Last day in Cassino

I had one last go at finding my unidentified series of photos. I drove to Venafro and ruled that out as having a similar but different ridgeline. The drive over the old road from San Pietro offered magnificent views back to Cassino and on to Venafro. I came back through San Vittore and Cervaro and ruled both of them out as well. If the Italians can't help all I can do is look for video footage that might show the same exercises.

We were booked to have lunch and dinner with L and C, while also packing and cleaning sometime. We had a frustratingly leisurely lunch before heading up the hill to L's uncle AV. This is the house (on Pt 475) where Mum and R and I had lunch with the four German vets back in 2004. From there we walked up the hill with the intention of getting a view from Colle Maiola. Sadly this peak is also overgrown, but we got views from a little further down the ridge. L found half a German 75mm shell that A thought was from a tank or anti-tank gun. Curious place to end up if so.

We then walked down to the Polish Doctor's house where the views were magnificent. There was a full moon and the Abbey was bathed in that warm evening light you get at dusk. We surprised the owners a little but it was all OK after L explained who we were. They showed me the plaque the Poles had put up. (Polish memorials are everywhere, but there is only one for the Kiwis, at the railway station, and I haven't seen any at all for the Indians. There is a memorial to the 1/4 Essex at the Castle too.) These views were superb, but with the vegetation they were very different to those of 1944, and it is sometimes hard to make out landmarks. I didn't even try for matches under these circumstances.

L had said his lights weren't working on his Land Rover, and by the time we had said goodbye to his uncle and cousins it was well dark. I had visions of driving down mountain tracks with a cigarette lighter to guide the way, but it turned out that high beam worked, if intermittently. It is still a little disconcerting to come to a hairpin turn and have the lights suddenly go off.

We did make it safely back and had dinner with the extended family. It was a quiet, tired affair. We said our final goodbyes (or "see you later"s) and were embarrassed when L and C gave a gift as we had nothing in return. Arrivederci.