Canicattì massacre

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The Canicattì slaughter was an incident that occurred in Canicattì, Italy following liberation by American forces. During the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, approximately eight unarmed Italian civilians were killed by U.S. troops under the command of General George Patton. The town of Canicattì had already surrendered when U.S. troops entered, following heavy German bombardment during their withdrawal.

Upon arrival, U.S. troops received a report that civilians were looting a bombed factory, filling up buckets with the factory's products - food and liquid soap. At around six o'clock in the evening Lieutenant Colonel McCaffrey and some military police arrived at the factory. McCaffrey fired into the crowd after it failed to disperse. At least eight civilians, including an eleven year old girl, were killed, though the exact number of casualties is uncertain.^[1]

A confidential inquiry was made, but McCaffrey was never charged with an offence relating to the incident. He died in 1954. This incident remained virtually unknown until Joseph S. Salemi of New York University, whose father witnessed it, publicised it.^[2]

[edit] References

Hirshson, Stanley P. (2003). General Patton. New York: HarperCollins, 378–9. ISBN 0-06-000983-7.
Caruso, Alfio (2004). Arrivano i nostri. Longanesi, 345. ISBN 88-304-2128-6.
Bartolone, Giovanni (2005). Le altre stragi. Le stragi alleate e tedesche nella Sicilia del 1943-1944, 2005, Tipografia Aiello & Provenzano, Bagheria (PA), Italy, 196.