War's End

I had served in the Royal Artillery for a few years, leaving the UK for Egypt in 1942 moving on a few months later to join to join a regiment in Italy.

We had got as far as the Gothic Line, that was north of Florence and Forli when winter came upon us with the usual deluge of rain and snow when illness struck and I was sent back by ambulance and by air to a base hospital near Ancona. I was in hospital for some five months and on recovery was sent to a convalescent camp just outside Rome. We were given fairly liberal leave and I enjoyed, with others, the sights of the City. Being something of an opera fan and my leave coinciding with the return to the stage of Gili I made the most of my visit by attending the Royal Opera House whenever funds permitted.

I think it was a matine performance of Tosca when in the midst of an aria, a small and somewhat rotund chap in shirt sleeves dashed on to the stage waving a paper and shouting something in Italian. The singers and the orchestra came to a puzzled and faltering halt and the audience broke into shouts of delight. Men slapped me on the back while their lady partners threw their arms about me. I just hadn't a clue as to what was going on until an English speaking member of the audience explained that the Germans had surrendered and that the war in Italy was over. This was of course two or three days before the end of the war in the rest of Europe. I was swept out into the street and found that the whole city was in an uproar. Somehow, and I can't remember just how, I managed to get back to the camp for even at this time I didn't really believe it had happened at last. The news was quickly confirmed and we all ensured that the NAAFI had a very prosperous evening. Shortly after this I returned to my regiment and with them,undertook policing duties in North East Italy.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.