Commonwealth War Graves Commission

The Battles of Cassino, 1944

On 3 September 1943 the Allies invaded the Italian mainland, the invasion coinciding with an armistice made with the Italians who then re-entered the war on the Allied side. Progress through southern Italy was rapid despite stiff resistance but, by the end of October, the Allies were facing the strongly fortified German winter defensive position known as the Gustav Line which stretched from the river Garigliano in the west to the Sangro in the east. During the early months of 1944 Cassino saw some of the fiercest fighting of the Italian campaign, the town itself and the dominating Monastery Hill proving the most stubborn obstacles encountered in the advance towards Rome.

The Four Battles

An attack launched on 12 January 1944 saw the French gain some ground in the mountains north of Cassino while Commonwealth forces seized a bridgehead across the Garigliano near the coast, but the Americans were unable to hold ground across the Gari south of the town. Lack of progress at Cassino meant that the surprise landing of Commonwealth forces behind the German lines at Anzio on 22 January could not be capitalised upon. In mid-February the sixth-century monastery was levelled by heavy bombers in anticipation of an assault by the New Zealand Corps and Indian Division but, in the face of stiff opposition and difficult terrain, results were again disappointing. A further attempt by the Indians and New Zealanders in March saw further gains but the key positions remained in German hands. It was not until May and a major Allied attack in strength that the breakthrough was achieved. The Germans ordered a general withdrawal and on 18 May the Polish Corps entered the ruins of the monastery. In all, the fight for Cassino cost the Allies 45,000 killed and wounded. The site for Cassino War Cemetery was originally selected in January 1944, but the development of the battle during the first five months of that year made it impossible to use it until after the Germans had withdrawn from Cassino. The majority of the 4,266 Commonwealth servicemen buried in the cemetery died in the battles during these months. Cassino War Cemetery is the second largest Commonwealth cemetery in Italy. Within the cemetery stands the Cassino Memorial which commemorates more than 4,000 Commonwealth servicemen who took part in the Italian campaign and whose graves are not known.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is responsible for marking and maintaining the graves of those members of the Commonwealth forces who died during the two world wars, for building and maintaining memorials to the dead whose graves are unknown and for providing records and registers of these 1.7 million burials and commemorations. For further information contact: Commonwealth War Graves Commission 2 Marlow Road Maidenhead Berkshire SL6 7DX United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 1628 507200 Fax: +44 (0) 1628 771208 E-mail: casualty.enq@cwgc.org or: Commonwealth War Graves Commission Western Mediterranean Area Viale F.T. Marinetti No 221 00143 Rome Italy Tel: +39 (0) 6 5099911 Fax: +39 (0) 6 50524593 E-mail: wmaoffice@cwgc.org