One very interesting account of the Italian campaign is in the book 'Whicker's War' by Capt. Alan Whicker. He was a British Officer and official war photographer which meant that he was not necessarily 'in the action' but more often than not ahead of it. He was in Rome before Clark entered it photographing the city sights and enjoying a glass of wine when he rolled in. Some of the photos that Whicker took of Clark entering are often seen in history books. It's in his chapter entitled 'Hitler Would Have Hade Him Shot'.
I recall talking with one old Army Officer who was at Monte Casino who said he saw some of his Gurkha soldiers having a private joke and finding something most amusing. Apparently, they had been out and about during the night and come across three German soldiers fast asleep and lying side by side. In their usual stealthy manner they had cut off the heads of the two soldiers on the outside without waking the one in the middle and laughing about his possible reaction when he woke up. Great sense of humour those Gurkhas! Lagopus…..
