With the East Surrey's in Tunisia, Sicily and Italy, 1942–1945: Fighting for Every River and Mountain

Bryn Evans

dhj 2012 · Pen and Sword

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The East Surreys were in near continuous action from November 1942, when they landed in North Africa (Operation TORCH) through to May 1945 Armistice. By that time they had cleared the Germans from Tunisia, taken part in Operation HUSKY, (the Sicily invasion TORCH) and fought up through Italy as far as River Po.Trained as mountain troops, the East Surreys saw bitter action in the Atlas Mountains, on the slopes of Mount Etna and Monte Cassino, and in the unforgiving hills and valleys of the Apennines. They were called upon to cross many rivers, often opposed by a determined enemy, culminating in the River Po and its huge exposed and waterlogged valley.Veterans stories illustrate the horrendous nature of the East Surreys task, whether in set piece formation battles or patrol actions.Especially interesting is the part played by Lieutenant John Woodhouse who commanded the Surreys Battle Patrol. His experiences enable this fine officer to revolutionize SAS training and tactics in the 1950s and 1960s in Malaya and Africa and he is credited with revitalizing the SAS when in grave danger of being disbanded.This story of the East Surreys shows how a single battalion can make a huge difference. It also gives the reader a better understanding of the campaigns involved.

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Bryn Evans is a management consultant with many years' experience of finance and IT at boardroom level. He writes extensively across a wide range of categories, be it business management, travel, military history or fiction and his work has been widely published. His fiction work has earned him Second Prize in the Catherine Cookson Short Story Competition and other awards. He is the author of With the East Surreys in Tunisia, Sicily and Italy 1942-45 and The Decisive Campaigns of the Desert Air Force, both in print with Pen & Sword. He lives with his wife, Jean, in Sydney, Australia.