{"id":145,"date":"2017-12-12T06:55:38","date_gmt":"2017-12-12T06:55:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/?page_id=145"},"modified":"2026-06-20T14:36:55","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T14:36:55","slug":"regimental-history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/regimental-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Regimental History"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The London Irish Rifles was formed in December 1859 and at that time was known as the 28th Middlesex (London Irish) Rifle Volunteer Corps. Numbered among the ranks of its first members were the Marquesses of Donegall and Conyngham, the Earls of Arran and Belmore, and also former Prime Minster, Lord Palmerston, who, at the age of 76, joined as a private soldier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Full History – 1859 to 2022<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Major Battle Periods<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Over the course of its long and illustrious history, the London Irish Rifles has gained 66 battle honours, during the Boer War and both World Wars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Boer War<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
First World War<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Second World War<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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“South Africa 1900-02”<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Great War:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

“Festubert, 1915” “Loos<\/strong>“<\/a> “Somme, 1916,’18<\/strong>“<\/a> “Flers-Courcelette”<\/a> “Morval” “Le Transloy” “Messines, 1917<\/strong>” “Ypres, 1917<\/strong>“<\/a> “Langemarck, 1917” “Cambrai, 1917<\/strong>“<\/a> “St Quentin” “Bapaume, 1918” “Ancre, 1918” “Albert, 1918”<\/a> “Pursuit to Mons” “France and Flanders, 1915-18<\/strong>” “Doiran, 1917<\/strong>” “Macedonia, 1916-17” “Gaza<\/strong>” “El Mughar” “Nebi Samwil” “Jerusalem<\/strong>” “Jericho” “Jordan” “Palestine, 1917-18<\/strong>“<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Second World War:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

“Bou Arada<\/strong>“<\/a> “El Hadjeba” “Stuka Farm”<\/a> “Heidous”<\/a> “North Africa, 1942-43<\/strong>” “Lentini” “Simeto Bridgehead”<\/a> “Adrano” “Centuripe”<\/a> “Salso Crossing” “Simeto Crossing” “Malletto” “Pursuit to Messina” “Sicily, 1943<\/strong>” “Termoli”<\/a> “Trigno”<\/a> “Sangro<\/strong>“<\/a> “Fossacesia” “Teano” “Monte Camino”<\/a> “Calabritto” “Garigliano Crossing<\/strong>“<\/a> “Damiano” “Anzio<\/strong>“<\/a> “Carroceto” “Cassino II<\/strong>” “Casa Sinagoga”<\/a> “Liri Valley” “Trasimene Line” “Sanfatucchio”<\/a> “Coriano”<\/a> “Croce” “Senio Floodbank” “Rimini Line<\/strong>” “Ceriano Ridge” “Monte Spaduro”<\/a> “Monte Grande” “Valli di Comacchio”<\/a> “Argenta Gap<\/strong>“<\/a> “Italy, 1943-45<\/strong>“.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Roll of Honour<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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WE WILL REMEMBER THEM<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The Early Years<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

‘Victorian and the Veldt’<\/strong>, written by Anthony Maher, covers the first 50 years of the Regiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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First World War<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

From March 1915 to November 1918, two Battalions of the London Irish Rifles gained 25 Battle Honours in actions across northern France, Belgium, Greece, and in the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Second World War<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

From November 1942 to May 1945, two Battalions of the London Irish Rifles gained 40 battle honours in actions throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Sicily and peninsular Italy before taking part in post war peace keeping duties in northern Italy and southern Austria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Origination of the Caubeen<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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The London Irish Rifles was formed in December 1859 and at that time was known as the 28th Middlesex (London Irish) Rifle Volunteer Corps. Numbered among the ranks of its first members were the Marquesses of Donegall and Conyngham, the Earls of Arran and Belmore, and also former Prime Minster, Lord Palmerston, who, at the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-145","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=145"}],"version-history":[{"count":133,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/145\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25734,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/145\/revisions\/25734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}