80 years is a whole life. Sometimes people are blessed with such an age and healthy memory that they will still recall what happened 80 years ago. In this case, one who participated could remember the historical events, battles, and personal memories on May 18th about the fight for Monte Cassino in Italy.
Monte Cassino is a small Italian town located between the Apennine Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. Its strategic position made it crucial during World War II as it was situated along the only direct route to Rome and the north of Italy. This location led us to discuss this topic here in Nepal, as we travel back to 1944 - the final phase of the Second World War in Europe.
Nazi Germany's generals knew that defending Monte Cassino would severely slow down the advance of the United Allied Forces. They invested all their resources into fortifying this area, blocking roads and railways, making it impossible for the armored divisions of the Allied armies to progress towards Rome. American, British, Canadian, and Polish forces attacked repeatedly since January 1944 on the ground while thousands of tons of bombs were dropped on the site and its defending German elite forces - paratroopers, mountain brigades, and artillery units.
The battlefield was a nightmare for all involved, with both sides creating hell on earth for each other. Today, it is hard to imagine what transpired here during that time as the Mediterranean environment around Cassino remains peaceful. The Commonwealth War Cemetery of Cassino serves as a stark reminder of the immense losses suffered by people from various countries and nations fighting against Nazi Germany.
The cemetery groups graves into nations to make it easier for relatives to find their loved ones' final resting place among the endless lines. Merely Australians, British, Canadians, New Zealanders and South Africans are buried here, but not only. Closest to the all scenery overlooking mountain of Mt. Cassion with its mighty monastery are lines of graves whose tombstones show unfamiliar letters for the European visitors: Sanskrit writing. Among those buried here are Nepalese soldiers, known as Gurkhas, who fought valiantly within the British Army during this battle. The 9th Gurkha Rifles, an elite unit, took a key hill site in the middle of the battle and held it for ten days without any support reaching them. They later skillfully circumnavigated the German defense lines and broke through them in surprise attacks.
Nearly 100 Gurkha soldiers are buried in the Commonwealth War Cemetery of Cassino, Italy. Others were killed but never retrieved and their graves remain somewhere in the battleground hills around the town. Two crossed Kukris proudly mark each thombstone on the top. Many more were wounded in combat and partially died months later due to their injuries. The Gurkhas contributed proudly to what the army expected from them - success in fighting and opening a route to the north, to Rome, to Nazi Germany.
Although the men from Nepal did not know all about the political situation at that time, they had enlisted into the British forces and were called to duty without hesitation. This decision helped end racism endorsed by Nazi-Germany, which in its theory would also not have given people from Nepal a right to live freely on earth.
Tragically, many young soldiers like Sama Jit Rai, who was just 17 years old when he died during the battle of Mt. Cassino, could not take part as now proud 97-year-old veterans in ceremonies commemorating May 18th - 80 years after their battle. They were unable to live a peaceful life after the war, have families, and fulfill their dreams.
Let us remember the fallen Gurkhas of the Battle of Monte Cassino on this occasion. Their names shall be recalled as we pay our respects to those who gave their lives for freedom and peace. This tribute comes from a nation - Germany - whose soldiers were once the enemies of the 9th Gurkha Rifles from Nepal. However, the decades that have passed since then have allowed our two nations to live in peace and friendship today, sharing the same values for democracy and peace while respecting each other's history.
Guntram Meier works with the German Embassy in Kathmandu