Figure 1.--Here we see a British medic aid an Italian boy wounded by artillery fire. The Tommies are dressing the boy's wounds in Lanciano, Italy. It is dated December 18, 1943. Note the officer wearing his visored hat with his helmet slung over his shoulder. Both Tommies are armed with short Enfield rifles. This photo was taken by a British combat photographer for the Office of War Information..

Italian civilians were except for committed Fascists not overly enthusiatic about the War. These was, however, no real real resistance to the War. Allied flyers shot down would be turned in by the public. The situation became more complicated when Italy surrendered to the Allies. Then a Resistance began to organize. Civilians were relatively unaffected by the War, except through family in the military and increasing shortages that began to become severe by 1942. This changed with the Allied landings (Septenber 1943). As the fighting gradually moved north up the Italian peninsula, Italian villages and towns were devesrated with substanyial civilian casualties.

Created: 6:56 AM 2/6/2005
Last updated: 6:56 AM 2/6/2005