A 7 inch by 5.75 inch hand drawn battle honour map depicting the Lamone River Crossing of 10 December 1944. The 48th Highlanders, following failures by battalions of other brigades to force a crossing, achieved the only successful crossing under fire during the night, including shepherding the West Nova Scotia regiment through their crossing point after only two of the Highlanders’ companies had crossed. The 48th created a beachhead by fierce attacks once across the river, rather than immediate consolidation, catching the German defenders off guard. The maps were drawn by Brigadier Eric Haldenby for the 48th Highlanders’ Second War history Dileas by Kim Beattie.

Crossing of the Lamone River

The Canadians had been in Italy for a year when they liberated Ravenna. It was December 4th, 1944. The Fifth Division is still celebrated today for its bravery in freeing the ancient city. As their actions in Ravenna succeeded, however, another failed. The First Division participated in a hastily-organised attack across the Lamone River, which was repelled by the Germans and forced a Canadian retreat. Together, the Royal Canadian Regiment and the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment suffered close to 200 casualties, some of which were inflicted by their own artillery as they clung to the riverbank.

​Despite this setback, command began the organization of a second offensive across the Lamone, a week from the failure of the first. Nothing was spared in preparing for this attack. Both Canadian divisions, the 1st and 5th, were to attack simultaneously, while a British brigade would conduct a feint attack nearby. The Desert Air Force would support the ground attack by bombing enemy positions on the other side of the river.