Operation 'Buffalo' WWII (Valomontone) 1944

[MarcuccioV]

I found these pics online while trying to research my grandparent's actual birth locations within the commune of Valmontone. The 2nd photo was taken sometime after May of 1944 as part of the US Army's "Operation Buffalo" as they drove the Germans out of Italy and secured Rome for the Allies.

I had read many accounts about the bombings in the area, but had never seen this particular photo before. As with Cassino and other towns, it was nearly leveled. The portions of town where my grandparents were born is part of the main obliterated landscape of rubble on the hill.

Oddly, the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore and the Palazzo Doria survived, albeit not without significant damage.

It definitely explains the differences in streets and structure locations of the current town. It's possible some buildings may have been rebuilt on their original foundations, but for the most part the entire area was reconfigured and rebuilt from scratch.

Pic #1 was taken around the time my grandparents were born; pic # 2 is after the 1944 bombings...

[mmogno]

[MarcuccioV]

Thank you, mmogno for the additional photos...

[MarcuccioV]

I just realized the misspelling in the title. Corrected...

[MarcuccioV]

A few more photos...

[MarcuccioV]

More I found -- the area on the LH side of the top pic is the approximate site of my grandmother's birth -- it is now a series of wide steps leading to a wall below the church (Santa Maria Maggiore). It has been completely reconfigured.

The area of the second pic I believe is close to my grandfather's birthplace on the south side of the hill commune, but I can't be completely certain -- that area has also massively changed...

[MarcuccioV]

Scenes of destruction...

Miraculously, the church and Doria palace were not direct hits...

Last pic is a temporary shelter built from rubble & reclaimed lumber...

[MarcuccioV]

Last couple. Many of these and others are from a book of pictures by photojournalist Federico Patellani of Torino, taken in 1945. Others are possibly US Army photos taken in 1944 after the offensive...

[MarcuccioV]

Found several more postwar photos:

[MarcuccioV]

A few more.

[MarcuccioV]

The postwar rebuilding effort. "Muratori" at work:

[MarcuccioV]

Rebuilding and postwar life:

[MarcuccioV]

Life goes on:

[MarcuccioV]

Commemorative plaque. I have several surnames from this list in my family tree.

Sadly, unlike a lot of people, I could never visit the original birthplaces of my ancestors as all were destroyed and rebuilt much differently... Only a scant few pre-war photos exist, mostly overall landscapes with little detail.