 Having spent five years in Gibraltar with the 1st Gibraltar Brigade , the 2nd Battalion King 's departed in December 1943 with the 28th Infantry Brigade ( previously 1st Gibraltar Brigade ) to reinforce the 4th Infantry Division in Egypt . The battalion landed in Italy with the 4th when the division joined the campaign in March 1944 . On 11 May , the division conducted an opposed crossing of the Gari River during the final Fourth Battle of Monte Cassino . The 2nd King 's constituted , along with the 2nd Somersets , the main element of 28th Infantry Brigade 's initial assault . Behind schedule by 35 minutes and thus lacking artillery support , the battalion attempted to traverse the Gari under sustained mortar and artillery fire . Many boats capsized because of the strong current with resultant losses . The 4th Division collectively struggled to consolidate its bridgehead and minefields and a determined German defence inflicted casualties on the 2nd King 's and mortally wounded their commanding officer , Lieutenant Colonel Garmons @-@ Williams . Depleted and disorganised , the remnants withdrew from an untenable bridgehead on the 14th . The 2nd King 's by then had 72 men killed or missing and many wounded . After five months and four battles , Monte Cassino was captured on 18 May by the Polish II Corps and the Gustav Line broken . 
