"It could tell a tale or two... the Anzio Bell"

Before the war, Anzio was a small fishing port, where holiday-makers spent their leisure time enjoying the little town and the famous sandy beaches. It was over these beaches, on 22nd January 1944, that British and American forces made a sea-borne assault.

Operation Shingle was not the success hoped for. Instead of quickly driving inland, the Allied forces were contained under siege, within the confines of the small beachhead, in a desperate defence of the perimeter, until a breakout was made a long four months later.

Anzio suffered grievously. Enemy bombing from the air, and heavy artillery fire from the land were remorselessly reducing the little town to jagged piles of rubble. It was from such devastation, that a party of soldiers of the 248 Field Company, Royal Engineers (1st British Infantry Division) recovered a bell, and it is this bell that is known to them as the "Anzio Bell". It is a well travelled bell; the short journey back to the Company area was only the start of its adventures.

The Bell was never far from the warfare that was the Battle of Anzio and became a casualty, when the Company area was raked with machine-gun fire from an enemy low flying aircraft. Very sadly, one of our comrades was hit and killed, whilst standing by the bell, and the bell suffered a single bullet hole, which today bears witness to the episode and is a permanent reminder, of the soldier who died.

It was not until May 1944, four months after the landing, that the breakout from the beachhead perimeter was made, but with prospect of mobile warfare and with some of the sappers, fed up with the bell being rung when they were trying to sleep, it was tipped into one of the holes, in which we had been living for the past four months.

The Company moved to the west of Rome to build a floating bridge over the river Tiber. British forces crossed the river on the 5th June, and moved to the coast south of Civitavecchia. On the 4th June American forces had entered the Eternal City of Rome, which unlike Anzio, had been spared the ravages of war.

During a period of rest and reinforcement, the absence of the bell, which had become a reminder of Anzio and the trials of the beachhead battle, was noticed by the Company C.O. Major Southworth, M.C. on finding out the names of the culprits who had buried the Bell, sent them back to Anzio, to retrieve it, and return it to the care of the Company.

On the move again; the Bell accompanied the Company wherever it went. Northward from Rome; a pause at Assisi; deployment south of the river Arno, and the liberation of Florence. On again without a pause to deploy in the Fiesole hills. Where the Company went, so the Bell went too.

As the front moved northward, the Company continued its advance, but the countryside changed. The hills gave way to the Apennine mountains, so progress was by narrow roads, flanked byrushing streams - all flowing in the direction opposite to us as the road climbed ever higher.

The Bell could say that eventually, the way reached a summit, after which the streams flowed with us, as we descended to the River Sieve, and the town of Borgo San Lorenzo, which we found to be flooded axle deep; for us a disappointment as the torrential rain had already kept us permanently wet for days past. This was no situation for any respecting Bell, but it was kept out of harms way, in the corner of the Quartermaster's vehicle with other vital items of Company equipment - such as the rum ration.

From Borgo San Lorenzo the axis of advance was towards Marradi by a minor road known as "Arrow Route". If the journey through the previous mountains had seemed daunting, the next stretch was unbelievably steep and difficult, as it led over the top reaches of the Apennines. Arrow Route was poor, narrow and tortuous as it snaked ever upward. It was here the enemy had constructed a strongly fortified line of resistance, known as the "Gothic Line", which was defended with determination, but eventually overcome. The road surfaces disintegrated under the weight of traffic, and the enemy demolished countless bridges and blew lengths of roadway down into the valleys far below. Working on Arrow Route and building bridges, to keep the advance moving, was the daily task of the Royal Engineers and 248 Field Company, as always the guardians of the Bell. Marradi was reached, but the road was blocked by a demolition, so a way was made through a railway tunnel, the Bell must have wondered what was happening now, as the vehicle made a bouncy journey over the railway sleepers!

The enemy had resisted strongly ever since Borgo San Lorenzo, and had defended the mountains with courage and skill. Add to this, his demolitions and the ongoing rainfall, to have reached Marradi had been some achievement, so the Division made a pause to prepare for the next leap forward, along Arrow Route to Palazzuolo and beyond. There were still mountains to negotiate but of far less severity, and when Imola and the plains beyond could be seen in the far distance, our future became a more encouraging prospect.

Little was it thought that mountains would be our fate again. But yes... orders came to return to Borgo San Lorenzo, so the Bell discovered itself through the Apennines once more to retrace the route so recently endured. Our axis of advance was changed to the road leading directly to Bologna, the N65. Unusually, in our experience so far, this was a first class highway which breasted the rise at Futa Pass. But not for long could we enjoy this luxury, as our way was to the right along a rough road leading to Sassoleone; then followed the forbidding steep-sided mountains, the narrow valleys and the twisting road, in places not much more than a rough track. Movement was difficult. This forbidding place was the Monte Grande sector and mountain peaks from where, on a good day, we could see the city of Bologna. The Company was encamped on a steep mountain-side, and it was here the Bell resided for two months, but was not allowed to go any further forward than the comparative comfort and safety of the Quartermaster's vehicle. As for the rest of us, the ever present rain beat down, then to be followed by the ice and the snow and bitter winds.

Christmas 1944 came and went, and shortly afterwards the Division was withdrawn from the line. With the exception of the pause to refit after the Anzio breakout, the Division had been in constant contact with the enemy for a period of 12 months, was worn out, much depleted in numbers and due to be relieved and re-deployed. But our next move was a big surprise... we were to go to Palestine in the Middle East! We were to move south by road to Perugia... and of course the Bell came too! After the hateful time of mountain warfare, once more to see normal civilisation felt very strange. But not for long. In no time the Bell found itself in a railway wagon, of the "8 horses 40 men" variety. All our vehicles and equipment had been left in Perugia, but not so the Bell, which was loaded onto our train in the care of the Quartermaster, and so we trundled along for several days, to the southernmost part of Italy and the port of Taranto where, by means which should not be enquired about too closely, the Bell was smuggled aboard a ship bound for the eastern Mediterranean, Palestine and the port of Haifa. This was to be a time for recuperation and reinforcement, in a tented camp, so the Bell found itself in an unknown world of strange sounds and smells...

Life in Palestine was a great relief after all that had happened in Italy - at least to start with! At that time there was a great movement of Jewish refugees from Europe, bound for the Jewish part of the Arab state of Palestine, so we were called upon to assist the Civil Power in preventing this influx. This pleased the Arabs but not the Jews, which prompted the formation of the "Stern Gang" pledged to resist the status quo, and the forces trying to maintain it, by partisan warfare. An unpleasant guerrilla situation developed and life became less than relaxed. Just for good measure we were deployed into Syria to defuse an insurrection, and then into Egypt. All this ensured a busy time for all... but the Bell could say it passed its days lazing in the sunshine!

Eventually the war with Japan came to an end, and for once there was no war anywhere in the world, (except for ourselves who were still busy with the Stern Gang).

The time came for the longest serving members of the Company to return home for release. The Bell, which had become an important part of the Company's life, certainly could not be abandoned to what might befall it in the Middle East. There was only one solution; it should be taken to Bedford from where most of the Company came. So the Bell was packed into a wooden crate and put in charge of a Sergeant, bound for home at that time, what is more ,a letter signed by a very senior officer, was provided with the order that the Sergeant was to be given every assistance in the transportation of the crated article! And so it came about that The Bell sailed away to France, then to be loaded onto trains and ships again, to the UK in the care of the Sergeant during the long journey.

Eventually 248 Field Company returned to its home town of Bedford and was reunited with The Anzio Bell, which became a symbol of all that had happened before. At re-unions of 248 veterans, held yearly in Bedford, the Bell, with its one bullet hole, stood as a focal point- an emblem of what had been endured and suffered, the comradeship of men together, and a reminder of those who would not be with them anymore; and for ever a tangible bond between the towns of Bedford in England, and Anzio in Italy.

The Bell was an object greatly respected, and responsibility for its care and preservation, became a real obligation. True to this spirit, The Bell was properly cleaned, which revealed its hidden golden colour and the beauty of its casting and ornamentation. Two inscriptions read;

MCMXIX CAMPO SANATORIALE MILITARE ANZIO

and

EUGENIO LUCENTIO FUSE IN ROMA

Except for the one bullet hole and some small chips around the skirt, it has been kept in perfect condition, despite its long journey and adventures. A metal tripod was designed and manufactured by the veterans from which The Bell was hung with dignity which was its proper due.

With the passage of the years the number of veterans alive to remember all that had happened became fewer and fewer, and at a meeting of those remaining, it was agreed unanimously that the Bell should return to Anzio with all honour, and this was arranged with the kind help of the Rotary Clubs of Anzio and Bedford.

And now, in the year 2004 - 60 years after the Landing and Battle of Anzio - the Bell has been received with celebration into its true home by the City and People of Anzio. The journey from Anzio in 1944 to the Middle East, from the Middle East to England, and then back to Anzio in 2004, is a remarkable Odyssey of about 10,500km (6,500 miles)

Yes... it certainly could tell a tale or two... the Anzio Bell.