**** DND Media Release
Today mark the 80th anniversary of the invasion of Sicily and the beginning of the Italian Campaign
Eighty years ago today, the Allied invasion of Sicily marked the start of the Italian Campaign in the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily marked one of the largest seaborne operations in military history. Canadians were critical to its success.
On July 10, 1943, some 3,000 Allied ships and landing craft reached the Sicilian coastline in a coordinated attack on enemy territory. Tragically, 58 Canadians had drowned when three Allied ships were sunk by enemy submarines before reaching Sicily. When the Allies came ashore, Canadian, British and American troops had to fight against skilled Italian and German forces, across hundreds of kilometres of difficult mountainous terrain. After more than four weeks of fighting on the island, there were approximately 2,300 Canadian casualties, including almost 600 who gave their lives.
In the end, taking Sicily helped secure the Mediterranean Sea and cleared the way for the Allies’ assault on mainland Italy. However, victory in Italy came at a high price for our country. More than 26,000 Canadians became casualties of war, including nearly 6,000 who died, during the 22 months of the Italian Campaign. The Canadians who died in Italy are buried there or are commemorated on the Cassino Memorial to the missing, in Frosinone, southeast of Rome.
Soldiers from the 1st Canadian Infantry Division and the 1st Canadian Army Tank Brigade who fought in Sicily sacrificed much in their efforts to help bring peace and freedom to people in Europe. On this 80th anniversary, we remember all those who fought during the Italian Campaign, and the million others who served Canada during the Second World War.
