I've just paid silly money to keep these photographs together. They were listed seperately on E-Bay, and I couldn't persuade the seller to sell them as a set before the auction. The one with three riders has writing on the back, which includes "somewhere in Italy 1943" and is signed.

The closeup is of the chap who is in all of the photo's and, as I share his name, I had to buy them.

Pity there's not enough information to show who they are and what regiment they are in.
Scorp.

email (option): wm20@scorpionvideo.net

Hi Scorp

Nice pictures thanks for sharing them.

The markings on the wall behind the bikes are interesting, there is the black cat of the 56th (London) Infantry Division and "94" which was a number allocated to Anti-Malarial Control Units in Infantry and mixed Divisions with the MEF, but they may only be there by co-incidence?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

The 'cat' insignia painted on the wall in the background is the Div. sign for the 56th. (London) Infantry Division.....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

I wonder if this has anything to do with it...

Operation Goldflake was the codename of the plan to arrange the move and to conceal the shifting of such a large number of troops to another war theatre. The move was publicized as a regrouping away from the Italian front to allow for recuperation of the troops. A massive amount of planning was needed, since troops and administrative centres were widely dispersed in southern Italy. Trains and road convoys had to be arranged, while not leaving any of the front-lines vulnerable to counter-attacks by the German forces. Troops and materiel were to be moved from ports at Naples and Leghorn in Italy to Marseilles in France, at the rate of 3700 people, 40 tanks, 650 wheeled vehicles, and 50 carriers each day.

Embarkation began on February 22 and most trips to Marseilles took two days. It was then a five-day drive to the Belgian frontier, a distance of 1,085 km (674 mi) By the end of April, over 60,000 troops and support personnel had been moved from Italy to North-western Europe.

Speed was essential, but the Allies did not want the Germans to learn about the plans. The convoys would be vulnerable while in transit, so Operation "Penknife" was created to hide the movement of the Canadians out of Italy.

A special, temporary organization, called 1st Canadian Special Basra Unit was created. "Basra" was the code name for the cover plan and the unit included 230 officers and men taken from other groups being disbanded (such as the no. 1 Anti-Malaria Control Unit). Men would drive throughout the area in Italy where the Germans thought the Canadians were located and post location signs that were then moved the next day. All Canadian clubs, hostels, leave centres and hospitals were kept open. The Canadian forces newsletter, "The Maple Leaf" continued to be published in Rome until mid-March.

...probably not, but interesting nonetheless.

Scorp.

email (option): wm20@scorpionvideo.net

Possibly but its not easy to move a sign painted on a wall.

I wonder what an Anti-Malarial unit did, would it deliver tablets or medicine to other units or would it be fighting mozzies in the wetter bits of Italy and North Africa?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(at)yahoo.co.uk

Malaria was a real problem in Italy, I think it was the Pontine marshes near Anzio that were very bad for it.
I know my old man got Malaria in Italy.

email (option): deadsheds@yahoo.com