By Richard Shotton

On 22 January 1944 lieutenant Colonel Beecher was one of the 36,000 allied soldiers who invaded Anzio, on the Italian coast.

The troops landed unopposed, but despite the early success the allies hesitated. The delay allowed the Nazis to regroup and within a week they had dug a warren of tunnels in the nearby hills, encircling the British and American troops. Churchill, dismayed by the caution, commented that “I had hoped we were hurling a wild cat onto the shore, but all we got was a stranded whale”.

The next few months were hellish for Beecher. The Germans’ elevated position meant Read full story ›

Source: The Drum