CWGC Vice Chairman visits sites in Italy ahead of anniversary celebrations

CWGC Vice Chairman Sir Bill Rollo visited CWGC war cemeteries in southern Italy cemeteries to prepare for the 80^th anniversaries of key Italian Second World War battles later in 2023.

Image: From left: Claudia Scimonelli, CWGC Country Manager Italy, Ambassador to Italy and San Marino, Rt Hon Edward Llewellyn OBE, Defence Attaché, Col. Matt Smith, Lt Gen Sir Bill Rollo, CWGC Vice Chairman, and Geert Bekaert, CWGC Area Director CSEA, at Minturno War Cemetery, Italy.

Sir Bill undertook this operational tour last week as CWGC sites across Italy prepare to mark the 80^th anniversary of the major battles of the Italian Campaign of World War Two.

Sir Bill visited the three cemeteries in Sicily: Catania War Cemetery, Syracuse War Cemetery and Agira Canadian War Cemetery.

This July, these cemeteries will host ceremonies to celebrate the anniversary of the 1943 Sicily Landings, Operation Husky.

As well as the sites on Sicily, Sir Bill’s journey to Southern Italy also included Salerno War Cemetery. The liberation of mainland Italy was launched at Salerno in September 1943 under the codename Operation Avalanche.

Image: Sir Bill meets with the team at Catania War Cemetery, Sicily

The tour included Cassino War Cemetery and Memorial and the two cemeteries in Anzio, Beach Head War Cemetery and Anzio War Cemetery. 2024 will see the 80^th anniversary of the Anzio Landings (Operation Shingle) and the Battle of Monte Cassino.

The other sites related to the Italian Campaign visited as part of Sir Bill’s itinerary were Naples War Cemetery, Bari War Cemetery, Minturno War Cemetery, Caserta War Cemetery and Taranto Town Extension.

In Cassino War Cemetery and other cemeteries, Sir Rollo was accompanied by the British Ambassador to Italy and San Marino, Rt Hon Edward Llewellyn OBE, and the Defence Attaché of the British Embassy, Col. Matt Smith, where they had the opportunity to discuss the common agenda of upcoming ceremonies and commemoration activities.