The 15th Army Group was activated in Algiers, North Africa,
on July 10th, 1943.

At the time of its activation, the group was commanded by
British General Sir Harold Alexander and consisted primarily
of the British Eighth Army and the Seventh U.S. Army.
Under another Task Force designation, the 15th Group had planned
for the invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky) which began
July 10th, 1943, the date the Group was activated. Elements of
the U.S. Seventh Army under General George Patton landed on
Sicily west of Licata while British Eighth Army troops under
General Sir Bernard Montgomery landed south of Syracuse. The
invasion of Sicily called for the first major allied amphibious
assault of the war as well as the largest Airborne operation to
that date.

August 17th Sicily was conquered; As part of the 15th Group,
the 5th Army (including assigned British elements) landed in
Italy at the Gulf of Salerno on September 9th, 1943, in the
first major invasion of the Continent by American Forces.
The British Eighth Army advanced along the Adriatic Ocean and the
two Armies met along the Volturno River. In January of 1944,
the 15th was redesignated as Headquarters Allied Central
Mediterranean Force and in March was again redesignated
Headquarters Allied Armies in Italy. In January of 1944, elements
of the Allied Armies attacked the Gustav Line which was anchored
at Cassino and also landed at Anzio. Constant attacks on enemy
positions caused the German Army to retreat and Rome was captured
on June 4th, 1944, the first Axis capital to fall to the Allies.


The original approval for the 15th Group patch
was accomplished on Orders 91 dated 5 May 1944 of the Allied
Armies in Italy when British General Alexander was commanding.
These orders describe the patch as "On a square Pompeian red,
edged with black, a shield with Mediterranean waves on a white
field." The same patch was approved for wear by the American
Forces on January 29th, 1945, except that the black outer edge
was deleted, the Pompeian red color suggests Italy where the
Headquarters was formed, and the shield represents the Allied
Forces while the waves suggest the Mediteranean Sea which
the Allies had to cross to reach Italy.

In April of 1945, a final attack was launched by the Allies
and the Po River was crossed. In quick order, seven major
Northern Italian cities fell, and the German Forces in Italy
surrendered on May 2nd, 1945. The 15th Army Group was officially
inactivated in July of 1945

the Group consisted of troops from six continents
and 14 nations.