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Category Archives: Second World War
The London Irish Rifles in Piedimonte
During the recent Association visit to Sicily, we were delighted to receive a copy of a new book outlining the story of Piedimonte Etneo during the Second World War written by our friend Dr Felice Vitale. The book, which has been privately published, relates the background to the events of August and September 1943 when […]
Rifleman Louis Jeffrey
We are pleased to receive a note and some photographs from Chris Jeffrey with information about his father Louis, who served with the 1st Battalion in the UK, Middle East and Italy during the Second World War. Rifleman Jeffrey first joined up with the London Irish Rifles in May 1938 and was finally demobbed in […]
Sergeant Pat Sweeney, 1st Battalion
We’ve received some tremendously evocative photographs from David Sweeney, the son of Sergeant Pat Sweeney, who served with the 1st Battalion London Irish Rifles throughout the Second World War. David told us that his father, who was born in 1912 in Galway, joined the London Irish before the war when, at the time, Pat lived with […]
Lance Corporal John Gregory DCM
We have been contacted by Glenn Russell, the son-in-law of L/Cpl John Gregory, who served with the 2nd Battalion London Irish Rifles in Tunisia and Italy and where he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. John Gregory, known as Jack to his family, was born on 18th May 1922 and lived and died in Bromley, Kent […]
Rifleman George Hurdley with the 2nd Battalion, 1939-45.
We have received a note and some great photos from the son of Rifleman George William Hurdley, who served with the 2nd Battalion from 1939 to 1945. In his note to us Tony Hurdley said: “My father’s number was 7014849, and he enlisted on 27th April 1939 and was then called to the colours at […]
Memorial Plaque Unveiling in Piedimonte Etneo.
The Regimental Association was honoured to attend a Commemorative event in the town of Piedimonte Etneo on the north eastern slopes of Mt Etna that took place on the exact 75th anniversary of the date when men of the 1st Battalion, London Irish Rifles entered the town in early September 1943. The Chairman, Major Peter […]
The 38th (Irish) Brigade in the Second World War
To mark the 75th anniversaries of the London Irish Rifles’ remarkable fighting role during the Second World War, Association members, Richard and Edmund O’Sullivan, have commenced a project to film the route that their father, CQMS Edmund (“Rosie”) O’Sullivan followed with the 2nd Battalion London Irish Rifles all the way from Algiers to Austria. The […]
Lieutenant Terence Barry 1921 – 1943
We have just been contacted by Association Member Greg Barry, who has passed us some further information about his uncle, Lieutenant Terence Barry, who died on 5th December 1943, while serving in Italy with the 1st Battalion, London Irish Rifles. Terence Barry was born on 6 June 1921, the second son of Patrick Barry, an […]
Piper Alfred Jeffrey 1923-2018
We have received notification of the recent death of Piper Alfred (‘Jeff’) Jeffrey who lived in Perth, Western Australia. Piper Jeffrey served with the 2nd Battalion in Italy and Austria from 1943 to 1946 and an excerpt of his memoirs were published in a recent Emerald. You can read a full version of Alfred’s memoirs […]
Alfred Cook’s Photographs from 1942/43
Many thanks to Sergeant Alfred Cook for sharing these photos that were taken while he was serving with 1st Battalion, London Irish Rifles during 1942 and 1943 in Iraq and Egypt. Read more about Alfred here.