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H, P. BELL T R V ~ N G

G,, ;. p t . ,r. j; . o w a n: , : ( o f C . ,I C i n. :;1 v ,

' e : 1 :'.{ i r n ,, Ut: . 1 , 1013.

l ~ ' O arG havinS u : : : - ~ O f ' t ' , }st : t . ~ l 1 ( ~ norr.cnt, eft"l"

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i ~ [ . ptur ins: ".(-"11'8 und a l l of us ul '( - " ( ' l ' y i n , ~ : ; tD i ' ( ; t r fm'i 10 t te1 'S w1"1 t t e ner:.J t'( 't eq:l lpped a ~ a i . n b c t o r ~ t ; .o :le:x.t S:10 , ' I . K:1ow1ng how r.1LlOn you n r e1 ~ t e r 0 ~ t e 6 in the a f f a i r s of the bn. , I am g Q i n ~ to t ry to give yau ab;'101' reSWTLe o f our ac t iv i t i e s since We lundoacl.

'l'he 1anJing, as you t no,'" was a comple te su rp r i sa aud.c :1 tLou.rh during the .:.:ft&rnoon b,, :foI"G, n gale hIC'' ;'; up, '.vhicb looked ("St twUt l the o : - j o r ~ t i o n mi[ i1t heve tD 1.e' ; j O ~ ~ p o l " . c d , lJy midn1ght o f the

~ , l - l O Ju ly tho wind dr-ODDed und t :.o : , : : ; , , : ~ ; ~ '; : ; ( ' I ~ , 1'3 were lOEltied i n toc r ~ ; ~ ' t 8. t t 1C dav i t hCl4d:s, and Q'" :" ') ;: . f l o t a l l a s to proceedto tl1,e b f 1 8 C h c s . '.rtlerc was 0 CC:" i , , . I or by the rJu.vy and[ : O l r ~ ( ) COYI:l. >;lora lClnded 01:1 t i le \ ' n ~ ) . : : : ~ : : ~ ,he oJ_position \H.\fi

l i c h t ~ n J by i i r s t 1 1 t ~ h t , tbe t l J . ;',:

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1 t:;:I.rlk: ; /os[; ibly t c i s wus t : 'I(; i J { : l ' ~ o s t IT'.t.H'ch I:,.: hnvG eVfJr dorlf1 tij1U tho~ l ' : ) ( ) , ' ~ f . : ') Orc fn l l ing by t h e Ri( c o f :tt:"\ 1',")::;0 'J'orn r . o a t - s t : r ( ) b : ~ Qr.d

, ; x L r : u ~ t j ( ) n . There was no sr:riO',.l.f. O p ; } { J : : : l t i o ~ 10'lleVOr linG ","0 m o v { ~ d in to[.'. o o n C ~ ~ ' l J . t r u t 1 o n nree. ebovc t :1C t:w;n U;I .J :'::'s o ' n ~ supply l i n ~ : 5 lwul c n r " t h " - ~ n c d (vm lOGt 400 o f 0:11' l i ( ~ h t ~ ) ( w l o veh ic lns as 3 Qf our ;',.'1'.s;l ips \':crr: torpedoed in convoy) r ~ a d v c h i c h ~ s ,'Jer'.) soorce , the e,,:ncl'ul

o ' d ; ; ; r ( ' ~ d 8. hc.lt f'or 24 hours , t,) e n c : ~ tho 1.. c:;. brunch to c ~ t c i l up.I l:liCltt Soy t hh t th0 s a ~ p l y F ' , r t - l l ~ h':..s b ~ o : 1 j ~ I ~ < - : n 1 f ' i c f 3 n t l y Or.':.:tl:'lisedOT1d b;:s R : n ~ l b l ( > < i UF to kSf::P l1.:? Our' advnnc8 , most or Wllich b:::,.s bGCll

a l Q ~ ~ tho axis of ona mOin road.Vo;e 1Tinv F r j tr:rOIl .-l l ",:V:LlSa . - 0 1 1 < ; i . t : ~ r a l :e'ortr8SScOl l.1 :"'.";," hr:Jld us up . for ( , i n : l ~ \ ('\f"d t i :',,)::; c ~ . ; . r c d to de.fend 1 t . u u r

b ~ - : . ;r,QVO(l us Velv. euard to tt':'3 :,:(;,f,j. Ct: ; j .GY .. unocr CUl1t. , . l l lj , r r i t t ".as v ~ n f . ' u a r d Coy. ; , f t : , i ' r ) U ~ : " i:1C t [ ' , l 'Hlf,h t:jQ town. 1:1 theei.',l'ly : 0 1 ; ) l ~ n i n g '1::e found the main l " o ~ l d , v ; I ~ h ; i , : ~ . s our aXis, CJ,'.-t't.0.I"ed1;1 t,,':o p J . ~ H e s and wore lorcntJ to le : ivc ",h.C " ; ~ ' s P O l ' t , old.'riel's, :3.1. .i uns, ; : l G . : : t : ~ ' ~ e t c . , behinc. \' lli.le t ; l ' : ~ oS.sq:;:',:l'b L o t busy r ( ' ' p ~ i . r . i n i : : ; th(:)r'o; .,('s . ,bout un bou:: :u tc r ~ ' : e bcran TO :' iovn (with .;.j,,'Coy. s t i l i .lc;.:l: i :w) d:)wn b ( ~ t \ ' i i : e n two liCh i'C'u tux"jS G. l,{l tfle C. b begun to 1'eel e'01 t lA(" ry G,bout the 'wilole p i c t.u.r(' and ori:orcd Cuy. to m:we to,Pl'occc(i Llong, t i le l1ic::h r id tG to t tw ri ;" t of Vie l ' o ~ a - uslfig thero;;.c G. ::, U genen . l ex i s only . j'. Goytr:. It;3.dinC platoon had reucl ' iedtho rl,:;p0 when the whole bn. c ~ ~ r : l e uncer in tC:lse enemy mort(.lr

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B la i r G.ctUt111;t h o l ~ 11:J in t \ } tOr } wi t t l pa r t.. j ~ i . : = Coy. durir .g the day C C to :i.'C j()in the bn. wi th few

~ ~ ~ u ~ l t 1 0 G tho ollowinc day.Durin;; tl1(; n 1 ~ ' V : r n o o n t: .. : : ~ :Jr1{ ,. dccicied to

ifl:;unt ~ > : ~ t ,Jiecc a t t ack SU,tJ.;)O ,t 'V \1 : ,y ',;.;.-: . ~ l : 0 1 ( ; of the Div ..... r t l l l e ry t) tc,.\C pL:,co t tU.t CV("ninc end : ; ; ~ C. O. i lUd jUi:; t issuod. the ordorsf : ) T ' L : ( ' ~ ct 'Lack wilen t racedy s t r l 1 c ; ~ . .,'iv, ; ~ l l j c l l G burs t i n the cent re) oi' :In. Ii . ,. Lill1nt.; C t ~ p ~ . D. L. ..... . .':'Il, ; ~ , : : ; , , : : J t 4 ~ a n t . Instc::.l.tlj,ll'ioT't("lly ', ' ollncllnV Liuu. t . j ' . l . . u d C ; . i,'. ) ( i c : : . I J . ~ ) L w trw death o f ODO 01'OUI' :-iltr:;,o,l : n . c . o . ~ Cpl . C < l r m i o r . v ~ l , ; l ( ' I . . l O t i l ' ~ I ' ; s i g r w l l ~ : t ' . i.A )t.1". ,.1 . ;- ; U ; ) P O ~ ~ t by our morte.r pla toon une:.el' Ll(:ut ii.::::..rLey, ttnd medium lIlt,chinor:U lS. ;.fte.r' 8 s t i l l ' fitht ~ ~ e t o r ; ~ ~ f e l l ttlC ~ ' o l . l o w i n g uay, althollhsnlps l ' s \ " 1 ( ~ I ' e still activ(;:, c'l':d \"C i:,'Jved for'ward ;:{;uin, l i ck ing our

~ o u ~ t s b ~ v i D G l os t 3 of f i ce r s kll18d ~ n d 11 of f i co r s wounded Dnd2D 0 / ; 6 : l l1od [,nd U b D u t 100 WOUYl()cd. i,'he 0;1 (Ll.d very good work int l1i S 1jC t l ' :m anti v;ereconr;re. tul(:1 tod oy the ; ~ 1 ' i r , ~ u i l ) r .At t h i s tirr;c t i le broiJder ; ) ic ture \H1S

r ~ ) t ~ g b . l y ,8 l . ~ o l l O \ l ' j S . TtlC i\merice.ns ~ w d . beeu J 'cLll 'orced and weren d v ~ n c i n g ' i ~ i thOllt ser ioJ .s oppos i t i on , l1c...d tuken J)alcrmo and \\ere1i:ovlllP: cas t uDtr ide t:le CQUf::t r :) iHi in the dirGct lon o f Messina.

' l ' l a ~ y cont l ' o l led a l i roc-.ds south to and inc lud ing the town, 0 1 ~ -.:.nna.'l';'iO l ~ ) t ; ' l cori1S . t ight ' for C8tenia [Lad s r ; t t l ed for" thE) moment in to uco ~ ( ~ l ( ' " i n ( j , . to und our plnn was to move f rom Leon E'n ' to };. t.:. to the ::;tnst r i L I , rh ) takinG ti10 toyms ASGoro, l ~ L = : ; E . o r : i [ . I , ' : ~ i ' ' - l r s . , en r o u t e to::\o[:uH,u to 1;: hicll was knOlFlTl to bo

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'l 'hut bri 1,-S I; O prn t ty wel l up to elate, Ian ,excopt fo r spo t s o f loco.l co lour ~ ~ [ l i c h I v;il1 t ry ona. fill in as beDtI c[,n now.Our ., ) Lie u ~ - ~ C l O v; 111 i . ) l ~ l Y rotrc:..;.t in the s q u l ~ r ein .At-ire; t on i fh t - ti. very qlctUJ ' r. sqU0 f ' ~ ; o t . i racord ine i s b f ~ l n C mode

i:-hich \ ' : i l l be f lown to . ' , le icrs (4"lC1 b ' ( ) " : d c ~ s t on tho B.B.C. l a t e r . i,eh c ~ v o ,1r:rl l irr:d to ~ o p . r > the b 8 ~ d i ~ , t ~ : - . c t . , :..nd tnt";ir equ1:>ment, and I timsure I t 18 the f l r s t t.ir,, tne ) O S : ' \ : ~ V ' : ) )l .Jycd arou:l.d h ~ r o .

The p o v ' ~ ' J . ' t J o f , : i c i ly ~ s l w c i a l l y tl:J0 tOi ' i [ lS, .isnpr.111n(" and t ~ l O s tench o f C ( : r r : ; ~ ~ : : (ien,; 1::; ((i cxc:rement, fiurr;un r.ndani;:-:Gl, t; trw s t ro8 t s h: in6ef.:cri baolc. ,0 l i i . .V8 to bu.ry l,::..lrCon.ur b:'l ' o f the Cerrn[Jn oeuli U ~ ; \ ,e l l h S 01. ov,n c.tnd in thi:::; he,-;.' ;, it i s

v ~ r y unp10csant work hS you c&n imGgino. ~ h e Padre 1s doing e x o Q l l e n ~work in buryin,r.: our own boys r.nd m ~ ; . , o r ( : f ' , , , r c n c ~ nrc being c n r e f ~ l l ykept EO t i l c t efore lone, t ...e n: 'GVC 3 cOl;.4'Tlissiun wi l l 0e e.blc to erec t0. peI"f:,;.'rlOnt e e r ; ; e t i ~ r y fo r C n m ~ G i a n deud.

A Vlord al)out our m e d ~ L c a l se rv ices . ~ . ' h e y t,tlved::ma \ ' , o Y H 1 . ~ r f u l \ ~ o r k and t l le sur" ie(.;:l tcums

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A CompanlR. P Sell-IrvingCPpt . D C. Parker

Li eu 'L. HGrling: 10u ; , Taaffe

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