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This story was submitted to the People's War site by Chloe Broadley of the CSV 大象传媒 Coventry and Warwickshire Action Desk on behalf of Albert Leddy and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I was in the London Irish Rifles, 2nd Battalion. I was at Monte Cassino in 1944. That was bombed and then cut off: we took the Lira Valley over the River Rapido. It went on for months - conditions were bad. The Germans were on top and could put their shells where they wanted. We went up the Lira Valley to just outside Rome, then we went to Egypt on leave. We were there for about two months before we went back to Italy, going up through North Italy to the Alps. It was a very severe winter: quite a few chaps got frostbite. The worst I ever had was a boil on me back! I was very lucky not to get wounded.
Towards the end of the war they held a parade to pick out the three smartest soldiers. The ones picked would get passes for a day in Venice. I got one, so me and the others had a good day out there. I remember St. Mark's Square. We got back about ten o'clock at night. Standing round a little radio on a truck we heard Churchill say the war in Europe was over.
After that we went into Austria. Piper O'Brien from the Regimental Pipe Band wanted volunteers to learn to play the pipes. I volunteered. I was sent to the Irish Brigade Piping School in Treffen. We stayed there for about twelve months, then we were sent back to our own battalion. I travelled about with the Irish Pipes and Drums.
I was demobbed in 1947, but I still play the pipes to this day.

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