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The '''Salerno mutiny''' occurred during the [[World War II|Second World War]] and involved about 200 [[British Army|British soldier]]s who, on 16 September 1943, refused assignment to new units as replacements during the initial stages of the [[Allied invasion of Italy]].

About 1,500 men from the [[50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division|50th (Northumbrian)]] and [[51st (Highland) Division|51st (Highland) Infantry Division]]s sailed from [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]], on the understanding that they were to join the rest of their units, at the time based in [[Sicily]] and soon to return to the [[United Kingdom]] in preparation for [[Operation Overlord]], the [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] [[Normandy landings|invasion of Normandy]]. Both of these divisions had served as part of [[General (United_Kingdom)|General]] [[Bernard Montgomery|Sir Bernard Montgomery]]'s [[Eighth Army (United Kingdom)|British Eighth Army]], and were veterans of the [[North African campaign]].<ref>Whicker, Alan. ''Whicker's War'' HarperCollins 2005 pp87-8 {{ISBN|0007205074}}</ref>

Once aboard ship, the men were told that they were being taken to [[Salerno]], Italy, to join the [[46th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|British 46th Infantry Division]] (Major-General [[John Hawkesworth (British Army officer)|John Hawkesworth]]) and [[56th (London) Infantry Division]] (Major-General [[Douglas Graham (British Army officer)|Douglas Graham]]), which had both suffered heavy losses. Both divisions were serving as part of Lieutenant-General [[Richard McCreery]]'s [[X Corps (United_Kingdom)|British X Corps]], which itself was fighting as part of Lieutenant General [[Mark W. Clark|Mark Clark]]'s [[United States Army North|U.S. Fifth Army]]. Many of the soldiers felt they had been deliberately misled.<ref>Saul, p. 88</ref>

Matters were made worse by the complete lack of organisation when they reached Salerno, leaving them angry and frustrated. About one thousand of the men, who were fresh recruits, were taken off to join new units, leaving 500 veterans, 300 of whom were billeted in a nearby field. They were still there by 20 September, refusing postings to unfamiliar units. They were addressed by Lieutenant-General McCreery, the [[General officer commanding|General Officer Commanding]] (GOC) of the British X Corps, who admitted that a mistake had been made, and promised that they would rejoin their old units once Salerno was secure. The men were also warned of the consequences of mutiny in wartime.<ref name=hansard>{{cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199900/cmhansrd/vo000322/halltext/00322h04.htm |title=Salerno Mutineers |publisher=Hansard|date=22 March 2000|accessdate=25 May 2022}}</ref>

Of the three hundred men in the field, 108 decided to follow orders, leaving a hard core of 192. They were all charged with mutiny under the Army Act. This was largest number of men accused of mutiny at any one time in all of [[Military history of the United Kingdom|British military history]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cabarfeidh.com/mutiny%20salerno.htm|title=The Salerno Mutiny of 1943|accessdate=2007-06-28|date=August 2003|work=History Magazine|publisher=BBC|first=Roy|last=Bainton|url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060904002439/http://www.cabarfeidh.com/mutiny%20salerno.htm|archivedate=September 4, 2022}}</ref> The accused were shipped to [[French Algeria]], where the [[court-martial|courts-martial]] opened towards the end of October. All were found guilty, and three [[sergeant]]s were sentenced to death. The sentences were subsequently commuted to 12 years of [[unfree labor|forced labour]] and eventually suspended.<ref name=hansard/> In the [[House of Commons]] debate held in March 2000 an official pardon was requested by [[Aberdeen South (UK Parliament constituency)|Aberdeen, South]] MP [[Anne Begg]] claiming that those indicted were not refusing to fight but merely requesting a promise by higher command. However [[John Spellar]] the then [[Minister for the Armed Forces]] denied this request by indicating that however unfair the order to proceed to combat in other units seems, the refusal to do so in war time situations constitute a grave crime not to be pardoned.<ref name=hansard/>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|last=David|first=Saul|title=Mutiny at Salerno: An Injustice Exposed|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|year=2005|pages=240 pages|isbn= 978-1-84486-019-7}}

{{coord missing|Italy}}
[[Category:World War II operations and battles of the Italian Campaign]]
[[Category:Mutinies]]
[[Category:1943 in Europe]]
[[Category:Military history of the United Kingdom during World War II]]
[[Category:Mutinies in World War II]]
[[Category:History of Salerno]]
[[Category:1943 in Italy]]

Salerno mutiny - Revision history

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