The Allies had been struggling all year at Cassino, the mountainous redoubt in the middle of the German ‘Gustav' Line. Bitter fighting had continued in appalling conditions and the Monastery at the centre of the defences had been smashed to smithereens. The attempt to turn the line by landing at Anzio had merely seen the Allies bogged down in another location as well.
The latest attempt to break through had begun on the 11th, when the end came it was a surprise to many involved.
Major Hardy Parker was with the 2nd Battalion Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, they had been involved in the battle over the course of the last week. He spent the night of the 17th close to the front line, watching a massive German bombing raid which narrowly missed his area.
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