Abbey at Monte Casino

So...He went to grammar school. Your point?

FYI, it was founded...and named after...Christian Ernst.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Ernst,_Margrave_of_Brandenburg-Bayreuth

 

Yeah, I have done a bit of digging and can't find anything. Takao, I bet you had it right.

 

Kesselring was raised Lutheran, only converting to Catholicism to marry his bride-to-be Pauline "Liny" Anna Keyssler. They did honeymoon in Italy, which some historians point to as the beginning of Kesselring's fondness for Italian culture.

 

Really interested in this topic, for material my dad collected and which I'm veryfying and working on. From the troops' point of view the abbey must have looked like a huge boulder blocking the way to Rome, and I believe Freyberg was quoted saying that if they'd told him that "you gotta trust the Krauts and take orders from the Pope of Rome" he'd have stayed in the Pacific to fight the Japs. I imagine the troops were pretty much on his side, Does anybody have specs on what was used to bomb the site, and what bombs were used?

 

Von Senger was at Cassino too, I may have mixed up my material. From what I've gathered, and even seen confirmed in this forum, it was Kesselring who insisted on keeping the abbey free from militia in order not to make it a target. But I think you're right. Thank you, this is great for my project.