And No Birds Sang

2-inch mortar Able Company Ack Ack Alex Alex Campbell armored Army artillery assault Assoro attack battalion battle beach began Biferno bloody Bren Bren carriers Brigade bullet burst Campobasso Canadian Castropignano casualties Catania Catanzaro Charley cliff commanding convoy dark dawn dead ditch enemy eyes Eyetie face feet Ferrazzano fighting fire Germans Giovanni goddamn Grammichele guns hand Hasty Pees head Headquarters heard hell Hermann Göring hill Italian jeep Jerry Kennedy knew landing looked miles military morning mortar bombs mountains move Mowat night officer Paddy Ryan paratroopers patrol rain reached regiment rest rifle Ripalimosani road roaring Royal Canadian Regiment Sangro scouts screamed seemed sergeant Seven Platoon shells shelter Sicily slope smoke soldiers squadron Squib staff stared subalterns tanks thing tiny tion told took town troops truck turned Tweedsmuir U.S. Fifth Army Valguarnera valley village voice weapons wounded