happy?

In the largest amphibious assault of the Second World War, the US/UK landing on Sicily began July 9, 1943.  The town of Messina (the point on Sicily closest to the Italian mainland) was evacuated by the Germans on August 17.

The "Gordons," the 51st Highland Division, experienced particularly hard fighting with little relief.  They  finally  left Sicily on November 7th, 1943, traveled by sea, and returned to the UK on the 26th.  They were soon reposted, however and were a core group for the Normandy landing the next June.

Then fareweel ye banks o' Sicily,
Fare ye weel, ye valley an' shaw.
There's nae Jock will mourn the kyles o' ye,
Puir bliddy swaddies are weary.

"(The 51st Highland Division's) Farewell To Sicily"
© Hamish Henderson

At Gaughan's site
Some notes on the song printed in Arthur Argo's "Chapbook"
BANKS OF SICILY in Digital Tradition  or  BANKS OF SICILY (2) - that Anglicized version
(if you have your own copy of DT, it's filename[ BKSICILY and filename[ BKSICIL2)

(Glossary available on request.)
 

Note - the music you hear (if any) is just me playing about with some html coding
I just tried out.  It works ok at on my computer - no clue it it will work here.  (It is
nearly impossible to actually get Joe Offer mad at you, isn't it)

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