History |
Wars & Campaigns |
►Boer
War
►First
World War
►►Western
Front
►►►Trench
Warfare: 1914-1916
►►►Allied
Offensive: 1916
►►►Allied
Offensives: 1917
►►►German
Offensive: 1918
►►►Advance
to Victory: 1918
►►Siberia
►Second
World War
►►War
Against Japan
►►North
Africa
►►Italian
Campaign
►►►Sicily
►►►Southern
Italy
►►►The
Sangro and Moro
►►►Battles
of the FSSF
►►►Cassino
►►►Liri
Valley
►►►Advance
to Florence
►►►Gothic
Line
►►►Winter
Lines
►►North-West
Europe
►►►Normandy
►►►Southern
France
►►►Channel
Ports
►►►Scheldt
►►►Nijmegen
Salient
►►►Rhineland
►►►Final
Phase
►Korean
War
►Cold
War
►Gulf
War |
Operations |
|
Battle Honours |
Boer War
First World War
Western Front
Trench Warfare: 1914-1916
Allied Offensive: 1916
►Somme, 1916 |
1
Jul-18 Nov 16 |
►Albert |
.1-13
Jul 16 |
►Bazentin |
.14-17
Jul 16 |
►Pozieres |
.23
Jul-3 Sep 16 |
►Guillemont |
.3-6
Sep 16 |
►Ginchy |
.9
Sep 16 |
►Flers-Courcelette |
15-22
Sep 16 |
►Thiepval |
26-29
Sep 16 |
►Le Transloy |
.
1-18 Oct 16 |
Allied
Offensives: 1917
►Arras 1917 |
8
Apr-4 May 17 |
►Vimy, 1917 |
.9-14
Apr 17 |
►Arleux |
28-29 Apr 17 |
►Scarpe, 1917 |
.3-4
May17 |
►Hill 70 |
.15-25
Aug 17 |
►Messines, 1917 |
.7-14
Jun 17 |
►Ypres, 1917 |
..31
Jul-10 Nov 17 |
►Pilckem |
31
Jul-2 Aug 17 |
►Langemarck, 1917 |
.16-18
Aug 17 |
►Menin Road |
.20-25
Sep 17 |
►Polygon Wood |
26
Sep-3 Oct 17 |
►Broodseinde |
.4
Oct 17 |
►Poelcapelle |
.9
Oct 17 |
►Passchendaele |
.12
Oct 17 |
►Cambrai, 1917 |
20
Nov-3 Dec 17 |
German Offensive: 1918
►Somme, 1918 |
.21
Mar-5 Apr 18 |
►St. Quentin |
.21-23
Mar 18 |
►Bapaume, 1918 |
.24-25
Mar 18 |
►Rosieres |
.26-27
Mar 18 |
►Avre |
.4
Apr 18 |
►Lys |
.9-29
Apr 18 |
►Estaires |
.9-11
Apr 18 |
►Messines, 1918 |
.10-11
Apr 18 |
►Bailleul |
.13-15
Apr 18 |
►Kemmel |
.17-19
Apr 18 |
Advance to Victory: 1918
►Arras, 1918 |
.26
Aug-3 Sep 18 |
►Scarpe, 1918 |
26-30 Aug 18. |
►Drocourt-Queant |
.2-3
Sep 18 |
►Hindenburg Line |
.12
Sep-9 Oct 18 |
►Canal du Nord |
.27
Sep-2 Oct 18 |
►St. Quentin Canal |
.29
Sep-2 Oct 18 |
►Epehy |
3-5
Oct 18 |
►Cambrai, 1918 |
.8-9
Oct 18 |
►Valenciennes |
.1-2
Nov 18 |
►Sambre |
.4
Nov 18 |
►Pursuit to Mons |
.28 Sep-11Nov |
Second World War
War Against Japan
South-East Asia
Italian Campaign
Battle of Sicily
Southern
Italy
The Sangro and Moro
Battles of the FSSF
►Anzio |
22
Jan-22 May 44 |
►Rome |
.22
May-4 Jun 44 |
►Advance
|
.22
May-22 Jun 44 |
to the Tiber |
. |
►Monte Arrestino |
25
May 44 |
►Rocca Massima |
27
May 44 |
►Colle Ferro |
2
Jun 44 |
Cassino
►Cassino II |
11-18
May 44 |
►Gustav Line |
11-18
May 44 |
►Sant' Angelo in
|
13
May 44 |
Teodice |
. |
►Pignataro |
14-15 May 44 |
Liri Valley
►Hitler Line |
18-24 May 44 |
►Melfa Crossing |
24-25 May 44 |
►Torrice Crossroads |
30
May 44 |
Advance to Florence
Gothic Line
►Gothic Line |
25 Aug-22 Sep 44 |
►Monteciccardo |
27-28 Aug 44 |
►Point 204 (Pozzo Alto) |
31 Aug 44 |
►Borgo Santa Maria |
1 Sep 44 |
►Tomba di Pesaro |
1-2 Sep 44 |
Winter Lines
►Rimini Line |
14-21 Sep 44 |
►San Martino- |
14-18 Sep 44 |
San Lorenzo |
. |
►San Fortunato |
18-20 Sep 44 |
►Sant' Angelo |
11-15 Sep 44 |
in Salute |
. |
►Bulgaria Village |
13-14 Sep 44 |
►Pisciatello |
16-19 Sep 44 |
►Savio Bridgehead |
20-23
Sep 44 |
►Monte La Pieve |
13-19
Oct 44 |
►Monte Spaduro |
19-24 Oct 44 |
►Monte San Bartolo |
11-14
Nov 44 |
►Lamone Crossing |
2-13
Dec 44 |
►Capture of Ravenna |
3-4
Dec 44 |
►Naviglio Canal |
12-15 Dec 44 |
►Fosso Vecchio |
16-18 Dec 44 |
►Fosso Munio |
19-21 Dec 44 |
►Conventello- |
2-6 Jan 45 |
Comacchio |
. |
Northwest Europe
Battle of Normandy
►Quesnay Road |
10-11 Aug 44 |
►St. Lambert-sur- |
19-22 Aug 44 |
Southern France
Channel Ports
The Scheldt
Nijmegen Salient
Rhineland
►The
Reichswald |
8-13 Feb 45 |
►Waal
Flats |
8-15 Feb 45 |
►Moyland
Wood |
14-21 Feb 45 |
►Goch-Calcar
Road |
19-21 Feb 45 |
►The
Hochwald |
26
Feb- |
. |
4
Mar 45 |
►Veen |
6-10 Mar 45 |
►Xanten |
8-9
Mar 45 |
Final Phase
►The
Rhine |
23
Mar-1 Apr 45 |
►Emmerich-Hoch
|
28
Mar-1 Apr 45 |
Elten |
. |
Korean War
|
Domestic Missions |
►FLQ
Crisis |
International
Missions |
►ICCS
Vietnam 1973
►MFO
Sinai 1986- |
Peacekeeping |
►UNTEA |
W. N. Guinea 1963-1964 |
►ONUCA |
C. America
1989-1992 |
►UNTAC |
Cambodia
1992-1993 |
►UNMOP |
Prevlaka
1996-2001 |
|
Exercises |
|
Troina Valley
Troina Valley
was a Battle Honour granted to Canadian regiments that fought in
this region during the Battle of Sicily, a phase of the Italian
Campaign during the Second World War.
Background
As the US 7th Army advanced east along
the northern coast of Sicily towards Messina, the 8th Army was able
to resume a northward advance on the east coast. In the centre of
the island, British XXX Corps was tasked to take Regalbuto,
Centuripe and Adrano. The 3rd Brigade was temporarily assigned to
the British 78th Division for their drive on Centuripe, and fought a
successful action at Catenanuova on 29-30 July, and then at
Centuripe. The Germans, having lost Regalbuto and Centuripe to their
rear, quickly withdrew to avoid being encircled. By 2 August the
stage was set for the advance to Adrano.
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The Battle
The 2nd Canadian
Brigade began the advance to Adrano along the dry river bed of
the Salso River. As usual, rough terrain and strong defences
hindered the advance. In particular, three major positions
barred the Canadians - Hill 736, Monte Revisotto and Monte
Seggio. The Loyal Edmonton Regiment fought through especially
rigorous terrain, cut off from the rest of the division and
reliant on pack mules for supplies. Reaching Hill 736, they
faced a well-entrenched defence in company strength, over which
300 yards of open ground had to be crossed. An attack was
mounted with adequate covering fire, and only a small number of
German survivors managed to flee.
With Centuripe
and Hill 736 in Allied hands, the British 78th Division was
ordered to advance on Route 121 to take Adrano; the Canadians
continued their drive along the dry Salso to Monte Revisotto and
Monte Seggio. |
 |
Taking a
page from the German book on forming ad hoc Kampfgruppen for
specific tasks, (Divisional Commander) Simonds organized his
own battle group of Three Rivers tanks, Seaforth infantry,
PLDG Scout Cars and supporting SP and anti-tank guns all
under Lt Col L. Booth. On 5 August Booth's force drove
rapidly down the Salso Valley to the high ground overlooking
the flowing Simeto River. By 1100 hrs the Canadians' wild
rush had carried them onto their objective which was held by
the seasoned 3rd Paratroops. At a cost of 45 casualties the
Canadians captured the position...1
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Monte Revisotto fell to The Loyal Edmonton
Regiment the next day, while PPCLI took Monte Seggio even after losing
track of their companies during the night approach. The 3rd Brigade then
sent the Royal 22e Regiment to grab a bridgehead over the Simeto River.
The 78th Division captured Adrano and marked the end of major fighting
in the campaign for the Canadians.
Aftermath
The Canadians found themselves "squeezed out" of the battle line now, as
the British 78th Division moved northeast onto the lower heights of
Mount Etna, and the US 7th Army drove eastward from Troina. Troina
itself proved to be the toughest battle of the Sicilian campaign for the
US Army, where the Germans had stalled two US divisions. The fall of
Adrano and the clearing of the Salso forced German General Hube to
reconsider his position; he feared a Canadian drive north down the
Adrano-Troina road, and prompted him to withdraw his units.

Infantrymen of the
48th Highlanders of Canada on the march to Adrano, 18 August 1943.
LAC photo
Battle Honours
The following Canadian units were awarded the Battle Honour "Troina
Valley" for
participation in these actions:
1st Canadian Armoured Brigade
1st Canadian Division
2nd Canadian Brigade
Notes
-
McKay, A. Donald Gaudeamus Igitur
"Therefore Rejoice" (Bunker to Bunker Books, Calgary, AB, 2005)
ISBN 1894255534 p.63
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