Battle of Ortona and the Italian Campaign
2018 is the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the Italian Campaign during the Second World War, an important chapter in achieving victory in Europe
The Italian Campaign
- More than 93,000 Canadians served in Italy during the Second World War
- At the campaign's peak, nearly 76,000 Canadians were in theatre
- About 20,000 Canadians were wounded, missing, or taken prisoner
- More than 5,900 Canadians made the ultimate sacrifice
- Canadians fought for more than 1 ½ years across Sicily and up the Italian mainland
Battle of Ortona
- December 20-28, 1943, the rubble-filled streets of Ortona saw fierce hand-to-hand-fighting
- Thanks to Canadian soldiers, Ortona was liberated from some of the German army's best combat troops.
The fighting in Italy in December 1943 saw:
- More than 2,600 Canadian casualties
- More than 500 Canadians killed
How can you remember them?
- Join the conversation #CanadaRemembers
- Thank a Veteran
- Learn about our military history
- Attend a ceremony
- Visit Veterans.gc.ca/CanadaRemembers