'Inside the farmhouse', 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) leaguered at Gornalunga, Sicily, 1943

Photograph by Major Wilfred Herbert James Sale, 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), World War Two, Sicily, 1943.

Interior of a Siciian farmhouse occupied by British forces.

The term 'leaguer' derives from the Afrikaans word, 'laager'. The Boers in South Africa used it to describe the temporary defensive positions set up using their large ox wagons during trekking. The term was common amongst British armoured units which used a similar tactic to protect themselves during temporary stops.

Following the battle for the Primosole Bridge the war diary of the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) tracks the movement of the unit as it tried to repair tanks and prepare for German counterattacks. The entry for the 26 July to the 1 August 1943 refers to preventing 'the enemy crossing the river Gorna Lunga and penetrating East of the railway'.

From an album containing 241 photographs compiled by Major W H J Sale, MC, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), 1943-1944.