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Documents Relating to New Zealand's Participation in the Second World War 1939–45: Volume II
336 — General Freyberg to the Minister of Defence
336
General Freyberg to the Minister of Defence
The Division has now completed its task here and we are being relieved today by the 5th Canadian Division. We go to an area inland from Ancona for about a month's rest.
In the operations here the Division has fought most doggedly in very difficult country.1 Both infantry brigades have carried out a series of successful attacks across rivers and canals, and the 4th Armoured Brigade despite soft and difficult going has exploited forward and made considerable gains. In our last attack, on the morning of 18 October, the 6th Infantry Brigade crossed the Pisciatello River, bridges were put over, and the 4th Armoured Brigade passed through. Since then the enemy has been forced back to the Savio River.
While in the next area I will have an announcement made concerning the replacement scheme. I then propose to visit Egypt to see Base establishments and discuss training and various problems of replacement drafts and drafts of long-service personnel in transit.
1 New Zealand casualties from 11 Apr – 26 Oct 1944 were:
| Killed | 486 |
| Died of wounds | 151 |
| Died on active service (includes deaths through sickness, accident, &c.) | 80 |
| Missing | 1 |
| Wounded | 2364 |
| Prisoners of war (includes 12 wounded and prisoners of war and 1 died of wounds while prisoner of war) | 57 |
| Total | 3139 |