Royal Signals visit Italy to commemorate 80th anniversary of Battle of Monte Cassino

Members of the Royal Corps of Signals have been visiting Monte Cassino - where during the Second World War Allied forces attempted to break through German defences so they could advance on Rome.

During their trip to Italy, personnel from 2 Signal Regiment studied the battle which began 80 years ago this week and lasted four months and a day.

The regiment paid homage to the fallen by laying a wreath at the memorial, combining commemoration with educational insights.

"A great opportunity for our soldiers, helping them understand past conflicts," the Royal Signals said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

• D-Day: The Veteran Who Disobeyed His Captain To Save A Comrade's Life
• Operation Pluto As Told By A D-Day Veteran
• Audio unearthed of former Black Watch soldier recounting the horrors of Monte Cassino

The Battle of Monte Cassino lasted for 122 days from 17 January to 18 May 1944 and was one of the bloodiest campaigns of the Second World War in Western Europe.

Troops from Britain, the United States, Canada, France, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Poland were among the diverse forces engaged in the four months of fighting.

Infamous for its destruction of the historic Benedictine monastery, Monte Cassino eventually resulted in an Allied victory.

The battle cost 55,000 Allied casualties and the lives of 2,000 civilians.

This year also marks the 80th Anniversary of the Normandy landings, the largest seaborne invasion in history that saw the beginning of the liberation of France and Western Europe from Nazi Germany.