Wartime Encounters in Sicily

Dr Fabio Simonetti examines the interactions between the British Army and the Italian people during the Second World War invasion of Sicily.

Operation Husky, one of the largest amphibious attacks in history, began on 10 July 1943. The British soldiers landing in Sicily had no idea what to expect from the Italians they would encounter.

The authorities were naturally concerned about the reception their soldiers would receive in an enemy country. Yet, the operation is often represented as a ‘non-battle’, an experience culminating in towns and villages happily welcoming the invaders into their homeland.

While this simplistic representation certainly contains elements of truth, it omits memories of invasion and occupation, which have tended to disappear into the liberation narrative.

Drawing on first-hand accounts, Dr Fabio Simonetti will re-examine the experience of British soldiers in Sicily in the multifaceted contexts of invasion, liberation and occupation.