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JAMES GLEW, Sapper, 248 Field Company, Royal Engineers
Florence
The next phase of the campaign was to pursue the retreating Germans northward. The 150 miles that separated the river Tiber in Rome, from the river Arno at Florence, were travelled by the Allies at a very good rate because the Germans were falling back to the Gothic Line. The Gothic Line was a prepared defensive position on the north banks of the Arno. The American 5th Army entered Pisa, on the Arno, on 23rd July but other elements were held 20 miles west of Florence. The 8th Army was occupying the portion of Florence south of the Arno by August 4th. It was here that the 1st Division re-joined the battle, the sojourn at rest camp was over. 248 Field Company found itself operating in the city of Florence.
.... Gerry had blown all the bridges over the river Arno in Florence apart from the Ponte Veccio, you know, the old bridge with the shops and houses built on it. But they had demolished the buildings on either side of the streets leading up to the Ponte Veccio so our lads couldn’t get vehicles onto the bridge. We were on the southern side of the river and Gerry was on the other bank with sharpshooters firing across at us. There was a bridge with its back broken lying in the river, not far from the old bridge with shops and houses built on it, (the Ponte Veccio). The Italians were scrambling across the broken steel girders trying to get to our side of the city - Gerry was making it difficult by sniping at them as they crossed....
.... We were in support of an Infantry unit and helped in getting them across the Arno. We came up to the river at night, because Gerry was sniping at us. We arrived next to a power station, which had been blown up by Gerry. There was a weir stretching across the river, and we made a couple of ladders that reached down from the power station walls onto the weir. The infantry could then get across ....

By August 12th, the 1st Division had gained a foothold on the north bank of the Arno east of Florence. The division was one of three making up 13 Corps, 8th Army. In the 13 Corps sector, north and east of Florence, its three divisions followed up the German withdrawal into the Apennine foothills. On the 18th August, control of 13 Corps was transferred to the American Fifth Army to assist in the push through the mountains towards Bologna.
Northern Italy
.... We had been up in the mountains for about a month, with the weather getting worse all the time. Heavy rains caused flash floods to sweep down the valleys. We were crossing a small river, and a lorry got stuck in the water. Minutes later the water started to rise quickly. Soon, the driver and his mate were forced out onto the roof of the cab. Nobody could get to them. Just minutes later, the lorry was swept away down the valley, along with the two blokes. It all happened so fast ....
.... The rains continued (end of September through early October). It was usual practice for blokes to bivouac underneath their lorries at night. One morning we found a lorry had sunk to its axles in mud during the night, killing the driver who had slept beneath it ....
At the end of October 1944, the American Fifth and the British Eighth Armies were stalled in bad weather in the Apennines mountains. Sections of the 5th Army were only a matter of 9 miles or so from the city of Bologna. The weather conditions made life extremely unpleasant for everybody. The small bivouac tents afforded little comfort to off duty soldiers. Everyone lived in a state of perpetual dampness.
The big effort to break out of the mountains ground to a halt. The American 85th and 88th Divisions of 2nd US Corps had captured Monte Grande and a line of adjacent peaks. Further progress was met with violent counter-attacks by the Germans. With further deteriorating weather conditions, it was decided to relieve the 2nd Corps with the 4th US Corps, and with 13th Corps supporting either flank. 1st Division (part of 13 Corps) was moved from its place in the line starting 2nd November, and moved northwards two battalions at a time to relieve the Americans in the Monte Grande sector. The decision to effect the relief of the Americans by 1st Division was surprising, in that 1st Division had been in continuous action for several weeks longer than the troops that they went to relieve. Further, 1st Division had fought through the more difficult mountains, and all the infantry battalions were under strength.
Apart from the physical difficulties of moving up into the Mt. Grande sector, 1st Division was faced with other awkward problems. It had to relieve 11 American battalions with only 6 of its own; of its remaining 3, one had to be held in reserve and the other two had to be rested back at Borgo S. Lorenzo in rotation. The rotation was essential, because the men could not go on in the grim winter conditions, in the mountains, without giving each battalion a few days out of the line in turn.
The relief of the Americans was not completed until 10th November. The first snow had fallen the previous night but did not lie for more than a few days. Winter clothing had been demanded but none yet was available. 1st Division was told it was to hold the Monte Grande sector for three weeks. In fact, it was to remain in the sector for three months.
By mid November, the issues of special winter clothing began to arrive, including string vests, leather jerkins, long woollen pants, and a few waterproof quilted sleeping bags. It was still bitterly cold. Winter had really arrived on December 23rd, when a very heavy fall of snow caused chaos by blocking the already overworked supply lines.
.... Our unit was up in the mountains near Bologna and it was winter time and very cold. To help keep ourselves warm, some of the blokes had made improvised ‘stoves’ from used army ration tins and ammo boxes. These ‘stoves’ would burn away merrily in front of a cluster of tents. It was also common practice to have a Jerry can of water close by each tent for drinking and washing with. But, of course, the petrol for the lorries was also stored in Jerry cans.
Well, on one particular night we could hear enemy aircraft approaching our positions and the AA was having a go at them as they came nearer. We had to dowse all lights so as not to give ourselves away and that meant putting the stoves out, as they could be seen for miles from the air. We grabbed at the Jerry cans of water to pour onto the stoves. One bloody bloke grabbed a Jerry can of petrol in the panic and threw it onto his stove! Woosh! The entire bivouac was lit up by the fire. Gerry must have seen it, but luckily the aircraft didn’t alter course and flew straight by....
Early in the New Year, 1945, it was rumoured that 1st Division was to be pulled out of the line before Bologna, and sent to Palestine. The rumours proved to be true, as the Division was relieved by the American 85th Division on January 15th. Five members of 248 Field Company were killed in the mountains north of Florence. The Company had now lost 12 men killed since landing in North Africa (the number of wounded casualties is unknown).
Throughout the war, British troops had been stationed in Palestine, which had been mandated to Britain after the First World War, to keep the peace between the Arab and Jewish inhabitants. In recent months, Palestine had been used as a base for resting and re-equipping battle weary divisions from the Italian front. The ‘resting’ division would carry out the security duties and act as police man in Palestine.
After leaving the line, and out of 13 Corps, the Division was slowly moved over the next two weeks down the length of Italy to Taranto. The journey was by rail, with everyone travelling in cattle trucks, which were very cold and draughty. The train journey took two days to complete. Every six hours or so, night or day, the train stopped at some lonely station. Everyone got off, queued for a hot dish of stew and a mug of tea, visited the primitive toilets, and re-boarded the train. At Taranto, the Division was put into a tented transit camp to wait for shipment to the Middle East.
.... We were all given seven days leave in Taranto ....
At the end of January, Jim’s Field Company was in the vanguard of the Division’s move to Palestine, as they sailed from Taranto in fine sunny weather. By mid February, the remainder of 1st Division had sailed for Palestine. The American Fifth Army was left in Italy, as 248 Field Company was due to take up completely different duties.

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