| Original caption: “Two captured German paratroopers carrying a British infantryman whose foot has been blown off.” Author and Historian 2nd Lieutenant Walter R. Trevelyan (July 6, 1923 – October 23, 2014) wrote that Private Mornington W. I. Sutton (September 29, 1915 – December 15, 1992), United Kingdom Royal Army 1st Battalion Green Howards, 15th Brigade, 5th Infantry Division, stepped on a mine. On May 23, 1944, Lieutenant Trevelyan’s platoon was pinned down by machine gun fire during Operation Wolf, an attack to keep 4.Fallschirmjäger Division from counterattacking the American breakout attempt to the East by crossing the Moletta River. While other British units secured a farmhouse, Trevelyan’s company was to clear machine gun nests. They gained Nazi German communication trenches and were ambushed by a “Spandau” – the British term for a MG42 machine gun. Under fire, he sent Sutton back to request tank support. After he stepped on a mine, he crawled back to warn the platoon of another machine gun nest. Trevelyan could she his shattered leg bone, but there was little blood. The platoon extricated itself and captured the Nazi German positions. Trevelyan claimed he bandaged the Fallschirmjäger Prisoner of War behind those carrying Sutton. The other men are with 7th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment. Sutton was brought to a casualty evacuation jeep for treatment in the rear. The Green Howards took heavy casualties at Anzio. Trevelyan, who was wounded twice, lost 14 of 20 men in his platoon by the time he was sent back when shell fragments ripped through his body in July 1944. Sutton was 1 of 6 officers and 149 other ranks from the Green Howards wounded during Operation Wolf. The Battalion lost 230 men at Anzio; Trevelyan suffered post-traumatic stress for years over watching his men die in combat. Sergeant John H. B. Radford (May 11, 1909 – February 24, 1992) was awarded the military medal for his photography in this action. As a member of Number 2 Army Film and Photo Unit, Radford accompanied the Green Howards in their attack and photographed the preparation and execution the attack, the capture of the Fallschrimjäger, and the evacuation of the wounded, as well as the killed in action where they lay. Sergeant Radford’s citation read: “In the first four days of the breakout from the Anzio beachhead this Sergeant displayed great personal courage and initiative in obtaining battle pictures. On May 23, 1944, he was with a forward company of the Green Howards, who made a diversionary attack over the Moletta River. The attack was met with very strong resistance and heavy artillery, mortar and small arms fire. The results of his work show great concentration on his task and a complete disregard for his own safety. The following day he made the journey through the unchecked Pontine Marshes for the Fifth Army join-up. Then he went up to Atena, taking many pictures of street fighting and Tank attacks through the streets. Again on the next day, he was the first cameraman into Carrocetto and the factory area taking pictures for two hours under heavy shelling and machine gun fire. Here again his work showed a willingness on his own to run the gravest risks to do his job well. Besides these four days, Sergeant Radford has shown great initiative and bravery for eighteen months being almost continuously occupied in battle photography. He has been in the first flight on five assault landings and he has never failed to show the greatest disregard for his personal safety in the performance of his task.” | |
| Image Filename | wwii2292.jpg |
| Image Size | 299.93 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 1712 x 1627 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | May 23, 1944 |
| Location | Moletta |
| City | Anzio |
| State or Province | Lazio |
| Country | Italy |
| Archive | Imperial War Museum |
| Record Number | NA 15295 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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