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November 30, 2019

On November 30, 2019 the Government of Canada delegation attended a ceremony of remembrance at the Pontecorvo Monument. Members of the delegation then had a private visit at the Cassino War Cemetery. The delegation was led by the Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, and Alexandra Bugailiskis, Ambassador of Canada to Italy. At dawn on May 23, 1944, the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, British 8th Army, attacked the Adolf Hitler (Senger) Line. The most heavily defended line faced by the Allies during the Italian Campaign, it was constructed between Pontecorvo and Monte Cairo. In addition to the suffering of the citizens of Pontecorvo and Aquino, 848 Canadians and other forces were casualties. The Cassino War Cemetery is the largest Second World War cemetery in Italy. More than 4,200 Commonwealth graves are located here, of which 200 are unknown and 855 are Canadians. The names of 194 Canadians are inscribed on its 15-foot high slabs of green marble.