An honorary lieutenant colonel with the Vancouver-based Seaforth Highlanders of Canada will begin a journey July 10 that will take him 300 kilometres in 20 days across the Italian island of Sicily. Rod Hoffmeister is joining a small group of walkers who will retrace the footsteps of the First Canadian Division on a route as close to the original as possible. The journey marks the 70th anniversary of Operation Husky, the Second World War Allied invasion of Sicily. The organizers tried to keep to the same timetable as much as they could, Hoffmeister told the Courier prior to departing for Italy where he is attending a ceremony at Delfino Beach July 10.
In 1943 a ship carrying vehicles for the Canadian troops was torpedoed en route to Sicily. The sinking forced the soldiers who landed to march 300-kilometres by foot at a gruelling pace under the scorching Sicilian sun to prevent enemy forces from setting up additional defenses. The Allied goal was to make a successful incursion into Europe for the first time since France had fallen to the Nazis three years prior. More than 25,000 Canadians landed on the beaches of Sicily during the invasion, including Hoffmeisters father, then Lt.-Col. Bert Hoffmeister of the Seaforths. For his valiant efforts as a leader Hoffmeister, who died in 1999, was awarded the first of three Distinguished Service Order medals and was later promoted to major general. But despite the fact the Canadian soldiers played a vital role in liberating Italy from fascist control, there is very little to mark their contributions. One of the goals of the Operation Husky 2013 Legacy Tour is to change that by raising funds for a permanent memorial. Everybody remembers D-Day, said Hoffmeister. But very few people remember that 11 months earlier this first invasion against the Nazis was held in Europe.
Hoffmeister is not only looking forward to retracing his fathers journey, but also to placing memorial posts as close as possible to the location where a Seaforth soldier fell with the First Canadian Division. Hoffmeister said pipes and drums of the Seaforth rallied the troops along their treacherous journey. In total, 61 Seaforths were killed in action during the invasion, including a record 26 during a battle in Leonforte that took place July 21 and 22, 1943. Hoffmeister plans to place 26 memorial posts on July 21 at the location.
Hoffmeister said that original march was torturous to the soldiers who suffered dreadfully from many non-combat ailments, including foot problems, malaria and severe sunburn.
Hoffmeister is being joined on his sojourn by, among others, Mark Zuehlke, author of Operation Husky: The Canadian Invasion of Sicily, July 10-August 7, 1943. During the last week of his march, Hoffmeister will also be accompanied by two other members of the Seaforth, their spouses and his sister. The last missing piece is the CBC, which was there broadcasting at the time. They were asked to get involved [on this trip], but so far theyve shown no interest.
Hoffmeister has promised to update the Courier along his journey as long as he has Internet access. Visit vancourier.com for updates. Memorial posts can be sponsored in memory of a soldier killed during the invasion by visiting operationhusky2013.ca.
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