Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs (443) Wed, 2nd Sep 2015, Edinburgh Lot 47

Estimate: £1500 - £2000 + Fees "Operation Husky", amphibious invasion of Sicily by the British Eighth Army & Montgomery - annotated Second World War Allied Invasion maps and documentation Map: Italy 1:100,000 Sheet 270 Catania. , Second edition, 1942, 143.5 x 119.5cm, marked up by hand for invasion by British Eighth Army, 13th and 30th Corps, with details for Commandos, Airborne Troops of XIII and XXX Corps, notes on dummy paratroopers, diversions, naval and air bombardments, objects to be destroyed, MTB smokesreens, possible SAS TPS drops, &c.; [Second map: of Coastal area in Bay of Noto around Avola] 122cm across diagonal, marked up by hand for British Eighth Army, 13th Corps, 5th Division, with Notes on 5 day Operations, with Intentions "Land on D day & capture Syracuse on D. day", with printed and manuscript annotations for D day, by night D/D plus one, and after D day, the map extensively marked up by hand with notes on enemy defences, beach obstacles and access for tanks and troops, gun positions to be captured, line to be taken by 15 Bde to prevent enemy res. destroying beach head, the map cut down to show only relevant area; with a folder of typescripts or typescript duplicates of military documents including Address by Commander Eighth Army, Gen. Sir B.L. Montgomery, 15 Feb.1943, (3pp); Tripoli (2pp) Part II After Tripoli (5pp); The Battle of Egypt (21pp.); Brief Diary of Sicilian Campaign (6pp); "Bathbrick, Discussions 16 Feb., 1943 (4pp.); together with a copy of Eighth Army, Personal Message from the Army Commander, July 1943; War, vol. 40, 9 July 1943; Soldier's guide to Italy; Forward to Victory; and a few post-war papers of R.R. Lack Provenance: Capt. R.R. Lack, ADC to General Montgomery during operation Husky, and thence by direct descent.

Note: The plan for "Operation Husky" called for the amphibious assault of Sicily by two armies, British and American. The Eastern Task Force (also known as Task Force 545) was led by General Montgomery and consisted of the British Eighth Army, comprising four infantry divisions and an independent infantry brigade organized under XIII Corps commanded by Lieutenant-General Miles Dempsey and XXX Corps under Lieutenant-General Sir Oliver Leese. The British Eighth Army was assigned to land in south-eastern Sicily with XXX Corps landing on either side of Cape Passero, and XIII Corps landing in the Gulf of Noto, around Avola, off to the north. The maps and notes are those used during the invasion by Capt. R.R. Lack, ADC to General Montgomery during "Operation Husky".