Printed 'SECRET' and individually rubber-stamped with the number '181', on seven separate pages, of a very limited number of copies possibly just distributed to military, air and naval commanders and the members of the Cabinet of the British Government and their Senior advisers. Complete with three individual Parts - 'People and Administration', 'Economic Conditions', and 'Local Information and Who's Who' - and final Map Section. 46; 16; 77 printed pages. 16 folding maps: Sicily, Administrative, Communications, Palermo, Agrigento, Porto Empedocle, Catania, Messina, Siracusa, Caltnissetta, Enna, Ragusa, Trapani, Water Supply, Power Network, Sicily Gridded, Commodity. Published in advance of the massively simplified 'Soldier's Guide to Sicily'. Same publishing address as that given for the 'Albania Basic Handbook', August 1943 - the Foreign Office or the War Office.
325 x 205 mm. Original orange, blue, grey and green printed paper covers for the four respective sections. Bound with punched holes, and original treasury tags with metal ends. Covers edges slightly frayed and with marginal tears.
Extraordinary detail of every aspect of Sicilian life, administrative, communications, people of local importance, the Mafia, morale, local superstitons, number of times all locations bombed from the air right up to May 14th, 1943, and more. This work was possibly commissioned at the Casablanca conference, research to be finished by mid May and printed for the beginning of June.
Provenance: : acquired directly from the dispersal of the private library of Sir George Bishop C.B., O.B.E. (1913-99), the youngest ever Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Food 1945-9. During the war he ran the Emergency Services Division of the Ministry of Food which, along with the Women's Voluntary Service, was responsible for bringing food and refreshment to the victims of German bombing throughout the UK. The arrival of cups of tea and fresh bread did much for morale and a cup of hot sweet tea was the standard treatment for shock as advised by first aid manuals of the time. Bishop was greatly helped in the anticipation of the bombing raids and consequent food needs by the code breakers at Bletchley.
In January 1943, at the Casablanca Conference, a plan was agreed upon to invade Sicily by the Allies under the supreme command of General Eisenhower. Operation Husky was deemed operationable in April, when it was decided that the Canadian forces would join the assault. On 17 May, General Alexander, Eisenhower's deputy, issued his Operation Instruction No. 1 setting out the plan and intensifying bombing missions. In June General Fridolin Von Senger arrived in Sicily to command the Sicilian front and in the same month, Allied advance HQ for the invasion moved to underground rooms in Valletta, Malta. Secrecy was so important that Operation Barclay and Operation Mincemeat and others attempted to deceive the Axis powers into thinking that Operation Husky was going to be an invasion of Greece - where Rommel was sent in anticipation. On 9th July, the invasion began and five weeks later, after about 15,000 fatalities, the Axis troops, defeated, withdrew to mainland Italy. Operation Husky was one of the most critical turning points in World War ii, a strategic success, paving the way for the Italian Campaign and leading to Mussolini's downfall.
No copies found in WorldCat or Literary Hub worldwide.