The story of the Canadians in Ortona was one of my first big war stories, and it happened because of the fantastic photos and film footage I came across during my other research. It's never fun researching war stories, but war, unfortunately, has everything to do with our human story of the past. There's no getting away from it. However, to find that these men, mostly from British Columbia, had a Christmas dinner in the middle of battle was worth the research.
What was especially interesting to me is that behind a grate in the old chapel where the soldiers dined is a 16th-century Byzantine-style fresco of the Madonna and Child, known as the Madonna of Constantinople, who, as the story goes, appeared to a Muslim Turk who then converted to Christianity at the sight of the Virgin Mary...a fitting piece of art for a Christmas meal in the middle of a battle.
"1944::War Diary of an 18-Year-Old Nazi Paratrooper" Clip: The Windsor Star (1944) Windsor, Ontario
The following clip was probably the most interesting find but was not included in this Christmas story. I felt it was worth sharing, nonetheless.
Thanks for following along!
🚂Papertown Conductor