h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Dear Peter,

The details on the back of that photo I purchased were fairly sketchy. It is dated 22/12/43 and is a picture of Cpl W McLean of Carlyle Scotland kicking a door down in Colle, Italy while being covered by by Private Hamilton of Glasgow.
I know very little about the campaigns in Italy (I'm more into France 1940 really). Do you have any ideas at all?
Warm regards Simon

Dear Simon

'Needle in a haystack' springs to mind. 'Colle' means 'hill', contrast English 'Col'. There are hundreds of small villages with that prefix, see here http://www.italyworldclub.com/italian_frazioni/frazioni_colla-colle_z.htm

It just possibly might be Colli (sic) Volturno, but that was in the 5th Army sector, that Colli is at the junction of the rivers Acquaso and Volturno. The first real street fighting in Italy was in Ortona but that was mainly a Canadian affair from 15 to 21 December '43. It is most certainly round about that area, but without further details it would be quite a job to tell.

Peter