Who liberated Assisi in 1944?

[Bob Potter]

I was rummaging around in the World War II unit history of the 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (looking for Universal Carrier photos, but that is another story) when I found an answer to this question I posed here so long ago. I thought I'd share.

The Lancers may have walked in the door first and found partisans, but the partisans did not stay. When the 8th Indian Division came around Lake Trasimeno, the Argylls were sent towards Assisi. One company entered the hill town itself, one company went west to Bastia, another went south and west into San Angelo (where the railroad station and the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels [Saint Francis' Portciuncula] is). There was a bit of skirmishing done by all three companies. The company that entered Assisi itself passed through and got shot at on the other (north?) side.

The unit history, by the end-of-war battalion commander FCC Graham, is a good read. I have the wartime histories of the 1st, 2nd, reconstituted 2nd,
6th, 7th, and 8th battalions, all very informative.

Thanks for reading.

Bob

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by Bob Potter

The company that entered Assisi itself passed through and got shot at on the other (north?) side.

... that would have been C Company Bob (commanded by Major E.A.F. Oxborrow) ... as C Company emerged from the western exits of the town the Germans put down a heavy "stonk" ... (bottom of page 110 and top of page 111)

Source:

History of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 1st Battalion (Princess Louise's) 1939-1945
by Lt-Col. F.C.C. Graham D.S.O.
published by Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd., 1948

Cheers