When we think about the Second World War’s biggest battles, there’s a handful we’re most likely to recall, like the Battle of Stalingrad, the Attack on Pearl Harbour, or Operation Overload.
For Angela Arnone, however, it’s the battle that took place in the “Bloody December” of 1943, the Battle of Ortona, in Italy, that looms large in her mind.
“Ortona was the bloodiest, most frustrating, and depressing battle for the Canadian Army,” she said during an event in Niagara-on-the-Lake on June 24, held to celebrate Arnone’s recent award from the Canadian government for her work to ensure this chapter of the war’s history isn’t forgotten — and its connection to Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Arnone, an Ortona resident of 35 years, has spent over 25 years researching how the Royal Canadian Regiment helped free the coastal town from the German Nazi soldiers, detailing first-hand accounts from Canadian veterans she’s spoken with over the years.
“It’s been a great honour to have got to know these fine and valiant soldiers, to have been a friend to them,” Arnone said.
She’s lead efforts to recognize those soldiers’ contributions to the war, including as founder of the Battle of Ortona Museum. Last year, she received the Canadian Meritorious Service Medal for her work. (more...)
A fellow NCO in my reserve regiment was a young Canadian soldier at Ortona. A quiet, humble man who befriended me and exemplified the things that I admire in Canadians.
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