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Syracuse War Cemetery is located in the Contrada of Canalicchio in the Commune and Province of Syracuse.
It lies 3 kilometres west of Syracuse. Turn left at the end of the Catania to Syracuse autostrada and the cemetery will be found approximately 5 kilometres along on the left hand side.

Historical Information:
The site of the cemetery was selected in 1943 at an early stage in the operations for the capture of Sicily. In this cemetery most of the graves are those of men who lost their lives in the landings in Sicily on 10th July, 1943, as part of the early stages of the campaign to capture the island (Operation Husky).
On 10 July 1943, following the successful conclusion of the north African campaign in mid May, a combined allied force of 160,000 Commonwealth and American troops invaded Sicily as a prelude to the assault on mainland Italy. The Italians, who would shortly make peace with the Allies and re-enter the war on their side, offered little determined resistance but German opposition was vigorous and stubborn. The campaign in Sicily came to an end on 17 August when the two allied forces came together at Messina, but failed to cut off the retreating Axis lines. Commonwealth forces made their landings in the south-east corner of the island between Pachino and Syracuse, and the majority of those buried in Syracuse War Cemetery died during those landings or in the early stages of the campaign.
Many graves belong to men of the airborne force that attempted landings west of the town on the night of 9-10 July, when gale force winds forced 60 of the 140 gliders used into the sea and blew others wide of their objectives.
Syracuse War Cemetery contains 1,059 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 134 of them unidentified. Graves were brought into Syracuse War Cemetery from as far north as Lentini. There is also one First World war burial, that of a merchant seaman whose grave was brought to the cemetery from Marsala British Cemetery. In addition, three special memorials commemorate men known to have been originally buried in other cemeteries in the region, but whose graves could not be found on concentration.

No. of Identified Casualties: 933
The cemetery is permanently open and may be visited anytime. Wheelchair access to site possible, but may be by alternative entrance.
For further information regarding wheelchair access, please contact our Enquiries Section on telephone number 01628 507200




FACES of FALLEN SOLDIERS
[Regiments: N. Soldiers]

All Regiments : 1060
A Canadian Regiment: 2
African Pioneer Corps (H.C.T.): 11
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders: 12
Army Air Corps: 1
Army Catering Corps: 2
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment: 4
Black Watch (Royal Highlanders): 17
Border Regiment: 18
Cameronians (Scottish Rifles): 4
Cheshire Regiment: 6
Corps of Military Police: 3
Devonshire Regiment: 13
Dorsetshire Regiment: 5
Durham Light Infantry: 20
East Surrey Regiment: 1
East Yorkshire Regiment: 11
General Service Corps, S.A. Forces: 1
Glider Pilot Regiment, A.A.C.: 8
Gordon Highlanders: 10
Green Howards (Yorkshire Regiment): 20
Hampshire Regiment: 10
Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment): 3
Indian Pioneer Corps: 44
Intelligence Corps: 1
King's Own Scottish Borderers: 1
King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry: 35
Koninkrijk der Nederlanden: 1
Lancashire Fusiliers: 2
Leicestershire Regiment: 1
London Scottish: 1
Merchant : 1
Merchant Navy: 20
Middlesex Regiment: 5
Netherlands Navy: 1
Northamptonshire Regiment: 28
Pioneer Corps: 26
Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders: 2
Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment: 2
Reconnaissance Corps: 1
Reconnaissance Corps, R.A.C.: 1
Rifle Brigade: 1
Royal Air Force: 7
Royal Air Force (Auxiliary Air Force): 4
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve: 36
Royal Armoured Corps: 12
Royal Army Chaplains Department: 1
Royal Army Medical Corps: 13
Royal Army Ordnance Corps: 6
Royal Army Service Corps: 23
Royal Artillery: 92
Royal Australian Air Force: 5
Royal Berkshire Regiment: 2
Royal Canadian Air Force: 2
Royal Corps of Signals: 9
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers: 6
Royal Engineers: 87
Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment): 2
Royal Horse Artillery: 4
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers: 8
Royal Irish Fusiliers: 1
Royal Marines: 60
Royal Naval Patrol Service: 2
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve: 3
Royal Navy: 21
Royal New Zealand Air Force: 1
Royal Scots: 1
Royal Scots Fusiliers: 29
Royal Tank Regiment, R.A.C.: 10
Royal Ulster Rifles: 2
Royal Warwickshire Regiment: 1
Royal Welch Fusiliers: 1
Seaforth Highlanders: 83
Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment): 1
South African Air Force: 4
South Staffordshire Regiment Airborne: 49
The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment): 1
The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey): 1
Welch Regiment: 1
Wiltshire Regiment: 3
Worcestershire Regiment: 1
York and Lancaster Regiment: 18
Known unto God: 117


In memory of their sacrifice.

Please, tell us the stories of these heroes! Help us in our research...
Operation Husky: July 10 - August 7, 1943

The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, began on the night of 9-10 July 1943, and ended 17 August. It was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis (Italy and Nazi Germany).
It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat.
It became a baptism of fire for 1st Canadian Infantry Division and 1st Canadian Army Tank Brigade.
On July 10, 1943, several thousand Canadian soldiers landed on beaches on Sicily's southeast coast. Overcoming light resistance on landing, they began a tough march through the mountainous terrain of central Sicily in debilitating heat. Their first serious fighting came when they met entrenched Germans in the centre of the island who contested every metre of ground until the withdraw to the Italian mainland to fight again. The names of Leonforte, Assoro, Agira, Regalbuto, and Etna resound in the memories of the Canadians who fought there. It was an arduous campaign, fought on hot, dusty countryside, devoid of shade and plagued with malaria.
Operation Husky was an unprecedented joint and combined operational achievement comparable in scale and complexity to the invasion of Normandy in 1944. Seven separate army divisions sailed from ports in the United States, Scotland, and North Africa to converge off Malta before turning north to Sicily. Two airborne divisions flew in from Tunisian airfields the night before the landings. Three hundred fighting vessels protected 2,000 other ships and landing craft. They were guarded from above by a vast armada of Allied aircraft. Their common objectives were to free Mediterranean shipping lanes and drive Italy from the war...view details

The First Canadian Division

On July 10, 1943, as Operation Husky, the invasion of the island of Sicily unfolded, the men of the First Canadian Division sallied forth. The Division was made up on the First Brigade (the Royal Canadian Regiment, the 48th Highlanders of Canada and the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment), the Second Brigade (the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, the Loyal Edmonton Regiment and the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada), and the Third Brigade (the Royal 22e Regiment, the Carleton and York Regiment and the West Nova Scotia Highlanders). The infantry brigades were supported by the the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, the Second Field Regiment, and the Third Field Regiment, respectively. In addition, the Saskatoon Light Infantry (Machine Gun), 1st Anti-Tank Regiment, 2nd Light Anti-Tank Regiment and the 4th Reconnaissance Regiment (4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards). Armoured support came from the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade made up of the Ontario Regiment, the Calgary Regiment and the Three Rivers Regiment.All the infantry brigades were made up on one Permanent force unit and two NPAM (Non-Permanent Army Militia) regiments. And the battalions represented all parts of the country...view details