TRAVERSING the mountainous roads of Sicily in blistering summer heat might not appeal to everyone, but for an adventurous group of Canadians it's a chance to retrace history.
Wednesday July 10 will mark the 70th anniversary of the invasion of Sicily in 1943 by the 1st Canadian Division, a collection of battalions from across Canada that included the Seaforth Highlanders. The group will retrace the steps of the soldiers who grappled with heat and lack of transport to march inland to Agira.
For Rod Hoffmeister of West Vancouver, the journey will be a memorable one. Hoffmeister's father, Lt.-Col. B.M. Hoffmeister, was commanding officer of the Seaforth Highlanders and led them into Sicily, earning him the Distinguished Service Order while in combat. It would be his first of three, as Hoffmeister became one of
the most well respected Canadian officers of the Second World War.
"It's very significant for me," said Hoffmeister, who was named by the Seaforth Highlanders as honorary lieutenant-colonel, the same rank his father held 70 years ago. "This is really going to bring it home."
The invasion of Sicily was part of Operation Husky, a plan by allied forces to take back the Mediterranean. Unfortunately for the Canadians, the invasion would be that much more difficult after the ship carrying their transport was torpedoed by German U-boats. "Everything was either carried by foot or by donkey or mule," said Hoffmeister.
The march begins July 10 at the beaches of Pachino, where the division landed, then winds its way through central Sicily. It will end at Agira on July 30 with a ceremony for the 484 Canadian soldiers buried there at the Canadian War Cemetery. The group will be keeping a daily regimental diary that can be viewed at operationhusky2013.ca.
