ANZIO – British, American and Italian soldiers and veteran’s families paid tribute to the English veteran and campaigner for expatriate rights Harry Shindler during solemn ceremonies to mark the 80th anniversary of the Allied Second World War landings at Anzio, 40 miles (50 km) south of Rome, one of the most costly tactical failures for both sides during the Italian campaign to liberate Italy from the Nazis.

 The first ceremony on Monday began at the Beachhead Cemetery with a wreath laying ceremony honouring fallen British and Commonwealth soldiers who gave their lives in the battle attended by the ambassador to the British Embassy, Ed Llewellyn and representatives from the U.S. Embassy. Also present were American, British and Italian military Representatives.

 The second wreath laying ceremony was held at the nearby Anzio War Cemetery, with its commanding view of the sea from where the amphibious landing began Jan. 22, 1944. The course of the battle that lasted until June 4, 1944, has been the subject of controversy for the past 80 years with many historians blaming Major General John P. Lucas, the American commander of Operation Shingle, for failing to capitalise on the Allied forces initially landing unopposed by German forces. Lucas delayed exploiting the advantage, preferring to dig in defensively around the beach and unload supplies rather than making a dash for Rome.

 The Battle of Anzio cost the Americans nearly 24,000 combat casualties and the British nearly 10,000. The Allies also suffered 37,000 noncombat casualties, an unusually high number for an engagement in the European theatre. Many of these non-battlefield losses were caused by malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases that were endemic to the marshes in the beachhead area. The Germans suffered some 27,500 casualties.

 From a tactical standpoint, the Anzio landings were a failure. While the VI Corps succeeded in outflanking the Gustav Line, the decision to delay the advance on Rome played to German commander Kesselring’s defensive strengths. As a result, the Allied forces were pinned in the bridgehead for four months. It was arguably only due to intelligence provided by OSS American spy Peter Tomkins operating in Rome with a network of Italian Resistance spies that the Germans were prevented from hurling the Allied troops back into the sea. On the other hand the German attempt to hurl the Allied troops back into the sea also failed, possibly because of Lucas' painstaking logistical preparations, and so the final result of the stand off is often described as a draw, though worthwhile from the Allied point of view on the ground that it tied up considerable German forces.

 Monday was the first anniversary of the battle marked after the death, at age 101, of Shindler, who was one of the longest surviving veterans from the battle and played a large role in the ceremonies in years past, so much so that Anzio granted him honorary citizenship in 2015. He also played a big role in researching other service men who lost their lives in the war and tracking down their graves for their families. This included Pink Floyd musician Roger Waters's father, Second Lieut., Eric Fletcher Waters.

 Waters wrote the song "Vera" on the album, "the Wall" in memory of his father. The song was performed Monday at the ceremony by a local resident at Piazza Garibaldi for the Official Anzio Commemorative Event.

 Among those present was Chrissy Matthews, daughter of the late Geoffrey Smith who was a survivor of the HMS Spartan, a Royal Navy light cruiser that was sunk by a German glider bomb at Anzio Jan. 29, 1944.

 Smith attended the ceremony in 1999 and realized there was no plaque mentioning the harbour so he raised a few thousand pounds in the UK to have the plaque made for the following ceremonies. He is said to have survived the sinking because he quickly swam away from the ship after it initially went down.

 Giuliana Iotti Ricci also placed flowers on the memorial. She was good friends with Shindler and acted as a local translator for the last 30 years for the group of English veterans, that attended the ceremonies. She would refer to them as her family.

 Over a coffee she recalled day trips to Rome and to Pompeii with the veterans. She also remembered during one of the last years there was a medical emergency when the veterans arrived at Fiumicino just after midnight and she was amazed at the way they all came together to calmly work through and resolve the situation. They told her we are stronger together than we are alone.

 "Now the veterans are no more and only in our memories we must hold the torch up for liberty, peace, and democracy," she said.

 Renzo Mastracci, a  former Mayor of Anzio, also attended the ceremony missing his good friend Shindler. He has attended the ceremony for decades and clearly understood the significance of the event. He was proud to walk me through Anzio Beachhead Museum and the new exhibit dedicated to Shindler who dedicated years of his life to speaking with young people about peace along with his research for family members of the fallen at Anzio.

 The main museum opened on the 50th anniversary of the Allied landings in 1994 and is found at the 17th century Vila Adele, in the town centre. The museum is well organized and divided into four sections. American, British, German and Italian.

 The exhibits include display cases with uniforms, equipment, badges, documents, photos and battle maps. Both the Museum and the Shindler exhibit are free and walkable from the Anzio Station.

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