Crossing the River Senio, Italy, 1945. The Vital Role of Armoured Obstacle Crossing Equipment in the Final Battles of the Italian Campaign

摘要

ALONG with other British formations that fought in the Italian Campaign during the Second World War the 25th Armoured Engineer Brigade, Royal Engineers, had a distinguished record of service albeit, in the brigade's case, a brief one. The brigade was especially formed for the spring offensive in northern Italy in 1945. In the offensive the brigade had the vital role of providing crossings over the many obstacles in the path of the Eighth Army as it fought its way forward into enemy held territory. In less than four weeks the offensive brought the Italian Campaign to an end. Subsequently, during the year following the Allies victory in Italy, a Narrative of Operations of the 25th Armoured Engineer Brigade, RE was compiled. It was, apparently, one of a number of records of service put together. The narrative was produced by the British Historical Section, Central Mediterranean, in March 1946. It contains an authoritative record of the formation, training and operations of the brigade during the period December 1944 to May 1945. The narrative, or one copy of it, which itself is one of a pair (the other being concerned with the brigade's predecessor) was donated to the Leeds Rifles Collection by Brigadier J N Tetley, DSO TD in 1960 or thereabouts. This article derives from my recent study of the 90 page narrative and study of the maps and photographs contained in the wallet of the narrative's end covers.