The memoirs and biographies of famous performers are an important source for my research into entertainment during the Second World War, however, using these in isolation can be problematic. I’m not going to say they’re deliberately written to be misleading, but there is a tendency for performers to boost their own reputations with exciting stories, particularly if those anecdotes give a positive impression of the part they played during the war. Biographers are often happy to repeat these stories, knowing that a ripping yarn sells books and it is not always in their interest to cross-referencing potentially apocryphal stories. George Formby and his involvement in the invasion of mainland Europe in September 1943 is a great example.
As one of the highest paid entertainers in Britain in the 1940s, Formby donated a lot of his time to entertaining the troops at a very low rate through ENSA or for ‘nowt. He was very popular with the troops with one private in the Durham Light Infantry saying he was like ‘one of the lads’ when he played in Taormina, Sicily.[1] Despite the admirable war-work, Formby’s publicity machine was very much in high gear through the period, ruthlessly driven by his wife, Beryl. That publicity machine was focused on keeping him in the headlines during the war but also making sure that he had work lined up after the end of hostilities. But did Formby really take part in Operation Baytown on 3rd September 1943?
David Bret’s biography, The George Formby Story, is a great read and full of anecdotes about the star; however, some of them demand more careful analysis. The claim that Formby was the first performer to land on mainland Europe is corroborated by a number of other sources like letters, newspaper articles, and oral histories from troops who note their surprise to see the ukelele player in Reggio in September 1943. Bret describes this episode as Beryl wanting to get to Italy before Geacie Fields, bribed a fisherman to take them across from Sicily to the mainland. Once on the beach in Reggio Formby is said to have performed to 5,000 troops. The tale continues with the Formby's catching up with General Montgomery and Eighth Army just south of Naples, where they joined him for a dinner of bully beef.
Cross referencing this excellent after dinner story with other sources raises some important questions, however. Gracie Fields did not arrive in Sicily until 20th September 1943, after Formby had left the region and so would she have been behind this drive to get to Italy? It seems unlikely that Formby played to a brigade concentration of troops on the beaches at Reggio within minutes of landing. Such a large concentration would surely have invited unwelcome attention from enemy aircraft. And eating bully beef with Monty just outside Naples at a time when General Clark was holding on to the bridgehead at Salerno by his fingernails seems even more unlikely. I would love to be proven wrong.
The Imperial War Museum does have photographic evidence that Formby played to General Montgomery at his HQ. Although the photographs do not include a date or location (other than 8th Army HQ), we can see from the collection that Major Geoffrey Keating took a series of photos around the time of Operation Baytown in Reggio between 3 and 10th September 1943.
Furthermore there are syndicated newspaper articles in the British Press dated 13th September confirming that, “George Formby with Troops in Italy” and claiming he said it was his “Proudest Moment”.[3]
Using other sources, such as handwritten diaries of ENSA officers and testimony of soldiers, we know that about a week after the fighting in Sicily finished at the end of August 1943, Formby, his wife, Beryl, and his own personal ukulele man journeyed from North Africa in a planned tour of the island. He was scheduled to play to several thousand tired men of the 51st Highland Division in Sicily around 9th September who had been promised a star ENSA show. Meanwhile, whilst in Taormina, Sicily, Formby (or more likely, wife, Beryl) saw an opportunity to be the first British performer to nip across the Straits of Messina and play on mainland Europe, and if it happened to gain valuable headline space at home, so much the better.
In Virginia Vernon’s handwritten diary of September 1943, she relays the story told by Lt. Brennan, an Army Welfare Service officer who had been accompanying Formby on his tour of Sicily. On the 8th September, Lt Brennan requested permission from Col. Richard for the Formby’s to travel to mainland Italy, and was told ‘No!’. The Formby’s were informed of this decision, but not ones to be discouraged by a Colonel, dined with a Brigadier, who gave them written permission to travel to Reggio from Taormina and also provided a liaison officer to arrange transport for them.[4] It seems that on the 9th September, the Formby party managed to get across the Straits of Messina - almost a week after Operation Baytown. The method of travel is unclear, but if they were accompanied by a liaison officer, it seems unlikely that Beryl would have had to bribe a fishing boat.[5] A Royal Navy Beach Master shares how he was surprised to see the star comedian arrive at How Green beach at Reggio. Later that day, George Formby provided an impromptu show in the bandstand of Reggia’s town centre.[6]
Vernon’s diary entry continues and explains that once the troops knew of the Formby’s arrival in Reggio, the liaison officer delivered a letter from G2 TAC Army H.Q. saying that 8th Army Commander would like George to perform at his HQ, followed by lunch. Here is a photo of General Montgomery meeting the Formby’s, presumably after this event near Reggio.
Whilst welcomed by the troops, the presence of one of Britain’s most famous stars, his wife, and ukulele man was an annoyance for some of the military authorities. On the 23rd September, Virginia Vernon, who had been touring Sicily with Gracie Fields spoke to officers of the 51st Division at Taormina and writes of the “deplorable impression” made by the Formby’s visit and how let down the troops felt. When challenged about leaving Sicily before playing to the men, one of the officers reported that Formby had said, ‘I can’t be bothered with them now, I’ve got to go to Italy.’[7]
No disrespect to David Bret, the story of Formby and Operation Baytown is typical of the many examples I’ve read in biographies of wartime performers. George Formby did a wonderful job maintaining morale overseas and at home. Drilling down into the detail of these wartime claims can be very revealing, however; fact is often stranger than fiction. This example suggests the uneasy relationship that existed between civilian and military authorities and the inability of ENSA to control big stars, like George Formby from going off script.
If you think Generals have big egos, meet the show-business entertainers!
[1] William Knowles, IWM 16725 Reel 38, https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80016189.
[2] David Bret, The George Formby Story (Amazon, 2022), p. 200.
[3] ‘George Formby with Troops in Italy’, Dundee Evening Telegraph, 13 September 1943, p. 1.
[4] ‘Documents.7473: Virginia Vernon Diaries’, Documents.7473: Virginia Vernon Diaries.
[5] Andrew Merriman, Greasepaint and Cordite: The Story of ENSA and Concert Party Entertainment during the Second World War (Aurum, 2012), p. 123; Richard Fawkes, Fighting for a Laugh: Entertaining the British and American Armed Forces, 1939-1946 (Macdonald and Jane’s, 1978), p. 141.
[6] ‘Ray Merrett’s Wartime Stories’ <https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/49/a9002549.shtml>.
[7] Virginia Vernon, ‘Virginia Vernon Private Papers’ (Austin, Texas), Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin.