COME BACK TO PORTOFINO

USING ARCHIVAL SOURCES AND PRIVATE DOCUMENTS RECENTLY UNEARTHED, COME BACK TO PORTOFINO CHRONICLES THE JOURNEY TAKEN BY VOLUNTEERS IN THE 6TH SOUTH AFRICAN ARMOURED DIVISION. FROM TRAINING CAMPS IN EGYPT THROUGH TO THE BLISSFUL SUMMER OF 1945 THE 'DIV' LEFT ITS MARK ON TOWNS AND VILLAGES ACROSS ITALY. FROM MONTE CASSINO TO THE OUTSKIRTS OF VENICE AND THE RIVER PO THE CAMPAIGN LASTED EXACTLY TWELVE MONTHS. DURING THE ADVANCE THROUGH ROME UP TO FLORENCE, IT WAS A CASE OF CONSTANT MOVEMENT AND VIOLENT CONTACT WITH THE ENEMY. EXPERIENCES WHICH LEFT AN ENDURING IMPRESSION ON RETURNED SOLDIERS INCLUDED THE PERIODS OF REST AT SIENA AND LUCCA AS WELL AS THE FOUR MISERABLE WINTER MONTHS IN THE NORTHERN APENNINES. OVERALL, THE CASUALTY RATE WAS SURPRISINGLY LOW CONSIDERING THE IDEAL AMBUSH COUNTRY AND MOUNTAIN DEFENCES WHICH HAD TO BE OVERCOME. IN THE RIFLE COMPANIES HOWEVER, THE RATE OF ATTRITION WAS HIGH AND REPLACEMENTS WERE FEW. AMONG THE SOUTH AFRICANS WHO ARE BURIED IN ITALY, THERE ARE THO