Tanks of the 5th Army pass the Colosseum as cheering Romans welcome their liberators, 4 June 1944

Photograph, World War Two, Italy (1943-1945), 1944.

In May 1944 a general Allied offensive, during which 8th Army troops finally occupied Cassino, breached the 'Gustav Line' and pursued the retreating Germans northwards. On 23 May seven Allied divisions broke out from the Anzio beach head and on 4 June 1944 the 5th Army entered Rome.

From a collection of 650 photographs compiled by the Commando Association.