#OTD 75 years ago 2nd NZ Division cross Senio River at dusk and start of final push of Italian Campaign that would take them and granddad all the way to Trieste. (George Kaye’s photo of NZ soldiers with bridging equipment at dusk on 9 April 1945 DA-09133-F ATL) #WW2 #Italy #NZ

Granddad Ray Clarke’s Italy Star that will always remain unmounted and with its original ribbon out of respect to his memory and how he kept his medals for the rest of his life.

#OTD 75 years ago NZ troops liberate the village of Barbiano a short time before this picture was taken of two soldiers receiving vino. Photo taken on 10 April 1945 by George Kaye, DA-03283-F, ATL. By nightfall 2nd NZ Div had reached the Santerno River. #TheRoadToTrieste75 #WW2

By night on 10 April 1945 2 NZ Div had outstripped 8 Indian Div on R flank and 3 Carpathian Div of Polish Corps on L but Freyberg wanted to maintain momentum and pushed across Santerno River at dawn on 11 April with C & D Companies 24 Bn making the crossing. #TheRoadToTrieste75

On night of 9 April 1945 2nd NZ Div crossed Senio making good progress and flame throwing tanks quite an impression. “Their spurts of flame, red under the lightning flashes, showed again, again, again’ wrote Geoffrey Cox “All along the line of the river they glared red and ugly.”

Infantry soldiers from the 25th Battalion 2nd NZ Division following closely behind their flame throwing tanks in the attack on the Senio River, Italy. (Photograph taken by George Kaye, 9 April 1945, DA-08359-F, Alexander Turnbull Library, @NLNZ) #TheRoadToTrieste75