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After landing in Salerno, through the dreadful Italian winter of 1943/4, we fought our way up this normally beautiful country, and somehow I survived getting wounded or killed. The Battalion were then dug in on the banks of the river Senio. I was then appointed commander of the Mortar Platoon, and when our advance resumed we were sent to Lake Trasamene to train in the use of ‘Fantails’, which were large armoured vehicles which looked like tanks, and would cross marshy country otherwise unsuitable for motorised transport. These enabled us to surprise the remainder of the German forces and advance across the Lake Comaccio marshy region and take Venice.

We were the first troops in Venice. Although they say the New Zealanders took it, it wasn’t so. We were the first troops in Venice, and my battalion, the 2nd/6th Queens, was somehow put onto river buses and we went down the Grand Canal. And on each side of the Grand Canal there were crowds and crowds of people, all waving flowers and throwing them at us, and cheering. It was absolutely marvellous to have this reception.

The sad thing was that when we got to Venice itself, first of all I was billeted for two nights in the Hotel Daniele, which of course is now one of the best hotels in Europe, and it was pretty good then. But I was then appointed Adjutant, as our old Adjutant had been flown home because he had something wrong with him. I took over as Adjutant of the battalion, and found that for the next fortnight when all the other chaps were having a marvellous time with all the Italian girls, and going to parties and dances, I was stuck in a damned office trying to work out the instructions I was getting from the Army headquarters. Even though the war was over we had to move two weeks later and take up battle positions north of Trieste, because they were worried about the Yugoslavs (‘Jugs’ as we called them) coming through under Tito and taking over Austria.
So I really didn’t have the time I would have liked in Venice, and that was very upsetting. But I agree with what Alan Whicker said on his programme, that Venice has never been more beautiful or fantastic — the weather was marvellous, we went out to the Lido, and I did have a little time off - and it was a tremendous experience.

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