Monte Cassino

In 1944 my father was part of the combined forces fighting for the capture of Monte Cassino, Italy. The battle went on from January to May. 
He was wounded, sniper bullet broke his collar bone, at Rimini and he was awarded the Italy star medal.
He never spoke much about it, he lost some good friends there and did not take me up on my offer of taking him on a Battlefield tour of the battle site.
This monument is being officially commissioned next weekend but luckily it is already in place so I took some photographs of it while I was there today for the RBL Riders Memorial Run at the National Memorial Arboretum.


Took some other photographs, particulary of the Battle of Mirbat memorial plaque. This was about 300km down the coast from where I was stationed, and 3 years later, but we did get trouble in that area from the Adoo communist rebels coming over from Yemen trying to depose the old Sultan and make Oman communist. The Battle of Mirbat was the most crucial battle that stopped them taking over the Sultanate.
See extras (That thin island in the Arabian Sea, to the right of the 'n' of Oman, is where RAF Masirah was located, my first overseas posting).

The Fijian text underneath the picture of Labalaba is the Fijian motto.
Rerevaka na Kalou ka doka na Tui "Fear God and Honour the King"