monte cassino battlefield tours

MONTECASSINO BATTLEFIELD TOURS BY DR DANILA BRACAGLIA

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2024

The caves of san pietro by susan gayle, a book every american should read, historical consultant for the bbc.

Monte Cassino Battlefield Tours

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MONTE CASSINO BATTLEFIELD TOURS: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Monte Cassino Battlefield Tours

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Monte Cassino Battlefield Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Monte Cassino Battlefield Tours

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Monte Cassino Battlefield Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Second World War Cassino ’44 tour with James Holland

Today Italy is one of the world's most alluring travel destinations, celebrated for its classical and Renaissance history, delicious food and wine, romantic cities and spectacular views. But between 1943 and 1945 the country was ravaged by a savage storm of war, as the Allies battled their way up the leg of Italy, heroically overcoming German forces determined to fight for every yard.

On this fascinating 8-day tour, devised and led by the bestselling and award-winning historian James Holland, you will follow the course of the brutal Italian campaign from the Allied landings at Salerno in September 1943 all the way to the liberation of Rome the following June. To reach the Eternal City, the Allies had to fight their way, inch by inch, up the Italian peninsula, overcoming flooded rivers and blown-up bridges, battling over steep mountains and through thick mud, all in bitter winter conditions that favoured the German defenders. As you will hear, the campaign became a terrible, grinding struggle of men, material and mud -which also created unspeakable miseries for Italian civilians, as whole towns and villages were destroyed.

However, it was also a time of astonishing bravery and human drama. And during this unique and unmissable tour you will hear the fascinating stories of people from all sides - Allied, German and civilians, too - who heroically fought, lived and died through it, as James recounts their moving first-hand experiences.

With James and battlefields author Mike Peters as your expert guides, you will discover many new and revealing things about one of the Second World War's most misunderstood campaigns, all set against a spectacular Italian backdrop of towering peaks and beautiful valleys, with the sparkling Mediterranean Sea beyond.

"Join me in this stunningly beautiful part of Italy, where we will learn much about one of the Second World War's most misunderstood campaigns, hearing dramatic and moving tales, and about events which highlight the astonishing indefatigability of the human spirit" - James Holland

Additional information Flights Flights are not included but can be added at a supplement, please call to arrange. Flight BA0536, 7 October Departing London Heathrow at 9.50, arriving Naples at 13.40 Flight BA0549, 14 October Departing Rome Fiumicino at 12.55, arriving London Heathrow at 14.35 Single supplement £399 *Please note this information is indicative and subject to change*

Reasons to book

Insights from James Holland

Expert tour guide

Battle of Monte Cassino

Welcome and farewell dinners

Tour the Salerno battlefields

Stay in comfortable hotels

You'll be joined by.

James Holland is an award-winning historian, writer and broadcaster. He has written numerous history books, including Brothers in Arms, which tells the story of the Sherwood Rangers from D-Day to VE Day, and co-hosts the hugely successful podcast, We Have Ways of Making You Talk , with Al Murray.

Mike served in the British Army for more than thirty years. As an Army Air Corps Soldier, and later in his career as an Officer, he served in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. He has maintained a lifelong interest in military history, working as a Battlefield Guide, an author, and recently as a TV Historian. Mike has published Glider Pilots at Arnhem, Glider Pilots in Sicily, and Bomb Group - a history of the 381st Bomb Group USAAF.

Price includes

• James Holland will accompany you throughout the tour, sharing his knowledge and expert insights
• Explore the places that shaped the famous Battle of Monte Cassino, including Snakeshead Ridge and Calvary Hill
• Visit the key sites of the Battle of Salerno, including the Tobacco Factory
• Explore Ortona, setting for the battle known as "the Stalingrad of the Adriatic"
• Battlefield expert Mike Peters will be your Tour Manager throughout
• Seven nights' accommodation in either a three-star or four-star hotel on a B&B basis
• Two evening meals
• Early booking discount, save £281pp*

Availability

* From price is per person, based on two people sharing a room, subject to availability. Price and itinerary correct at time of print but may be subject to change. Price includes £281pp discount. Single supplement £399. Deposit 30%. Local charges such as tourist tax may apply. Not suitable for those with mobility issues. Offers are not valid in conjunction with any other offers or promotions. In the case of unforeseen circumstances, expert(s) may be substituted, and any expert-led events may be subject to change. Expert(s) will not join you for your full trip duration unless otherwise stated. Travel insurance is not included and should be taken out at time of booking. Images used may not reflect your actual tour experience. This holiday may be sold through other selected brands. Tour is operated by and subject to the booking conditions of TS Travel Ltd (ATOL bonded).

After flying from London to Naples, you will meet your local tour coach and take a one hour drive to the scenic port of Salerno. Here you will enjoy a welcome dinner and the chance to meet and hear from James Holland and Mike Peters, your expert guides for the tour.

We will start our second day by climbing high into the hills overlooking Salerno to survey the battleground, before descending to the beaches where the British X Corps landed in September 1943. Next we head south, first to the ancient Greek city of Paestum, where the US Army's 36th Texas Division landed, before moving on to nearby Monte Cicerale to view the battlefield from the south. Here we will examine the battle's key crisis points, including the focus of the German counterattack. Next we will visit the ruins of the Tobacco Factory - a circular, fortress-like complex which was the scene of ferocious fighting - and see where, and why, the Germans came unstuck. Across the day you will get a clear overview of the entire Battle of Salerno, including fascinating on-the-ground visits to relive the battle's pivotal moments.

In the evening, we will take a two and a half-hour drive to Foggia.

Air power was vital to the Italian campaign and the capture of the Foggia airfield complex was a key - if not the key - objective for the first phase of the Allied invasion. The plain here, which is flat as a board, became home to the US heavy bombers of the Fifteenth Air Force. Here we will visit one of those vital airfields before continuing up the coast to Termoli, scene of a vicious battle and the place where the SAS under Paddy Mayne suffered a major blow. We will then follow the Eighth Army's path north along the Adriatic coast, while also focusing on the New Zealanders' advance as they crossed the River Sangro and pushed on to the ridgetop towns of Castel Frentano and Orsogna.

The Battle of Ortona has been called the "Stalingrad of the Adriatic" and this morning we will be looking at its month-long, close-quarter fighting in detail - from the Canadians' early attempts to cross the River Moro and the clearing of "the Gulley", to the fierce street battles through the town itself, which still shows plenty of signs of damage 80 years on. We then have a coach ride - albeit a very scenic one - back to the western side of the leg of Italy, where we rejoin the story of the US Fifth Army at the point it crossed the River Volturno. Next we take a short climb on foot to Teatro Tempio di Pietravairano, the breathtaking hilltop amphitheatre where we will share the view that greeted US Generals Mark Clark and John Lucas of the Germans' mighty Bernhardt defensive line beyond.

The Battle for the Bernhardt Line - or Winter Line, as the Americans called it - was unspeakably tough, as soldiers on both sides engaged in bitter fighting atop towering 3,000-foot peaks. Today we will follow in their footsteps as we climb Monte Sammucro, albeit from the easier German side. Still littered with shrapnel from the fighting of December 1944 and with remains of the Germans' stone sangers dotting the crest, this is a special chance to see a very well-preserved and evocative battleground. Needless to say, the views are stunning and provide a vivid panorama of the surrounding area. After our descent, we will visit the deeply moving ruined village of San Pietro Infine, which was destroyed in the fighting and has been left just as it was in December 1944.

Today the Allies' campaign crosses over into 1944 as we look at the early battles of January that year. We will take a short climb up to the southern saddle of Monte Trocchio, which affords fantastic views of the Cassino battleground, before heading south to see where the British crossed the River Garigliano - a battle often overlooked but which proved vital to the events that followed. In the afternoon, we focus on the Texas Division's attempt to cross the River Rapido before heading to the beautiful and moving CWGC Cemetery at Cassino.

This evening we will enjoy a group dinner together at the 4-star Hotel Rocca.

On our last full day of the tour, we will head to Monte Cassino, and from the Polish Cemetery walk up onto Snakeshead Ridge and Calvary Hill (Point 593) to see relics from one of the most famous battles of the Second World War. There will also be a chance for a brief tour of the Abbey before we head down into the Liri Valley to see remnants of the Senger Line and the scene of the decisive Allied breakthrough of May 1944. We then head north, stopping at a viewpoint overlooking the Anzio beachhead to examine how the troops of the US VI Corps finally broke out and turned the Battle for Rome.

You will be driven from your hotel to Rome's Fiumicino airport before your flight back to the UK.

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• 10.00am - 5.30pm
• Chelsea, London

Virtual Battlefield Tour: Monte Cassino

30 May 2023

£15.00 Members: £10.00

Second World War

Conflict in Europe

British troops moving into Cassino through a smoke screen, Italy, 1944

See the battlefield of Monte Cassino like never before in this special virtual tour led by Patrick Mercer.

Between January and May 1944, Allied forces in Italy fought hard to break through the Germans’ formidable defensive position, the Gustav Line, and open up a path to Rome.

After four months of fighting, centred around the town of Cassino and the hilltop Abbey of Monte Cassino, the Allies finally broke through. The 2nd Polish Corps secured Monte Cassino on 18 May.   Join Patrick Mercer on this virtual tour to learn how the Allies achieved this victory. Using a blend of the latest technology and original artefacts, the tour will help you explore the battlefield like never before. 

The tour will feature special highlights from the National Army Museum’s world-class collection to illustrate the story and bring the events of the battle to life. It will also feature items from the Sikorski Institute. 

Event format

This event will be delivered online in partnership with Battle Guide Virtual Tours .

The livestream will begin 15 minutes ahead of the advertised start time. The tour will then last for approximately 75 minutes, followed by 15 minutes for questions.

A link will be sent to all ticket holders 72 hours before the event begins.

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Tour Narrator – Frank de Planta

Frank de Planta has had an interest in military history since childhood and has run battlefield studies in Spain, France and Italy.  He read Modern History at King’s College, London and was commissioned into The Royal Anglian Regiment in 1984.  He retired in 1991 and joined the Territorial Army during which time he commanded East Midlands Officers’ Training Corps in Nottingham. 

Fred Majdalany’s personal account of Cassino sparked an intense interest and he now devotes much of his free time to this fascinating and highly controversial series of battles that, ultimately, led to a costly breakthrough in May/June 1944.  His interest then shifted to include Anzio, a part of the Italian Campaign that is inextricably linked to Cassino.

In 2010, his projects included working with Wall to Wall, the production company for the BBC 1 series  ‘Who Do You Think You Are? ‘.  His project for 2011 was researching the route of 1/6 Surreys from the fall of Rome in June 1944 to the capture of Forli, in northern Italy, in October 1944.  During 2012, he completed research for the Battle of Salerno in order to include it as a study.  For 2013, he researched 1 Canadian Infantry Division’s assault  on the Hitler Line on 23 May 44 and during 2014 he examined in detail the 128 (Hampshire) Infantry Brigade crossing of the Garigliano on 19 January 1944 as part of the assault on the Gustav Line.  2015 and 2016 were spent researching 234 Infantry Brigade’s futile defence of the former Italian island of Leros in the Dodecanese in November 1943 – often described as ‘ Churchill’s Folly ‘.  2017 and 2018 focussed on the Eighth Army’s tumultuous battle for the Gothic Line in August-September 1944.   For 2019, he is researching 5 Canadian Armoured Division’s handling of the rush to secure the River Melfa on 24-25 May 1944 during which Major John Mahoney was awarded the Victoria Cross.  For 2020-22, he has spent the period of Covid lockdown writing a trilogy – a series of three books entitled ‘A Walking Tour of Italy’s WWII Battlefields covering the Allied involvement in Italy from Salerno to Rome. For 2023, he has been researching the US Fifth Army move up the west coast to Florence and their desperate and demanding 1944-45 Winter in the Apennines.

Frank de Planta explains the D Company 2nd Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry diversionary attack on 11-12 May 1944 to soldiers from 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles in June 2023.

Monte Cassino War Tours

Monte cassino battlefield tour for poles.

Indice dei contenuti

Monte Cassino Battlefield tour for Poles: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Monte cassino battlefield tour for poles: why they were in cassino area.

When I’m working as a  Tour Guide  on the  WW2 Battlefields of Monte Cassino , people are sometime asking me why the Poles took part to the battle, and what they did.  The Battle of Montecassino  is so well know by the Poles because it is one of episodes of the  Second World War , marked  by bravery and success. In every article or book on the  Italian Campain,  there are some lines dedicated to  Monte Cassino  and what happened here 73 years ago. The Italian Campain lasted from July 1943 to May 1945.

Monte Cassino Battlefield tour for Poles: the arriving of the II Polish Corps

The Allied Forces landed on Sicily and they were successful because the German reinforcements arrived too late. The  Polish II Corps  did not take part in the Sicilian operation because in July-August 1943 the Poles were still in the Middle East. Then the Allies landed in Italy, the American were direct to Cosenza and Neaple, while the British were sent to east, to Taranto, Foggia and Termoli. German tactics were very clear. They wanted to slow the Allies down and to inflict them with the maximum amount of casualties. The II Corps began to arrive in Italy at the end of December  1943. Their first introduction to the sunny Italy started in the mud and the snow.

Monte Cassino Battlefield tour for Poles: the II Polish Corps in South Italy

The base camps were established near Bari and Brindisi, far away from the first line, but always under a lot of rain and snow. The transfer from Egypt to Italy took several weeks, and the integration in the British VIII Army was difficult. The  British VIII Army  was like a collage. In Africa it war formed mainly by British, Indians and Commonwealth regiments, but in Sicily the “Free French” were added, and between them the most numerous part were Algerians, Maroccans, Madagascans and even Tahitians. Even the Poles were familiar with multi-ethnic societies. they themselves included Poles, Belarusians, Jews and Lithuanians.

The Polish Corps in Monte Cassino area: General Anders army

General Wladyslaw Anders  controlled 15-20 percent of the VIII Army’s strength. Among the twenty divisions which participated to the Italian Campaign three were depended on exiled governments based in London.  The French Expeditionary Corps  with 112.000 men, the Polish II Corps with 55.000 men and the 3rd Greek Mountain Brigade with 18.000 assigned to the British 13 Corps. We must remember and other very important thing the Poles shared with the Canadians: both of them have to participate to the war without being represented in the strategic conferences. All the decisions were taken by the “Big Three” America, UK and Soviet Union.

General Anders and his men are asked to fight in Cassino area

General Leese, commander of the VIII Army asked Anders on 24 March 1944 if the II Corps could participate to the coming battle, even if it was clear to Anders that his men were still very weak to fight, but he also knew that if he had declined, he could have seriously damaged the reputation of the Polish Corps. When he arrived next to Cassino, he had already a lot of information about what had already happened there, and the mistakes the Allied had already done.

General Wladyslaw Anders’ words

On 11 May 1944,  General Wladyslaw Anders issued his Order of the Day: “Soldiers! The moment for the battle has arrived. We have long awaited the day of revenge and retribution over our hereditary enemy. Shoulder to shoulders, will fight British, American, Canadian and New Zealand divisions, together with French, Italian and Indian troops. The task assigned to us will cover with glory the name of the Polish soldier all over the world. At this moment, the thoughts and hearts of our whole nation are with us. Trusting in the Justice of Divine Providence, we go forward with the sacred call in our hearts: God, Honour, Country”

Monte Cassino Battlefield tour for Poles: the attack to Monte Cassino Abbey.

While two British corps were to surge forwards on either side of them, and the I Canadian Corps had to cross the Liry Valley, the Poles were asked to take the Monastery Hill by frontal attack. The first Polish assault on 12 May was unsuccessful, but in the early hours of 18 May, when elements of the 78th British Division joined the Polish unit, a red and white flag was raised above the ruins. At midday, Master Caporal Emil Czech raised his bugle to sound ” St Mary’s trumpet Call” to signal the Victory. The telegram which General Wladyslaw Anders sent to his Commander-in -Chief General Sonkowsky was really clear : “….Victory due to heroism of soldiers….”

Monte Cassino Battlefield tour for Poles: joining the Hitler Line

On 25 May, Polish units burst through the Gustav Line at Piedimonte San Germano.But from this point starts another story, your tour guide will tell you when you will visit us…The Poles have a special place in Cassino history. The 2nd Polish Corps numbered about 50.000 men, all of whom had a long and dangerous journey behind them, started in Syberia and ended in Europe.

Thanks to War Memories-Memorie di Guerra for the old pictures

Monte Cassino Battlefield tour for Poles: WHAT TO EXPECT

The “ Monte Cassino Battlefield Tour for Poles “  (about 4 Hours) includes:

1) pickup from your arrival at the railway station in Cassino every day at 10.00am or 02.00pm (Main Square, near the Green Kiosk)

2) about 3h30 guided tour of the Polish most meaningful sites of Cassino :

• The Polish War cemetery
• Point 593 and the Polish Obelisk (it involves some walking)
• The Polish Tank (it involves some walking)
• The Cavendish Road (it involves some walking)
• The Albaneta Farm and the view on the Kresowa Cross
• Montecassino Abbey

Other interesting places in the town that you can visit by tour own (15 minutes walk from Cassino Railway station)

• The Statue remembering General Anders
• the Statue of Wojtek the Bear

3) return to the railway station in Cassino at 01.30pm or 05.30pm

Monte Cassino Battlefield tour for Poles: WHAT YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT THIS TOUR

TOUR DURATION : about 4 hours

DEPARTUR TIME : Daily at 10.00 am

MEETING POINT : Cassino Railway Station (Main Square, near the Green Kiosk)

WHAT IS INCLUDED :

• Professional WW2 Guidance
• Transportation
• Donation to the monastery

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED : Lunch and dinner are not included

PRICE PER PERSON : 100 euros

• No advance payment
• You can do the payment during the tour cash to your Guide

Monte Cassino Battlefield tour for Poles: MORE TOURS IN THIS AREA

“Countdown to Cassino” Grand Battlefield Tour ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Battle for Rome” Grand Battlefield Tour ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Monte Cassino Battlefield Tour for Poles held by Anna Priora ww2 Expert tour guide. Price per person

SKU del prodotto: 90

Brand di prodotto: Monte Cassino war tours

Valuta del prodotto: Eur

Prezzo del prodotto: 90

Prezzo valido fino a: 30-12-2030

Prodotto in magazzino: InStock

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