SOCIETY BATTLEFIELD TOURS IN 2026
The Society is proposing to run two battlefield tours in 2026 – one to Monte Cassino for those new members who have not been before, and one to the Sangro for those who wish to continue their odyssey around the battlefields of the Italian Campaign.
We are proposing to run the Cassino trip in May 26 so that the event closely matches the Fourth and final Battle of Cassino in ’44. The Sangro trip will take place in Oct 26 to closely match the start of the Eighth Army’s push up the Adriatic coast in ’43.
Expressions of interest are invited from any Member who might like to join either trip. Should there be sufficient interest, the options for each trip will be scoped and priced. An expression of interest is not a commitment to attend.
Please Note: These tours are only available to members but membership is only £15 per year. Please contact us through the website if you are interested.
Service at Blackhall St Columba’s church, Edinburgh
A wonderful service was held at Blackhall St Columba’s church, Edinburgh on Saturday 3rd May 2025 to commemorate 80 years since the end of the war in Italy. To watch it go to blackhallstcolumba.org.uk and follow the links for livestream. There are more photographs of the event on the photos page of this website.
Peace in Europe Conference
King Charles visits Ravenna
May 2025 Commemorations.
To mark not just the 81st Anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino but also the 80th Anniversary of the End of the War in Italy, there will be two separate events in May.
On Saturday 3rd May, there will be a Service at Blackhall St Columba’s Church, Edinburgh, (home of the Monte Cassino Cross) to mark the 80th Anniversary of the End of the War in Italy on 2nd May 1945.
The service will start (subject to final confirmation) at 16:00. This Service will also be live-streamed on the Blackhall St Columba’s webpage –
https://www.blackhallstcolumba.org.uk/live-stream-services-and-info/.
On Saturday 17th May, we will mark the 81st Anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino at the Society’s Memorial Stone in the National Memorial Arboretum, Lichfield. We will gather at 13:45 at the Memorial for a 14:00 start, and invite members and visitors to meet in the café after the service for an informal get-together.
As stated on the NMA’s website, “entry to the Arboretum is free, however they recommend booking your visit in advance to guarantee entry and save on parking.”
Please contact us if you are intending to attend either (or both) of the Services so that we can keep a tally of the expected numbers.
We will be at the Remembrance service at the Cenotaph in London on Sunday 9th November 2025. If you are not coming you can see it live on television.
If you intend to lay a symbol of remembrance at your local Memorial service on 9th November for yourself or on behalf of the Italian campaign, we would be interested to hear from you.
