In Canada’s first sustained land operation of the war, Canadian troops helped capture Sicily in a five-week campaign beginning 10 July 1943. In September, the Allies invaded the Italian mainland and, although Italy soon surrendered, the occupying Germans fought for every metre of the mountainous terrain. Casualties were heavy on both sides. In December, Canadian troops captured the Adriatic port of Ortona following a ferocious house-to-house battle.

In early 1944, Canada reinforced its commitment in Italy and organized its forces there into I Canadian Corps. In May, the Canadians broke the ‘Hitler Line’ defences south of Rome and later that summer pierced the heavily-defended ‘Gothic Line’ fortifications further north. In February 1945, I Canadian Corps transferred to Northwest Europe. More than 92,000 Canadians served in Italy at a cost of 26,000 casualties, including more than 5300 dead.

See also :
CanadianNewspapers and the Second World War : The Sicilian and Italian Campaigns,1943-1945

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