{"id":16314,"date":"2025-11-23T20:49:04","date_gmt":"2025-11-23T20:49:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/?page_id=16314"},"modified":"2026-04-01T19:23:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T19:23:36","slug":"38-irish-brigade-in-italy-march-1945","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/second-world-war\/38-irish-brigade-1942-1947\/monthly-reviews\/month-by-month-review-july-1943-to-may-1945-italy-austria\/38-irish-brigade-in-italy-march-1945\/","title":{"rendered":"38 (Irish) Brigade in Italy \u2013 March 1945"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
The Irish Brigade spent March 1945 both in and out of the line as the spring time warmth continued to dry the ground and the imminence of coming battle, perhaps the final one for the brigade, was clear to all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the first ten days of the month, the three battalions continued training with their prospective armoured support regiments but, on the 5th, the Faughs still had time to commemorate, in the appropriate manner, the 134th anniversary of Sergeant Masterson\u2019s historic battle exploits at Barrosa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the evening of the 10th, the brigade was called forward to relieve 56th (London) Division on the high floodbanks of the River Senio. The following two weeks saw a period of close contact with the German defenders, which was described by Brigadier Scott as being closely akin to what had occurred on the Western Front during the First World War. This period also saw raiding parties being sent into German positions, including one undertaken by the Irish Rifles on 22nd March, which took a number of prisoners with some of the newly captured being quite pleased to surrender to Irish hospitality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the 26th, the Irish Brigade were relieved by 11 Brigade and returned to Forli and, by agreement with the Divisional Commander, were now able to celebrate St Patrick\u2019s Day, along with the North Irish Horse and the 1st Battalion, London Irish Rifles. There was a massed troop of 72 Pipes and Drums on parade and V Corps\u2019 Commander, Major General Keightley, himself a former Inniskilling Dragoon, distributed shamrock alongside General Arbuthnott. The consequent additional celebrations of the day remained long in the memory until that same memory was dissipated later in the afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the end of March, the Irish Brigade started readying itself for its ultimate challenge as they faced northwards towards the promised lands of the River Po and the wide plains beyond\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One more \u2018D Day\u2019 loomed ahead and one thing was sure, the Irish Brigade would be completely ready for the challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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