TWO veterans who struck at the underbelly of the Axis in the Italian campaign recall their experiences.

Graham Tilt, of the King Shropshire Light Infantry, counts himself lucky not to have taken part in the desperate fight for the hill-top monastery of Monte Cassino in which his friend Ernie Rose, of Hartlebury, died.

Graham, 79, of Bewdley, went on to fight elsewhere in Italy but suffered shell-shock at the Battle of Lake Trasmimene and was taken to hospital in Naples.

He later worked as a top secret clerk for G-3 Intelligence under Field Marshall Alexander.

It was in Switzerland he observed a German general walk through his office on his way to negotiating the unconditional surrender of the Axis forces in Italy.

He also helped trace the families of the Polish Corps in their successful move to England at the end of the war.

Meanwhile, Stan King, of the Reconnaissance Corps, landed at Anzio in February 1942.

His first experience of war was to arrive in the harbour under enemy shellfire.

After scrambling to safety he was sent as a radio operator, dealing with messages from forward units, to B Squadron HQ.

There he experienced the "worst day of my life" as the Germans attempted to wipe out the beachhead the allies had established.

His sector came under heavy shelling as the Germans advanced. Stan could not see much of the battle, ensconced in the scout car, but he followed its progress from messages he received in his role.

Stan, 79, of Kidderminster, said: "As the day past the situation became desperate despite heavy artillery from the allies.

"On several occasions enemy shells landed nearby filling our vehicle with choking dust and fumes but we remained unscathed."

However, others were not so lucky and by late afternoon the order to withdraw was made and Stan saw the extensive destruction of the battle for the first time.

He eventually got back to base camp for a hot meal and tot of rum and slept despite enemy artillery pounding through the night.

Stan fought on through the heavy rain which mashed the ground into a sea of mud until the Allies broke out of the Anzio beachhead in May.