From Longstop Hill to the Gothic Line

Coming in the autumn of 2026, From Longstop Hill to the Gothic Line is my fourth book on the Suffolk Regiment's part in the Tunisian and Italian campaigns; 1943-44.

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Technically, the book covers the history of 142nd Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps, which was formerly the 7th Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment, but throughout its existence, it felt itself wholeheartedly, an element of the Suffolk Regiment.

 

Formed in 1940, but converted to armoured troops at the end of 1941, 142 RAC, served with disctinction in an infantry support role. Fighting throughout with Churchill tanks, and latterly with Shermans, during the Tunisian Campaign they went into action a mere ten-days after their arrival on the battlefront. From the battles of 'The Peaks' which saw them edge within sight of 'Longstop Hill' before they were halted, to the actions on 'Banana Ridge' and at Gueriat el Atach, they were there to support the various battalions of infantry that required armoured assistance to obtain their objectives.

 

After a 'dead' period as a training unit in Tunisia, in May 1944 they arrived in Italy and fought with disctinction supporting their Canadian allies to break the 'Hitler Line' before Pontecorvo, and then moved into the hills to advance towards Florence. In the autumn of 1944, the broke the 'Gothic Line' before San Marino before ending their war north of Forli, where due to a manpower shortage on the Italian Front, they were disbanded in January 1945.

 

As with Fighting Through to Hitler's Germany and A Battalion in Burma, it contains previously unpublished first-hand accounts of the men of 142 RAC who served together with over 40 photographs; the majority of which have never been previously published. Highlights of their service are well-known, but the full story of the fighting war from their raising, to their disbandment has not been told in detail before.

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If you would like to pre-order a copy of the book, please click on the link below and please do visit my news page to follow its journey to print.