{"id":23695,"date":"2026-04-12T16:33:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T16:33:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/?page_id=23695"},"modified":"2026-04-13T20:32:49","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T20:32:49","slug":"sgt-george-guild","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/second-world-war\/sgt-george-guild\/","title":{"rendered":"Sgt. George Guild"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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We are pleased to be able to share a number of photographs from the collection of Sgt George Guild MM, who was a platoon sergeant with F Company in the 2nd Battalion, London Irish Rifles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Sgt Guild hailed from Arbroath, his Army Number suggests that he originally joined up with the Royal Berkshire Regiment. We are unsure when he transferred to 2 LIR but it seems clear that he fought in all the major battles on the Adriatic Coast during the autumn of 1943, and then at Cassino and Lake Trasimene in May\/June 1944. It was for his actions during the fighting to break through the Trasimene Line south of Florence that Sgt Guild was awarded the Military Medal and the citation for the MM underpins the bravery of the men of F Company, who were led at that time by Major Colin Gibbs MC:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSgt Guild commanded 10 Pl of F Coy on 21 Jun \u201944  when his platoon came under heavy MG fire from the western outskirts of Sanfatucchio and was pinned down. Sgt Guild ran forward under heavy fire and, from an exposed position, engaged the post with his rifle, silencing it. He then led a section round to a flank and knocked out another post which was holding up the platoon on his right. Later in the day his platoon had to advance on their objective while subjected to intense mortar and MG fire from their flanks with great skill and determination Sgt Guild seized his objective and held it in spite of repeated attempts to dislodge his platoon by mortar and constant small arms fire from his front.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The personal gallantry and determination of this NCO was a decisive factor in the success achieved by his platoon over difficult ground tenaciously defended by the enemy.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

George Guild\u2019s comrades clearly seem to have been very appreciable of his skills as a leader of men and fighting soldier as they passed onto him an abundance of photos of themselves as they were about to embark for Italy again in September 1944 \u2013 some with personal inscriptions, but not always with their own names. We have added a selection of these photos here but, unfortunately, we don\u2019t seem to have an easily identifiable photograph of \u201cJock\u201d Guild himself !<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But we do want to find out more about as the men in the photos\u2026 so all feedback comments would be welcomed<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Top row: i) \u201cTo my old friend Jock, from Paddy\u201d ii) \u201c7\/7\/44 \u2013 Sincere good wishes and the best of luck S Green.\u201d iii) \u201cFrank (Jesse) Janes\u201d. Bottom Row: iv) \u201cShoeshine Boy\u201d. v) Unknown. vi) \u201cC Packer\u201d. vii) \u201cPortrait of a Solder\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Top row: i) \u201cI am a very handsome young soldier. My sergeant says so. Paddy.\u201d ii) \u201cRome 7th July 1944, George Faizey.\u201d iii) Harrison M\/T.\u201d Bottom row: iv) \u201cSouvenir to my dear Sergeant, love Harold.\u201d v) To Jock from one of the lads in memory of some good and hard times spent together, Willie Maxwell.\u201d vi) \u201cTo Jock, we have spent many good times together, A McIlwaine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Top Row: i) \u201cIn memory of Sanfatucchio. D Mathews.\u201d ii)To Jock, with love and kisses, my dearest sergeant, Dennis Conroy. 7\/7\/44.\u201d iii) \u201cTo Jock, wishing all the best of luck, Eric. Italy 7\/7\/44.\u201d Bottom Row: iv) \u201cFrom one of the shower, to Jock from Peter. One of the London boys.\u201d v) \u201cTo Jock, with the best of luck from Smudger.\u201d vi) \u201cTo Sgt Guild with memories of the Trigno. From JR Langrish.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Top row: i) \u201cThis is my Sunday suit. Don\u2019t I look sweet. Best of luck, Sergeant. from James 9th July 1944.\u201d ii) \u201cYours sincerely, \u2018Hard Jack\u2019 Murphy\u201d. iii) \u201cTo Jock. Best wishes, Jerry.\u201d iv) \u201cL\/Cpl J Smith. Termoli, Cassino, Rome, Lake Trasimeno.\u201d Bottom Row: v) \u201cTo Jock, with best regards from Bill Letson, Tommy McKinley.\u201d vi) \u201cBest wishes and best luck, Fred.\u201d vii) \u201cT Whiteside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Top Row: i) \u201cFrank Janes killed in Oct\u2019 44. Monte Spaduro. 5th Army Front. Buried near Castel del Rio.2 ii) \u201cWishing you all the best of luck, Walter John Allpress.\u201d Bottom Row: iii) Unknown. iv) \u201cHamie.\u201d v) \u201cThe two spiffs.\u201d vi) To the Taranto memories, Jimmy 16\/7\/44.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Top Row: i) \u201cTo Jock, a good soldier. From Mac, a very good soldier.\u201d ii) \u201cHarry Smith, 12\/8\/44.\u201d iii) \u201cThe only Aberdonian in the Company. R Reid, 7\/7\/44.\u201d Bottom Row: iv) \u201c\u2018Operetta\u2019. Rome, July 1944. George Plummer \u2018Capire\u2019.\u201d v) \u201cC Birkett.\u201d vi) \u201cTo Jock, with best wishes J Crisp.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Top Row: i) \u201cto the platoon commander, from LJ Horsby.\u201d ii) To Sgt Guild with best wishes from A Taylor. Ismalia, Egypt, 1944.\u201d iii) \u201cIn memory of Mrs Big Bed and Mrs\u2026 Cpl Moore.\u201d Bottom Row: iv) FW Stelswood, Rome 7.7.44.\u201d v) To Jock Guild, with my best wishes from Ted Isaacs.\u201d vi) Unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Top Row: i) \u201cFrom a Paddy to a Jock, with best wishes, B Mannagh.\u201d ii) \u201cSincere good wishes and good luck from a lightning\u2026 Fred.\u201d iii) Unknown. Bottom Row: iv) \u201cTo Jock from Tom.\u201d v) \u201cItaly 1944. Souvenir to Jock from George.\u201d vi) \u201cBest runner F Coy had, Johnny.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Top Row: i) \u201cHills Snob.\u201d ii) \u201cBarrow Boy, Farrand. Bill Alex 9\/8\/44. My love Gee.\u201d iii) \u201cTo Sgt Jock Guild, A Thomson.\u201d Bottom Row: iv) RG Calves, 12th F Coy best Rfn.\u201d v) \u201cL Burlinson, Roma 7\/7\/44. The only Sunderland lad in the company.\u201d vi) \u201cF Stevens. 7\/7\/.44, Roma.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Top Row: i) Unknown. ii) \u201cTo Jock, with best wishes. T Gothard.\u201d iii) \u201cEgypt 1944, To Gee, L\/Sgt Francis. Bottom Row: iv) \u201cHoward.\u201d v) \u201cTo Jock, from Arthur.. Italy (Rome) 1944. vi) \u201cTic Tac Ledwich\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Top Row: i) \u201cGibson, Barrett, Harrison. Cairo 1944.\u201d ii) \u201cTo Gee Gee Guild. T Kutch. I am more beautiful that this photograph really shows. iii) \u201cUnknown.\u201d Bottom Row: iv) \u201cTook in Rome, 4-7-44. Robert Averell.\u201d v) \u201cSgt Ormerod.\u201d vi) \u201cBari, 1944. Best wishes Moo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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i) Unknown. ii) \u201cBest wishes.\u201d iii) Unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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i) \u201cDanny McCook.\u201d ii) \u201cHigdon.\u201d iii) \u201cTo Sgt Gee Gee. Verily we have had some moments exciting. Yea ever at Cassino. Signed Gin Victims. Remember Cairo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We are pleased to be able to share a number of photographs from the collection of Sgt George Guild MM, who was a platoon sergeant with F Company in the 2nd Battalion, London Irish Rifles. Although Sgt Guild hailed from Arbroath, his Army Number suggests that he originally joined up with the Royal Berkshire Regiment. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":155,"menu_order":39,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-23695","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23695","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\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23695"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23695\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23728,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23695\/revisions\/23728"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}