9th (2nd City of London) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers
Volturno to the Garigliano
### Volturno to the Garigliano

X Corps began its advance out of the beachhead on the night of 22/23 September and began the pursuit towards [Naples](/wiki/Naples "Naples"), 56th (L) Division moving up on 26 September. 167 Brigade advanced up Route 8, clearing [Baronissi](/wiki/Baronissi "Baronissi") and reaching Costa on 30 September, when X Corps entered Naples. By 11 October, the division was on the [Volturno Line](/wiki/Volturno_Line "Volturno Line") but 167 Bde's attempt to cross the river on the night of 12/13 October failed when 7th [Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry](/wiki/Oxfordshire_and_Buckinghamshire_Light_Infantry "Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry") (OBLI) were spotted while forming up. The brigade continued to keep the enemy pinned along the river. On 15 October, after some patrolling, 9th Royal Fusiliers pushed B Company, across the river, followed by D, C and then the battalion tactical HQ (Tac HQ). Some fighting over the next two days left the battalion in possession of its bridgehead, by which time 169 Bde was approaching from the right. The enemy withdrew into the hills.Molony, Vol V, pp. 337–8, 438, 444, Map 24\.Parkinson, pp. 140–4\.

This brought the division to the [Bernhardt Line](/wiki/Bernhardt_Line "Bernhardt Line"), where it was tasked with capturing Monte Camino, blocking the entrance to the [Liri](/wiki/Liri "Liri") Valley. The first attack up 'Bare Arse Ridge' on 6 November by 7th OBLI and 201 Guards Bde failed with heavy casualties. The division then prepared for a full\-scale attack (the [Battle of Monte Camino](/wiki/Bernhardt_Line%23Fifth_Army_Bernhardt_Line_offensive "Bernhardt Line#Fifth Army Bernhardt Line offensive")) including building Jeep tracks and dumps from which mules supplied the frontline troops in rain and mud while the battalions trained for mountain warfare. The battalions now consisted of a three rifle companies and a reduced HQ Company, in order to maximise rifle strength. Lieutenant\-Col J. Sykes\-Wright arrived to take over 9th Royal Fusiliers, which had been commanded for the past months by Maj Delforce and then Maj Coleman. 167 Brigade's plan was for a brigade 'Battle Patrol' to clear Bare Arse Ridge as far as Point 727, which would then be held by the depleted 7th OBLI while 8th and 9th Royal Fusiliers passed by to assault the summit (Point 819\) by pincer movement. The attack was launched with heavy artillery support on the evening of 2 December, 9th Royal Fusiliers crossing its start line at 17\.15\. Each man was heavily laden with winter clothing, ammunition and equipment and 48\-hour rations. They followed lines of [tracer](/wiki/Tracer_ammunition "Tracer ammunition") from [Bofors guns](/wiki/Bofors_40_mm_L/60_gun "Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun") guiding them through the fading light and the dust thrown up by the bombardment. 9th Royal Fusiliers passed Point 727 at 04\.00 and reached the wood that was the forming\-up position, but 8th Royal Fusiliers following in single file could not be in position for the assault planned for 06\.00\. The two COs agreed that 9th Bn would carry out the attack with Y Company of 8th Bn, which arrived at 05\.30\. B Company of the 9th went round the left corner of the wood and dealt with a series of machine gun posts; then D Company continue of the left, and finally A Company guarded the exposed flank. Y Company of the 8th took Point 819 itself, but 169 Bde's attack on Monte Camino monastery had failed, and the Royal Fusiliers were subjected to heavy fire as they consolidated on the objective. It took seven hours to evacuate each wounded man down the mule track. Holding the position in the rain and cold, the battalions began to suffer cases of trench foot. 201 Guards Bde passed through the position the following night to capture the monastery, but the Fusiliers were not finally relieved until 6 December.Molony, Vol V, pp. 450–1, 517–8\.Parkinson, pp. 144–9\.

56th (L) Division was next tasked with capturing a bridgehead across the Garigliano. The division moved up to the river on 14 December and spent the next month patrolling across the wide [No man's land](/wiki/No_man%27s_land "No man's land") and reconnoitering the crossing sites. Unlike the Volturno crossing, detailed planning and rehearsal were undertaken. 8th and 9th Royal Fusiliers were to attack side by side, each with some engineers and a company of the depleted 7th OBLI attached to it. The operation was timed for 21\.00 on 17 January 1944, and 9th Royal Fusiliers had their assault boats in the water at the correct time, guided by Bofors tracer. A battle patrol went over, followed by a platoon of B Company. The whole of B and D Companies followed, assisted by beachmasters, including Maj Delforce. The flooded river had rendered most of the German [S\-mines](/wiki/S-mine "S-mine") ineffective, and the fusiliers advanced towards the railway embankment at 22\.50\. Here they ran into opposition and the battle became confused, Tac HQ following the wrong embankment and became involved in a fight with a machine gun position, the CO being captured twice, and escaping both times. The rest of Tac HQ linked up with A Company and engaged the enemy in a farm with all the heavy weapons available, including medium machine guns, [PIATs](/wiki/PIAT "PIAT") and [2\-inch mortars](/wiki/Two-inch_mortar "Two-inch mortar"). Having returned, the CO led A Company on to the objective of Salvatito hill while Maj Delforce collected the rest of the battalion and cleared the remaining enemy pockets. By 10\.00 next morning the battalion was established in Salvitelle, where it was reinforced by 44th Reconnaissance Regiment, which had been ferried cross the river. German counter\-attacks began early on 19 January and were driven off by B Company; that evening another counter\-attack was broken in front of the battalion by 56th (L) Division's artillery. Fighting continued in the enclosed country of the bridgehead for several days: D Company's position was captured on 21 January, but the enemy were driven out again by the [London Scottish](/wiki/London_Scottish_%28regiment%29 "London Scottish (regiment)"). 9th Royal Fusiliers was relieved on the evening of 23 January. While the battalion was resting at Fontanelle Lt\-Col Sykes\-Wright left and Maj J.G. Cleghorn was promoted from 8th Royal Fusiliers to take command.Molony, Vol V, pp. 606–12, 632–3, Map 34\.Parkinson, pp. 150–5\.


How does the Volturno crossing differ from the Garigliano crossing operation in terms of preparation?