James Albert Gaskarth. 2614728. Bombardier, 58th. Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery (R.A.), KIA 13th October 1944, Italy, age 27yrs.

Baptised on July 8th 1917, Albert had a twin sister, Elizabeth Winifred, who is still alive but does not live locally, although many relatives remain in this area. His parents were John Lishman, who died in 1928, aged only 48, and Edith who died in 1956. He was a pupil at Cartmel School and in a 1926/27 school photograph stands much taller than his classmates.

Mr John Rawson, a friend of his, told me that Albert enlisted in theGrenadier Guards in the mid 1930s, but did not "fit-in" so bought himself out. They both enlisted in the local 4th. Bn. King's Own in 1938, which became the 56th Anti-Tank Regt. (The King's Own) R.A., T.A. They were to be sent to Finland as part of 42nd Div. but Finland capitulated. Half the brigade, in the first vessel to depart, was on its way to the Baltic, landed in Norway and had to be evacuated after the German invasion.

The second ship, carrying the two friends, circumnavigated the Isle of Wight several times, and eventually travelled to Cherbourg. The troops having been relieved of their white sheet snow camouflage. Col. Cowper, in her history of The King's Own tells a much less interesting story, of the whole regiment going to France. I think I will observe the First War doctrine, "Never believe anything in print"!

56/A-Tk motored to Lille and took part in the Battle of France and the Dunkirk evacuation, far too involved a story to relate here.

The units were then split up, with Mr Rawson going to Nigeria and eventually, Burma with one of the Nigerian divisions. Albert being transferred to 58th Anti-Tank Regiment, R.A. He fought in Egypt and then Italy, with the famous 8th Army, until he was killed by a direct hit, while sheltering from a barrage.

The Allied armies reached the Gothic Line, which stretched across northern Italy, from La Spezia in the west to Pesaro in the east, in the summer of 1944. The British 8th Army attacked along the Adriatic coast, while inland the American 5th Army, comprising the US II and IV Corps and the British XIII Corps, were to advance and capture Bologna. Axis resistance was determined and progress was slow. On October 2nd US General Mark Clark renewed his offensive on Bologna, over the next three weeks the advance averaged only a mile a day and the offensive was abandoned on October 27th.The 8th Army’s, advance also dwindled out, with the river Po still 50 miles away.

Casualties were high, in just over six weeks since 10th September, II Corps lost 15,716 men. 8th Army casualties during the offensive were 19,975 and every infantry battalion needed to be reorganised. The German and Italian forces also suffered grievously, but Italy did not fall until May 2nd 1945.

Albert is buried in the Assisi War Cemetery, Italy. Plot I, Row C, Grave 7.

His nephew, David Gee, a young child at the time, clearly remembers his grandmother bursting into their house, terribly upset, with the news of his uncle's death.