florence war cemetery

FLORENCE WAR CEMETERY
Florence-WC-Oct-2017-(43).JPG

FLORENCE WAR CEMETERY
HISTORY INFORMATION
On 3 September 1943 the Allies invaded the Italian mainland, the invasion coinciding with an armistice made with the Italians who then re-entered the war on the Allied side.

Following the fall of Rome to the Allies in June 1944, the German retreat became ordered and successive stands were made on a series of defensive positions known as the Trasimene, Arezzo, Arno and Gothic Lines. Florence, which was taken by the Allied forces on 13 August 1944, was the centre of the Arno line and the point from which the attack on the German Gothic Line defences in the Apennines was launched.

The site for the war cemetery was selected in November 1944 for burials from the hospitals established in and around Florence but the greater part of those buried here lost their lives in the fighting in this area from July to September 1944.

After the war, 83 graves were moved into the cemetery from nearby Arrow Route Cemetery, when it proved impossible to acquire the site in perpetuity. Most of these burials were from the fighting in the Apennines during the winter of 1944-1945.

Florence War Cemetery now contains 1,632 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War.
  1. ARMY CDOS Robinson, Arthur Denzil

    SURNAME Robinson FORENAME Arthur Denzil UNIT 30 Commando RANK Lieutenant NUMBER 292209 DATE OF DEATH 24th March 1945 AGE 21 GRAVESITE Florence War Cemetery,Italy XII.D.9 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Royal Irish Fusiliers "Anthony D." (PRO) born Liverpool resided...
  2. SAS Pinckney, Philip Hugh

    SURNAME Pinckney FORENAME Philip Hugh UNIT 2 SAS RANK Captain NUMBER 100670 DATE OF DEATH 7th September 1943 AGE 28 GRAVESITE Florence War Cemetery,Italy II.E.17 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Royal Artillery born Berkshire son of John Robert Hugh and Winifred...
  3. SAS Dudgeon, Patrick Laurence

    SURNAME Dudgeon FORENAME Patrick Laurence UNIT 2 SAS RANK Captain NUMBER 131676 DATE OF DEATH 3rd October 1943 AGE 23 GRAVESITE Florence War Cemetery, Italy IX.H.8 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Royal Corps of Signals born 10.07.1920 Egypt son of Lt-Col Christopher...
  4. SAS Brunt, Bernard Oliver

    SURNAME Brunt FORENAME Bernard Oliver UNIT 2 SAS RANK Gunner NUMBER 1800118 DATE OF DEATH 3rd October 1943 AGE 21 GRAVESITE Florence War Cemetery, Italy IX.H.9 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Royal Artillery born 07.08.1921 Rotherham,Yorkshire son of Bernard and...
  5. ARMY CDOS Pinckney, Philip Hugh

    SURNAME Pinckney FORENAME Philip Hugh UNIT former 62 Commando (Small Scale Raiding Force) RANK Captain NUMBER 100670 DATE OF DEATH 7th September 1943 AGE 28 GRAVESITE Florence War Cemetery,Italy II.E.17 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Royal Artillery born Berkshire...
  6. ARMY CDOS Dudgeon, Patrick Laurence

    SURNAME Dudgeon FORENAME Patrick Laurence UNIT former 62 Commando RANK Captain NUMBER 131676 DATE OF DEATH 3rd October 1943 AGE 23 GRAVESITE Florence War Cemetery, Italy IX.H.8 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Royal Corps of Signals born 10.07.1920 Egypt son of...
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