Now I have seen this photo before in a few books but while trolling through the National Library of New Zealand web-site I found a copy of it. Ordered it as a high resolution jpg.

My father is the young guy in the middle of the photo with the bren. I look at this and shake my head at how young he was. Only nineteen years old. He was a Lance Corporal in the 22nd Infantry Battalion, 2NZEF. The old bugger is still going at 88 and not quite ready to start pushing up the daisies.

We have another photo of Dad taken by my Uncle Bob from the turret of his Sherman – it shows Dad escorting prisoners he took back down the road from the front. Dad said it was the best day of his war. He captured about forty Germans who had been asleep in a church and no-one died – on either side.

Here is a link to the original source. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/23034721?search%5Bi%5D%5Bsubject%5D%5B%5D=Military+personnel%2C+New+Zealand&search%5Bi%5D%5Bsubject%5D%5B%5D=Italy&search%5Bil%5D%5Bcategory%5D=Images&search%5Bpage%5D=3&search%5Bpath%5D=items