British Army (London Irish Rifles)
London Irish Rifles; D company, 1st Battalion
Members of D company advance on enemy units. (Reenactors from wargroup in action during the Duncannon 2011 Festival weekend).
THE LONDON IRISH RIFLES
The rise in Irish emigration during the 19th century led to the creation of irish communities within the major cities of both England and Scotland. In 1860 a wave of patriotic enthusiasm led to the creation of Volunteer Rifle regiments throughout the land and the Irish communities were as eager as anyone to do their bit. In 1859 a formation called "The Corps of Irish Gentlemen-At Arms" was created in London and in March of the following year they became the 28th Middlesex (London Irish) Volunteer Rifle Corps. Among some of its earliest members were prominent London irish men such as War correspondent William Russell, Lord Palmerston, Novelist Samuel Lover and the Marques of Donegal (He would become its first commandant). In 1880 it was re-designated the 16th Middlesex (London irish) and during the Boer War provided a contingent for the "City of London Imperial Volunteers" and a service company for the 2nd Bn Royal Irish Rifles. In 1908 it became part of the territorial force within the 18th Bn of the London Rgt (London Irish Rifles).
During WW1 they formed 3 Bn's and they were attached to the 141st Bde of the 47th (2nd London) Division. The 1/18th seeing action at the battles of Festubert, Loos, The Somme, Messines and Cambrai while the 2/18 fought at Vimy Ridge before being sent to Palestine via Salonika. In all the Regiment suffered 1,016 kia with 2,644 wia.
In 1937 the Londoners were redesignated as part of the Royal Ulster Rifles and at the outbreak of war in 1939 formed 2 Bn's. The 1st Bn saw action with the 56th London Div (The Black Cats) in Iraq, Tunisia, Sicily and Italy, most famously during the fighting at Anzio. The 2nd Bn served with the 38th Irish Bde in Tunisia and then with the 78th Div in Italy where it fought at Cassino. During WW2 the London irish suffered over 700 kia.
In 1993 they became D (London Irish Rifles) Coy of the reformed London Regiment.
R.A.O'Brien. 10/2/2010
ABOVE: THE REAL DEAL; D Coy 1st Bn London Irish Rifles During General Montgomery's inspection, Ashford, Kent 1941.
D Company and Anzio
Anzio, formerly Antium birth place of Nero, was chosen as the site for a seaborne assault that would, it was believed, force the Germans to abandon the Gustav line in order to defend Rome. The London irish along with the rest of the 168th Brigade landed on the 3rd of february 1944 and the following day were ordered to the front to relieve a Regiment of the Reconnaissance Corps near the village of Aprilia, 9 klms north of Anzio. This small farming village would eventually become known to history as the "Factory". The London irish dug in around Aprilia with D company setting up near a road junction North of the village and B Company on the right. C Company took up position between them and A Company set up on the left flank. The Battalion also had mortars, vickers machine guns and anti-tank guns in support.
At 05.00 on the 7th the enemy struck in force and both D and B Coy's were forced to use bayonets and grenades to defend their positions throughout the day. As night approached the enemy began moving tanks into the fray and Major McMahon-Mahon twice asked to pull his men back to positions closer to the rest of the Battalion. Both requests were turned down. There would be no ground given to the enemy. On the 8th D Company's foreward platoon was overrun by an enemy assault and by the early hours of the following morning the German's threw everything into another attack, this time on all sides of D Company's positions. The attackers were from the crack 1st parachute Corps and with the aid of tanks soon overran the last defenders. With the loss of D Company the remaining men of the 1st Battalion clung on to survival by the skin of their teeth, eventually being relieved on the night of the 10th.
By the end of the month rienforcements were arriving and D Company was reformed. They were soon back in the thick of the fighting when ordered to re-take positions formerly held by the royal Fusiliers. The attack went in under murderous fire from German machine gun positions and by nightfall only 14 men were still standing. Captain Bonham-Carter, an old hand with the battalion, took command of D Company and with more new faces in the ranks resumed the attack on the 3rd of march. The Captain took out one machine gun position single handedly before being cut down himself. The remaining riflemen pushed on and eventually took the position at the point of the bayonet, killing over 30 of the enemy and capturing 30 more aswell as freeing 15 surviving Fusiliers from the first engagment. D Company suffered 55 casualties out of the original 75 Officers and men that had started the attack.
During their 6 weeks at Anzio the 1st Battalion of the London Irish Rifles had lost 32 officers and 550 other ranks, killed, wounded or missing. Only 12 officers and 300 other ranks remained.
R.A.O'Brien, 13/2/2010
ABOVE: Men of the 1st Battalion the London Irish Rifles arrive in Anzio on the 3/2/44
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