Yorkshires on the night of 23/24 March. The 6th D.L.I had started
4408-598: The American GIs became pinned down in a square. At this point Major-General Sidney Kirkman 's British 50th division "came to the rescue" by using a Bren carrier and blasted away the Italian forces who had pinned the Americans down. The Americans realized however that their ordeal would not be over until they could properly identify themselves so that the British wouldn't mistake them for Germans or Italians. They put their helmets on
4524-514: The Belgian Army being pushed north-eastwards away from them. The gap was covered by the side-stepping 3rd Division the next day. On that day (28 May) the Belgians surrendered , opening up a 20-mile gap south from the English Channel , which the Germans aimed to exploit rapidly . The division was now ordered to form a line east of Poperinghe, with the 3rd Division east of them up to Lizerne, this
4640-520: The DAF. Moving across the start line at 01:05hrs the infantry advanced into the smoke and dust of the barrage which reduced visibility to 50 yards. The whole night to the east was broken by hundreds of gun flashes stabbing into the darkness. The shells whistled overhead to burst with a deafening crash in the target area, and from then, until the barrage closed about three hours later, the frightful shattering noise went on continually... Every twelve yards there
4756-428: The German armoured formations or taking the long way around through the Italians to their front. Obliged to destroy all they could not take with them, the division formed mixed columns (infantry, artillery, engineers and supporting arms), which charged through bridgeheads formed by the 5th East Yorkshires and the 8th D.L.I. for their respective brigades and into the Italian lines. Leaving chaos and confusion in their wake,
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4872-533: The Ruweisat Ridge. Here they patrolled no-man's land and engaged with patrols from the Italian 185th Infantry Division "Folgore" and Germans. On 10 October the remainder of the division entered the line reinforced with the 1st Greek Brigade, and deployed opposite the Deir el Munassib depression, Greeks to the north, the 151st Brigade in the centre and the 69th Brigade to the south. On the night of 25 October, as part of
4988-513: The Sicilians did not regard them as conquering invaders but rather greeted them as "emancipators come to lift the evil burden of fascism from their shoulders." All across Sicily the invading forces were greeted with relief and often with unbridled enthusiasm. During World War II, Avola was the place of one of the first Allied landings during the Allied invasion of Sicily . The town, defended by Major Umberto Fontemaggi's 374th Coastal Battalion (part of
5104-459: The South African's rearguard, the column fought through the Germans and even took prisoners. On 17 and 18 June the division was reassembled at Bir el Thalata. On 21 June Tobruk surrendered , and a new defensive line was made south of Mersa Matruh in similar brigade boxes to those at Gazala. In Mersa Martuh itself was the 10th Indian Infantry Division , south-east of the town, on an escarpment,
5220-422: The V.C. only recently. The 5th East Yorkshires' leading company suffered over 70% casualties, and during this attack Private Eric Anderson won a posthumous V.C., killed while attending to the wounded on the battlefield. The 6th Green Howards now passed through the first wave and also took casualties He was no sooner on his feet than a single shot rang out and Coughlan...dropped dead in an instant. ... then my rage
5336-548: The West of Bournemouth, later on the North coast of Somerset , after having transferred, on 22 November, to VIII Corps . The 50th Division was first informed of an overseas move in September 1940 to North Africa , and embarkation leave was given over Christmas. After intensive exercises on the moors of Somerset and Devon, another grant of embarkation leave was given in March 1941, and on 22 April
5452-623: The Western Desert in November 1941. After training around Bir Thalata, it was ordered into Libya and saw action, capturing eight guns and a prisoner from the Afrika Korps . Directed to the Bir Hakeim position it erected wire, laid mines and dug trenches. Exchanging with the Free French in February 1942 it moved north, and rejoining the rest of the division took over a 25 miles (40 km) section of
5568-446: The advance, the battalion took 200 prisoners and advanced across the Wadi. On the right the 151st Brigade took the front line positions in heavy fighting, but by dawn only four tanks had managed to cross the Wadi. The next day (21 March) reinforced by the 5th East Yorkshires, the brigade advanced and took three positions on the ridge and took several hundred Italian prisoners. More tanks had crossed over but most of them were armed only with
5684-421: The agreement to lead to further peaceful resolution of differences, but relations between both countries soon deteriorated. On 15 March 1939, Germany breached the terms of the agreement by invading and occupying the remnants of the Czech state . On 29 March, the British Secretary of State for War Leslie Hore-Belisha announced plans to increase the Territorial Army (TA) from 130,000 men to 340,000, doubling
5800-402: The arms of the division. One such operation, Fullsize , launched at the end of March consisted of three columns and was commanded by Brigadier John Nichols , commander of the 151st Brigade, who would later command the 50th Division. This ranged up to 30 miles (48 km) from Gazala to raid Luftwaffe landing grounds, in order to distract them from a Malta bound convoy . At the end of April
5916-420: The attack against the Mareth Line was planned for the night of 19–20 March 1943. The Mareth Line was made up of a series of fortified positions, consisting of a number of pillboxes surrounded by wire and trenches, just behind the bank of the Wadi Zigzaou, backed up by a second line of such positions on a ridge to the rear. The 69th Brigade had taken the approaches to the Wadi on preceding nights, they were to attack
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#17328763044936032-519: The attacking forces while the British 1st and 7th Armoured Divisions attacked them in turn. Close by to the north was the 1st South African Division , isolated to the south were the Free French. Other boxes were sited to the rear of the main line, such as the Knightsbridge Box . Patrols began, with the aims of gathering intelligence and disrupting German and Italian operations. These ranged in size from two to three platoons of infantry and anti tank guns, to battalion sized formations containing most of
6148-468: The battalion. Communication was restored only when a War Office observer riding a bicycle crossed the bridge to 'observe' the battle and was dispatched back by the C.O. to bring the rest of the battalion forward. The arrival of the remaining two companies started a fierce battle in the vineyard, and during the day the battalion fought off a number of counter-attacks, but was slowly pushed back. Early on 17 July, supported by division and XIII Corps artillery,
6264-456: The battle was over, the tanks of the Yeomanry having got past the anti-tank ditch, and four hours later the 8th Armoured Brigade pushed on past the Wadi. The brigade had overrun parts of the Italian La Spezia Division . The Eighth Army's attack north along the eastern coast of Tunisia, and the First Army's advance from the west, led eventually to the surrender of Axis forces in North Africa, on 13 May 1943, with almost 250,000 men taken prisoner,
6380-401: The battle with only 300 men, and was now reduced to 65 uninjured, and the other battalions were in a similar state. The 2nd New Zealand Division's flanking attack began on 26 March and was to force an Axis withdrawal. For the next several days the division was employed in tidying the battle-field and burying the dead. On 2 April the division was told to supply a brigade for the coming battle at
6496-427: The battle. After two days, with the Free French holding out at Bir Hakeim, Rommel's supply situation was becoming desperate due to the long detour to the south, an increasing toll of tanks was being taken by the Desert Air Force (DAF). Some supplies reached Rommel through the weakly held mine fields north and south of the 150th Brigade box, but by 31 May the situation was again serious, such that General Fritz Bayerlein
6612-416: The beach on 1 June, the 151st Brigade was informed it may be used in a diversionary attack to cover the evacuation and formed two columns, but this became unnecessary. That night the 50th Division was evacuated from the beaches (150th Brigade, RASC and gunners ) and the Mole (151st Brigade and others), with Lieutenant-General Brooke having estimated its strength on 30 May at 2,400 men. While in Britain
6728-441: The bombardment, others fought back, with all three battalions coming under fire. Lines through the mines were cleared behind the advance, and by dawn, having reached their objective the infantry dug in, and were in place to witness the destruction of the 9th Armoured Brigade as it charged dug in German guns. Relieved in the early hours of 3 November, the brigade had suffered almost 400 casualties and taken more than 400 prisoners. In
6844-399: The boundary with the last in the ancient Himera river ( Salso ) after a series of battles between these tribes. The Sicani are the oldest inhabitants of Sicily with a recorded name. In the 5th century BCE, the Greek historian Thucydides , claims that the Sicani originated on the Iberian Peninsula , from around a river they called "Sicanus" and had migrated to Sicily following an invasion by
6960-413: The center of the town they raised their regimental flag over Avola, as soon as the local people recognized that they were the Allies and not more Germans the local people welcomed the British and American soldiers with open arms. On December 3, 1968, during the time period known as the Hot Autumn , Avola was the scene of an infamous massacre, when police opened fire on demonstrating day-labourers demanding
7076-402: The colony of Syracuse . While many other Greek colonies were established around the island, by 734 BCE Syracuse had become the largest city in the Greek-speaking world. The Sicani were gradually absorbed by these colonizing peoples. They disappeared as a distinct people following the annexation of Sicily by the Roman Republic. Minos , according to tradition, went to Sicania, or Sicily, as it
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#17328763044937192-418: The column ambushed defensive posts and collected several thousand Italian prisoners, including the HQ of the Brescia Division . The 151st Brigade rejoined the division on 12 November. The division now went into reserve as part of X Corps , and was grouped around El Adem on the Gazala battlefield where it received new anti-tank and anti-aircraft regiments and commenced intensive training. Various formations of
7308-436: The columns headed further south around the routes the Germans took in their advance, then east and headed for Fort Maddelena on the Egyptian frontier. The enemy in the bridgeheads were Italian stiffened by a few German gunners. They were very much taken by surprise. It was late at night before they realised that a whole division was passing straight through their lines. Some vehicles went up on mines, others were shot-up, but on
7424-402: The command of the 2nd New Zealand Division, were to advance 4,000 yards to Tel el Aqqaqir on the Rahman Track, supported by tanks of 8th and 50th Royal Tank Regiments . Following them would be the 9th Armoured Brigade . The advance would be supported by a First World War style creeping barrage provided by 13 field regiments and two medium regiments of artillery. The 151st Brigade, supported by
7540-414: The day was also disrupted, 168th Brigade was scheduled to land on D+3. Over the next few days the division lost most of its motor transport, bombed by the Luftwaffe while still on board ship. Forced to march, the division was allocated the minor inland road north and urged forward by the GOC, Major-General Kirkman, fought the German Battlegroup Schmalz and the Italian Napoli Division . On 13 July contact
7656-441: The defeat of the remaining British armour on 13 June, the remaining Gazala boxes realised they were now almost cut off. On 14 June they received orders to withdraw. The coast road leading to the east could only hold one division while it was being held open by the remains of the British armour and the El Adem box, and this was allocated to the South Africans. The 50th Division was left with the alternatives of fighting east, through
7772-416: The division HQ and 150th Brigade Group sailed from Liverpool. The remainder of the division, now commanded by Major-General William Ramsden , sailed from Glasgow on 23 May. While in the North Atlantic the majority of the escorts of the Glasgow convoy were diverted away to search for the Bismarck leaving only the cruiser HMS Exeter as the convoy's escort. In June the division landed at Port Tewfik, where
7888-404: The division from three to two brigades along with a similar reduction in artillery. French wrote that the motor division "matched that of the German army's motorized and light divisions. But there the similarities ended." German motorized divisions contained three brigades and were as fully equipped as a regular infantry division, while the smaller light divisions contained a tank battalion. Whereas
8004-408: The division headed towards Brussels and took up positions on the river Dender, only to end up part of the Allied withdrawal. By 19 May, it was on Vimy ridge, north of Arras . It had become known to the Allies that the German Army's southern spearheads had pierced the Peronne – Cambrai gap and were threatening Boulogne and Calais , cutting the BEF's lines of communication and separating it from
8120-507: The division made good its losses with new recruits and convalescents, and was converted into a three brigade infantry division with the permanent addition, of the 69th Infantry Brigade group, at the end of June. This comprised the 5th East Yorkshire Regiment , 6th and 7th Green Howards with supporting artillery and engineers, from the now disbanded 23rd (Northumbrian) Division, which had been badly mauled in France. It became part of V Corps on anti-invasion duty, stationed initially in and to
8236-431: The division were detached, transport platoons to carry supplies forward from Tobruk, the engineers to improve the docks and roads around Sirte and the anti-aircraft regiment to protect newly captured airfields. The division, still with only two infantry brigades, returned to the front line, where it joined Leese's XXX Corps, in mid-March 1943, when the Eighth Army reached the Mareth Line in Tunisia . Operation Pugilist,
8352-451: The division, while manning an anti-tank gun . However, most of the battalion was overrun, but the attack was not pressed further due to the Germans own heavy casualties. That night a large raid by the 6th and 8th D.L.I. and elements of the 5th Indian Division, was intended to disrupt German and Italian lines of communication south of the escarpment, but due to poor coordination succeeded in causing as much confusion to their own columns as to
8468-433: The divisional artillery as all available transport was being used to move Eighth Army supplies. Fire support was to come from the 51st (Highland) Division's artillery, the infantry of which were to attack on their right, while the 4th Indian Division attacked on their left. In the early morning of 6 April, the attack achieved its early objectives but then came under heavy fire which killed Lieutenant Colonel Seagrim, who had won
8584-558: The east. The arrival of the Sicels is thought to have occurred during the thirteenth or eleventh century BCE. The Sicanians area after this became limited to the south-western part of the island with settlements in the area of Gela and Agrigentum . The Sicani enter the historical record with the Phoenicians, who established colonies during the 11th century BCE – preceding the Greeks, who founded
8700-431: The end of sticks and waved them above the firing line while yelling that they were American. One British soldier exclaimed "What the bloody 'ell are you Yanks doing 'ere?" This incident led to the British and Americans making sure that in future operations their forces all used the same password so that they could more easily identify one another in combat. When the British military's Durham Light Infantry division took over
8816-427: The enemy. The same night the 5th East Yorkshires was heavily engaged with the Germans. On the night of 28 June, with the division nearly surrounded, it was ordered to break out. Unlike the Gazala breakout, the battalion columns now faced German armour, and the ground was broken by steep-sided Wadis . The 8th D.L.I. was ambushed while driving out of a wadi and lost its D Company. The original orders had specified Fuka as
8932-526: The front line. On the night of 28 October, the 151st Brigade was transferred north to join XXX Corps , and take part in Operation Supercharge . This operation began on the night of 31 October with an Australian attack keeping pressure on the Germans near the coast. Further south, timed for the early morning of 1 November, then delayed for 24 hours, the 151st Brigade with the 152nd Brigade , both under
9048-464: The increasingly ineffective 2-pounder gun. The passage of these tanks had damaged the Wadi crossing and only a few anti-tank guns could be moved across. On 22 March, with the DAF grounded by rain, the Germans counterattacked with the 15th Panzer Division with supporting artillery and infantry. By evening a bloody and desperate battle was being fought out west of the Wadi Zigzaou, and slowly but surely
9164-603: The infantry were being driven back to the Wadi edge, until by midnight except for the East Yorkshire Regiment holding out in [a fortified position on the bank of the Wadi] there was no depth whatever in the bridgehead. Though tremendous casualties had been inflicted by the supporting artillery ... they had failed to stop the enemy attack. Later even this support flagged as wireless sets with the forward troops were gradually knocked out or failed due to exhausted batteries. The men of
9280-462: The inter-war period resulted in the three kinds of divisions by the end of the 1930s: the infantry division, the mobile division (later called the armoured division), and the motor division. Historian David French wrote "The main role of the infantry ... was to break into the enemy's defensive position." This would then be exploited by the Mobile division, followed by the motor divisions that would "carry out
9396-456: The main French armies. A plan by French General Maxime Weygand to close this gap between the French and British forces included Frankforce (after Major-General Harold Franklyn , GOC of the 5th Division ), consisting of the 5th and 50th Divisions and the 1st Army Tank Brigade attacking southward, and French divisions attacking northward from around Cambrai. Instead of divisions, the attack
9512-421: The meeting point for the division, but this was in enemy hands, and some columns which had not been informed of this were captured. The 50th Division had suffered over 9,000 casualties since the start of the Gazala battle, lost much of its equipment and what remained was worn out. The division was sent into Mareopolis, south-west of Alexandria , to refit. The average strength of the remaining infantry battalions
9628-422: The motor division, while being fully motorized and capable of transporting all their infantry, contained no tanks and was "otherwise much weaker than normal infantry divisions" or their German counterparts. Following this, some of the division's infantry battalions were converted to anti-aircraft regiments, and the entire 149th Brigade was converted into divisional support units for other formations. Throughout
9744-462: The next line at Wadi Akarit, which runs from the sea to impassable salt marshes of the Chott el Fejej , while the Germans were distracted by the advance of Lieutenant General George S. Patton 's U.S. II Corps to the west. The 69th Brigade was sent forward with the division machine gunners and a squadron of tanks from the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) , but they were not to be supported by
9860-476: The night of 21–22 July. The 5th East Yorkshires and the composite D.L.I. battalion reached their objectives, the Germans having allowed them to pass through their lines. Surrounded, then shelled and mortared for two days, with the supporting armour unable to advance, they were overrun with only small numbers escaping. In late July and August the division was part of the Northern Delta Force, together with
9976-472: The number of divisions. The plan was for the existing divisions to recruit over their establishments and then form Second Line divisions from small cadres that could be built upon. This was aided by an increase in pay for territorials, the removal of restrictions on promotion that had been a major hindrance to recruiting during the preceding years, the construction of better quality barracks and an increase in supper-time rations. The 23rd (Northumbrian) Division
10092-413: The other brigades of the division, noting the flow of supplies in front of them, mounted vigorous patrols to disrupt and steal these supplies. Particularly prized was fresh water from the wells at Derna to supplement their own meagre ration, all other types of stores and weapons were taken as well as prisoners. This commerce raiding continued until, after the withdrawal of the Free French on 10 June and
10208-588: The planned objective of Wancourt before running into opposition from the infantry units of Generalmajor Erwin Rommel 's 7th Panzer Division . French tanks and troop carriers enabled British soldiers to evacuate Warlus, and the carriers of the 9th Durham Light Infantry (in reserve) helped those in Duisans withdraw to their former positions that night. Next day the Germans regrouped and continued their advance; Frankforce had taken around 400 German prisoners and inflicted
10324-421: The port of Syracuse and the airfields inland. An airborne operation was to attempt to capture the bridges and waterways behind Syracuse. The division was to land on a one brigade front (151st Brigade) south of Cap Murro Di Porco with the 5th Division to their right (north). High winds scattered both seaborne and airborne landings, but were able to concentrate and advance. The landing of the 69th Brigade later in
10440-474: The prehistory, to experimental architectural elaboration. During World War II Avola, like all of Sicily, was a hotbead of anti-Mussolini sentiment and anti-fascist sentiment more generally. Because of the strongarm tactics that the Mussolini regime used to subdue Sicily, the fascist regime was very unpopular on the island, the town of Avola was no exception to this. When British and American forces arrived in Sicily
10556-440: The rapid consolidation of the ground captured by the Mobile divisions" therefore "transform[ing] the 'break-in' into a 'break-through." As a result, in 1938, the army decided to create six such Motor Divisions from Territorial Army units. Only three infantry divisions were converted into motor divisions prior to the war, this included the 50th alongside the 55th (West Lancashire) and the 1st London . The reform intended to reduce
10672-664: The renewal of their contract. Two were killed and many wounded. This scene was depicted in the film 'Il Grande Sogno'. The Nero d'Avola , a typical red wine of Sicily, is named after the city of Avola, where the first grafting of the vine was made, but its grapes may grow and the wine be produced in other regions of the island too. The denomination Avola's Almond includes three different types of almond: Pizzuta, Fascionello and Romana or Corrente d'Avola. These three kinds of almond come from Avola's area. Blooming in winter, these almonds can only grow either in sea areas or on little hills, where frost rarely happens. Since Avola belongs to one of
10788-526: The south, the remainder of the division, reinforced with the 2nd Free French Brigade, was tasked with clearing the mine fields between the Ruweiiat Ridge and the Rahman Track and capturing the defences around a point called 'Fortress A'. On 7 November the division was ordered to form a mobile brigade column and strike West. With all division vehicles given to the 69th Brigade and reinforced with anti-tank guns
10904-399: The southern diversionary attacks, the 69th Brigade, 5th East Yorkshires and 6th Green Howards, advanced to clear the mine fields, and seize positions. After gaining nearly all of the first objectives, the attacking battalions came up against increasing numbers of anti-personnel mines, barbed wire and retaliatory mortar fire. After losing over 200 casualties, the battalions were withdrawn back to
11020-427: The sunniest towns in Sicily, this makes it one of the main production areas for almond. Pizzuta and Fascionello are mainly used in the making of "Confetti", white sugared almonds, "Granita", ice slush, almond milk and other pastries, while Romana is only used for pastries and other bakery products. Avola is famous for its numerous wide beaches with fine golden sand and clean, shining sea. In its hilly territory there
11136-457: The supporting tanks being engaged by 88mm guns . An attack by the 8th Battalion D.L.I. was delayed, allowing them to learn of a ford upstream of the bridge from one of the paratroopers. Before dawn on 16 July two companies of the battalion achieved surprise and established themselves across the Catania road some 200 yards north of the bridge, but in doing so lost all their means to summon the rest of
11252-401: The town, far away from where the British were already engaged in combat. The American GIs were over fifty miles away from their intended landing zone and decided to improvise, which in this case meant attempting to take the town by force on their own. They immediately became bogged down in a massive firefight and realized they had "bit off more than they could chew". In the course of the firefight
11368-515: The vicinity of Avola in 1914. Estimated to date between 370 and 300 BC, the extant items of ornate jewellery are now housed in the British Museum and comprise a pair of bracelets with double snake-heads, a finger-ring and an ear-ring with the figure of Eros . When the Romans conquered Sicily in 227 BC, the city of Syracuse maintained some autonomy in the control of the area, which lasted until
11484-577: The whole TA in waves, as divisions completed their training. The final divisions would not be transported to France until a year had elapsed from the outbreak of war. In October, the division was concentrated in the Cotswolds to train for overseas service, which continued into the winter. In January 1940, the division was moved to France to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). The division disembarked at Cherbourg on 19 January 1940, and
11600-479: The whole we had very few casualties and both attacking battalions did their jobs successfully. The infantry went in with the bayonet and the Italians departed, often leaving all their arms and equipment lying about in the trenches. After having been posted behind the 69th Brigade box, and having seen the Italians alerted to the breakout, the 9th D.L.I., and a party from the 6th, took the coastal route . Attacked by German artillery and infantry and accidentally shelled by
11716-410: Was 300 men (less than 50%), and the division artillery had only 30 guns (out of 72) and all other services had heavy losses. By mid-July the infantry had been reinforced to 400–500 men per battalion and training had begun. In late July the division, now commanded by Major-General John Nichols after Ramsden was promoted, was ordered to provide troops for an attack on Mitieriya Ridge, under the command of
11832-456: Was a shell hole. It was well organized. On each flank – on the battalion flanks – they had Bofors guns firing tracer every two or three minutes so that you could keep on line. The barrage was going for about two minutes then they'd drop two or three smoke bombs – they were a bloody nuisance... But when they dropped you knew the barrage was lifting. You just moved in. In the advance through the German trenches and gun lines, some had been stunned by
11948-635: Was assigned to II Corps . By March, the division was at work preparing the defences in the Lille—Loos area. When the German attack began on 10 May, the British and French enacted their Dyle Plan and advanced to the River Dyle in Belgium . The next day, the 25th Infantry Brigade and other supporting units were added to the division while it was in reserve on the Belgian border. It was ordered to move on 16 May, and
12064-496: Was considering surrender. Rommel had turned his attention to the 150th Brigade box as a means to shorten his lines of communication and began attacking it on 29 May from the rear, using parts of 15th Panzer , Trieste Motorised and 90th Light Divisions , supported by heavy bombing attacks. The box was gradually reduced over a stubborn defence, and it was overrun by noon on 1 June, with the capture of all three infantry battalions and attached artillery and engineers. During this time
12180-448: Was destroyed by an earthquake in 1693 , and was refounded in a new location of the coast, under the design of friar architect Angelo Italia , having a geometric and regular plan. The town of Grammichele , also destroyed by the earthquake, was also relocated and rebuilt along a hexagonal layout. Along the main road that goes to Syracuse is situated a megalithic monument, so-called "pseudo- dolmen " because of natural origin but adapted, in
12296-484: Was done by the morning of 29 May, forming the southern edge of the Dunkirk corridor. In contact with the Germans from the start the 50th Division was forced back and by late 30 May was in the eastern end of the Dunkirk perimeter. The division was reinforced by some remnants from the 23rd (Northumbrian) Division on 31 May, which were needed as the Germans continued to attack and shell the 50th Division's positions. Withdrawn to
12412-557: Was established with the 51st (Highland) Division at Palazzolo. Operation Fustian was intended to swiftly capture the bridges along the coast of the Catanian plain by coup de main using No. 3 Commando and the 1st Parachute Brigade of the 1st Airborne Division , they would then be relieved by troops of the 50th Division. On the night of 13–14 July the British Commandos seized the bridge of Ponti di Malati North of Lentini , and
12528-404: Was introduced. At that time 34,500 militiamen, all aged 20, were conscripted into the regular army, initially to be trained for six months before being deployed to the forming second line units. The process varied widely in the TA divisions. Some were ready in weeks while others had made little progress by the time the Second World War began. The division, along with most of the rest of the TA,
12644-502: Was lost, the advance was caught by enfilade fire and some units were caught by their own artillery fire. The brigade was forced to withdraw. Directed by enemy observers in these positions, long range artillery destroyed the Primisole bridge but left two bailey bridges intact. The 50th Division remained in these positions for the next two weeks. On 4 August the Germans blew up ammunition dumps on Catania airfield and withdrew, and on 5 August
12760-495: Was made by two battalion sized columns, with many tanks of the armoured units already unserviceable. Of the 5th Infantry Division's two brigades, one had been sent to hold the line of the river Scarpe to the east of Arras, together with the 150th Brigade of the 50th Division, while the other was in reserve. The two columns comprised the 6th and 8th Battalions of the Durham Light Infantry (D.L.I.) of 151st Brigade supporting
12876-461: Was mobilised on 1 September 1939, the day the German Army invaded Poland . From the new units it created in March, the 50th Division created the 69th Infantry Brigade as a Second Line duplicate of the 150th Infantry Brigade , and the 70th Infantry Brigade as a Second Line duplicate of the 151st Infantry Brigade . These brigades had been created by the outbreak of the war and were administered by
12992-401: Was planned that the 4th Indian Division would then pass through and continue the attack, while the 2nd New Zealand Division made a 'left hook'. The attack began on the night of 20—21 March, on the left, Lieutenant Colonel Derek Anthony Seagrim , Commanding Officer (C.O.) of the 7th Green Howards, was awarded the V.C. in clearing two machine gun posts on 'the Bastion' which briefly held up
13108-534: Was reconstituted as the Territorial Army following the passage of the Territorial Army and Militia Act 1921 . This resulted in the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division being formed. It contained the same infantry brigades as before, the 149th ( 4th to 7th Battalions Royal Northumberland Fusiliers ), 150th ( 4th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment , 4th and 5th Green Howards and 5th Durham Light Infantry ), and 151st ( 6th to 9th battalions Durham Light Infantry). British military doctrine development during
13224-425: Was the 50th Division with a brigade of the 5th Indian Division south of them. The Germans attacked on 27 June and passed around the escarpment to the north and south. North of the 151st lay the coast road and the attack fell on the brigade and heavily on the 9th D.L.I. on the left flank. During the attack Private Adam Wakenshaw was to win a posthumous Victoria Cross (VC), the first of four to be awarded to members of
13340-686: Was to be created as a Second Line unit, a duplicate of the 50th (Northumbrian). Despite the intention for the army to grow, the programme was complicated by a lack of central guidance on the expansion and duplication process and issues regarding the lack of facilities, equipment and instructors. It had been envisioned by the War Office that the duplicating process and recruiting the required numbers of men would take no more than six months. The 50th (Northumbrian) Motor Division started this process in March, creating new units based around an initial cadre of just 25 officers and men. In April, limited conscription
13456-435: Was up ... Angrily, I grabbed poor Coughlan's machine gun ... When we were about ten yards away we had reached the top of the slit trench and we killed any of the survivors, five of them cowering in the bottom of the trench. It was no time for pussy footing: we were consumed with rage and had to kill them to pay for our fallen pal. We were so intoxicated, we could not hold back, given the chance they would have killed us. By 11:00
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