Vicki Sotvedt never met her great uncle, Peter McGowan, a Hastings and Prince Edward Island Regiment infantryman who fought up the Italian peninsula before being captured by German troops in 1944. McGowan was taken prisoner while trying to breach the Nazis' Gothic Line in northern Italy and was liberated near war's end at a POW camp in Germany. Letters he sent to his mother from captivity contained 'all the things when you didn't want your mother to worry about you,' said Sotvedt.
The Calgarian will join about 30 others in November 2026 to retrace the footsteps of relatives who fought and died in a campaign that was overshadowed by other efforts that led to the defeat of Nazi Germany. Organized by Valour Canada, the tour begins in Rome and follows paths taken by relatives from Sicily northward up the Italian mainland. Valour Canada works to raise historical awareness by connecting Canadians to their military heritage.
Personal Connections to the Italian Campaign
For Sotvedt, a historian and Valour Canada's historical interpreter, the tour is a chance to see the ground liberated not only by family members but by hundreds of other Canadian soldiers she has studied. Meticulous records kept by Canadian military units make it easier to trace these connections. 'It's not just about family members but it's really finding out about these individuals I've followed throughout my life, how those stories intertwined,' said Sotvedt, whose grandfather fought in northwest Europe in the war's closing phase.
Most emotional for her will be attending the Canadian war cemeteries. 'I'm more susceptible to those feelings because I understand what I'm looking at,' said Sotvedt, 31.
Remembering Sacrifices at Ortona
Brad Pierce, past chairman of Valour Canada, has his own family ties: his aunt Helen Pierce served as a nurse in Italy, and her eventual husband Frank served as a military policeman. 'His job was to make sure the soldiers behind the lines were under control in a country where there was lots of wine to drink,' said Pierce. 'She was a nurse who was shelled and faced significant danger while providing comfort and care.' The two married after the war but not before living through what, for Canadians, was the campaign's bloodiest battle, at Ortona on the Adriatic coast in December 1943. Within that city, more than 500 Canadian soldiers died battling German paratroopers.
Nearly 6,000 Canadians were killed in action in the Italian campaign from 1943 to 1945. Pierce said an earlier trip to Italy illustrated the high regard Italians hold for Canada's Second World War sacrifice. 'In Ortona, Canadians are treated not unlike they are in Holland … there's a gratitude toward Canadians,' said Pierce.
Honoring a 'Forgotten Campaign'
The Italian campaign is often called the 'forgotten campaign,' overshadowed by D-Day and the liberation of Western Europe. Yet the fighting was fierce, with Canadians playing a key role in breaking the Gothic Line and pushing German forces north. The tour aims to ensure these sacrifices are remembered. Mark Illing, director of Valour Canada, said the journey provides a tangible link to the past. 'By walking where their ancestors fought, participants gain a deeper appreciation for the courage and endurance of those who served,' he said.
The November 2026 tour will include visits to battlefields, cemeteries, and memorials, with historical interpretations by Sotvedt. It offers a chance for descendants to connect with their family history and honor the legacy of Canada's wartime contributions.
