Army Commanders and a letter from the British Admiral Andrew Cunningham, the Commander in Chief of the western Mediterranean. During her time in the Mediterranean Princess Beatrix transported 15,700 men, including a large number of German and Italian POWs while sailing 12,000 miles. Invasion of Sicily Princess Beatrix was then attached to the ships of "Operation Husky", the invasion of Sicily. The ship was attached to Force B and sailed with convoy SBF-1. On board were men of the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division and a Special Forces group, which were to raid a beach codenamed Bark South. On 16 August 1943 Princess Beatrix participated in a joint Anglo-American landing at Cape Scarletta, code-named "Operation Blackcock" aimed at Messina. Operations off Italy After the Armistice with Italy was announced on 8 September 1943, Allied troops were rushed from north Africa to the Italian mainland and Princess Beatrix made a number of voyages between Brindisi and Taranto. In the following months she was based at Naples. On 29 December 1943 Princess Beatrix was involved in "Operation Partridge" - a raid at the mouth of the Garigliano River with troops of 9 Commando. During the Anzio landings on 22 January 1944 Princess Beatrix transported men of the 1st and 3rd Ranger Battalions. Princess Beatrix then sailed to Ferryville, Tunisia, at the end of the month to overhaul her engines. Operations off France After operating around Corsica, supporting occupation operations, Princess Beatrix sailed into the Adriatic Sea, and was the one of first ships to enter Ancona, after it was liberated. After a short stay at the east coast Princess Beatrix moved to the other side of the Italy, to transport French Special Forces on attacks on the French Mediterranean coast in "Operation Romeo". During the invasion of southern France in August 1944 Princess Beatrix was in convoy CR-1, landing French troops at between Hyères and Saint-Tropez. Princess Beatrix then sailed for the UK, arriving at the Clyde on 1 September 1944. In her two years in the Mediterranean she had sailed 42,755 miles and transported 26,142 men, including a large number of POWs, participated in eight landing operations with American, British and French troops aboard, without loss. Only one member of the crew was captured, but was promptly liberated, and returned to the ship eight days later. Indian Ocean Princess Beatrix operated for a time between the Clyde, Avonmouth and Liverpool before she