Town Plan of Palermo—GSGS Secret WW2 British military occupation map. June 1943
£720
SKU
'Town Plan of Palermo—G.S.,G.S. No. 4379, Second Edition'
An official British military town plan of Palermo, issued in 1943, offered together with the original front cover of the Sicily Zone Handbook, prominently marked “Secret”, numbered 181 and dated June 1943—just one month before the Allied invasion of the island. Both items were produced in direct preparation for Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily launched in July 1943. The large-scale town plan was compiled from an Italian base map of 1937 and revised using air photography and intelligence reports up to 1942. Issued by the Geographical Section, General Staff, and published by the War Office, it presents Palermo in exceptional operational detail, with buildings of particular importance to an occupying military administration clearly identified. Port and industrial areas, factories, railways, government buildings, barracks, prisons, hospitals, utilities, and key administrative sites are all shown and named, reflecting the map’s intended tactical and administrative use. The map and Map Section Cover were both originally part of the Sicily Zone Handbook—documentation issued to selected senior officers in the final days before the landings. Offered together, the map and handbook cover constitute a coherent and historically powerful artefact group from one of the Second World War’s decisive Mediterranean operations, providing insight into the intelligence gathering, planning, and administrative preparation underpinning the Allied invasion and subsequent occupation of Sicily.
Size 65 x 49 cm | 25.5 x 19.5 inches
Date Published: 1943
Type: Antique Second World War British military occupation and administration planning map. Accompanied by Sicily Zone Handbook Map Section Cover page marked "Secret", dated June 1943 and numbered 181
Author: War Office
Publication: Sicily Zone Handbook
Condition: Good |
Delivery & Returns
Packing
Items smaller than A4 size are usually packed in a stiffened, board-backed envelope. Larger items are rolled and packed in postal tubes. Large items which are too stiff to be rolled in wide-diameter tubes are mailed in all-board envelopes. In the unlikely event of damage in transit, please send the affected item or items back to us and we will provide a replacement or refund.
Delivery
Economy, tracked and express shipping options are available to all destinations worldwide. Over half our orders are sent to customers outside the United Kingdom and we have supplied over 30,000 buyers in over 70 different countries. We ship orders virtually every business day to customers in North America and Europe. The cost of delivery depends on the size of the largest item in your order, where you are located, and the delivery method that you choose at checkout. For orders received before 2pm, we can arrange delivery next day in the UK, within 2 business days to continental Europe and North America, and within 4 days to most other countries worldwide (excludes PO Box or APO/FPO (Military) addresses).
Returns
We accept returns for any reason if sent back to us within 14 days of receipt of your order. If any of your items are not as described, we will provide a full refund including reasonable return postage costs upon safe return to us. If you have changed your mind, you are responsible for the cost of returning the item to us. We describe the size, age and condition of all our products as fully and accurately as possible. Most of the items which we sell are in very good condition. However, the condition of antique and vintage prints and maps can vary. All of our product listings including a statement which classifies the condition as being either “Good”, “Fair”, or (rarely) “Poor” and which describes any material flaws, blemishes, imperfections or other significant features such as folds. Please read the description carefully before purchase.
Can we help? For more details or any questions.