"Invasion of Sicily - uniform questions" Topic

Were the 8th army in Operation Husky equipped in desert or European uniforms? And were the Italians in grey-green?

they Italian could have sported some light coloured fatigues trousers (grey)above among heavy guns crews…and some very rare kaki pieces of uniform..but , in the absolute majority of cases, being Coastal Local Militia type Divisions..with geat problems of supplying..they enjoyed the African Sicilian sun inside their probably unique and dated grey-green wool uniform and vintage unconfortable puttees…

I think the Brits were wearing battle dress without the jackets, like these Perry brother figures:

The Italians were probably in gery-green, except for the coastal defence forces, which were probably in the cheaper, lighter grey working dress.

I just read Farley Mowatt's memoir _And No Birds Sang_, and he wore KD shorts and trousers. I realize this does not directly answer your question. The Osprey for the period/region shows a corporal of the Black Watch in KD shorts and shirt with a pullover on top embarking for Husky.

Zuehlke's book Operation Husky has a number of black and white photographs. The Canadians are mostly wearing shorts, some long trousers scattered in. Most troops have shirt sleeves rolled up, some down.

Most troops in Sicily seem to have been wearing KD with shorts, due to the hot Spring weather. KD trousers were also issued, so the trousers were not necessarily temperate Battledress trousers. However, temperate Battledress would be worn in cooler/wetter weather, as it had been during the winter in North Africa.

thanks for the info guys

As above, it was very hot in Sicily during the invasion so 8th Army wore KD (shirts, shorts and KD trousers).

Obviously there is no harm in mixing a few chaps in BD trousers, I usually do Italian campaign figures in a mix of kit, generally indicating it is 'hot' (even if for much of the time Italy was cold wet and miserable…)

Italian Army WW2 suffered all along conflicts from supply problems…
CTV/ARMIR in Russia was badly clothed and equipped..their L6 tanks were , before being sent, painted in Africa Colour sand.

X Bers. Bersaglieri travelling to Lybia was clothed in grey green and acquired very late tropical clothes..and partially used stocks.

Coastal Divisions in Sicily appearance was of a very badly led Army that, in many cases, had to beg for food and shoes to local population..anyway..also if considered totally unreliable by the Germans..and led by officers that did'n trust their soldiers and, in quite few cases, invited their men to give up before the fight..they fought well at the end..as a proof their casualty rate was very heavy

Here is a site (in Italian) showing Brits in Sicily. Shows them in both shorts and BD trousers:

link

It seems to have varied by unit. In the pictures I linked to, either everyone has shorts or everyone has trousers.

Such things were usually dictated in battalion daily or standing orders, so it was common for units to be all doing the same thing on the same day with regard to dress. Spare clothing would normally then be carried in a soldier's large pack, which would normally be held in the battalion transport echelon when in the field.

I've read a memoir of the Sicilian Campaign, possibly Farley Mowat's; where the troops sent back for their BD trousers because their KD shorts or trousers were torn to shreds by crawling amongst the Sicilian rocks!