November 1942
The 2nd London Irish Rifles (2 LIR) and 6th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (6 Innisks) boarded two ships – HMT Duchess of York, and Nea Hellas – in Glasgow on 10th November and, accompanied by 38 (Irish) Brigade’s HQ team, set sail from the River Clyde estuary on 14th November. The third infantry battalion of the Irish Brigade, 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers (1 RIrF), would leave Liverpool bound for Algiers on 27th November.
All the brigade staff, 2 LIR and 6 Innisks arrived in Algiers on 22nd November, and the two rifle/fusilier battalions immediately marched 5 km to the south of the city, bivouacking at Bouraki before departing for Bougie at the end of the month.
2 LIR’s account of their journey from Glasgow to Algiers.
Read CQMS Edmund O’Sullivan’s accounts of the journey from Glasgow to North Africa by clicking here, and arrival in Algiers by clicking here.
As at November 1942 – 38 (Irish) Brigade staff roll:
Commanding Officer – Brigadier N Russell MC. Brigade Major – Major Douglas-Pennant.
SC- Captain DA Parker. Transport – Captain JP Nightingale.
REME – Captain JFS Griffin, REME. RASC – Captain RWS Plumley, RASC.
Intelligence Officer – Captain RLE Lowry.
Liaison Officers – Lt RD Room, Lt JF Hall, Lt TC Osborn.
Defence Platoon – Lt GH Carr.
Chaplains – Captain DA Stevens, C of E. Captain D Brislane, RC. Captain H Graydon, C Of E.
6 Inniskilling Fusiliers officers’ roll:
Commanding Officer – Lt-Col Macartney-Filgate. 2.i.c. – Major CHB Allen.
Adjutant – Captain J Norman. IO – Captain RML Carruthers.
QM – Captain RJ Carson. MTO – Lt EW Kendal.
MO – Captain RI Wilson.
Company Commanders – Major GF Maxwell, Major JAR Wise, Major SJ Bunch, Major KDH Rowlette, Captain KI Houston.
Lt DT Little, Captain RM Bayley, Captain TR Knaggs, Captain A Ferriss, Lt JN Andrews, Captain WAR Daly, Lt JJ McKenna, Lt AT Boyle, Lt DD Cassidy, Lt GD Hanna, Lt EBS Hewitt, Lt RG Page, Lt HG Buck, Lt LJ Burton, Lt FR George, Lt MH Hodson, Lt WA Duke, Lt ER Guiler, Lt CJ McKee, Lt E Spencer, Lt PLJ Le Poer-Power
1 Royal Irish Fusiliers officers’ and NCOs’ roll:
Battalion HQ.
Commanding Officer – Lt-Col TPD Scott. 2.i.c. – Major BH Butler.
Adjutant – Captain CPJD O’Farrell MC.
RSM J Keenan. QMS A Burnet.
Provost – Sgt F Smythe, Sgt L Finch, Ord Rm Sgt Clerk.
Intelligence – Captain CA Pierce, Sgt L Mitchell.
Medical – Captain WG C-Edwards, RASC, Sgt J Deering.
RC Chaplain – Rev E Scallon.
HQ Company.
OC – Captain RM Cunningham.
CSM C Walsh. CQMS E Brady.
No 1 Signals Platoon – Lt L Gallagher, Sgt J Duffy.
No 2 AA Platoon – Sgt G Brown.
No 3 Mortar Platoon – Lt RLG Wood, D/M C Goldrick, Sgt S Needham, Sgt A Cox, Sgt A Kerr.
No 4 Mortar Platoon – Captain JHA Monsell, Lt RCF Jefferies, Sgt E Cooper, Sgt W Cheyne, Sgt W McIntyre, Sgt G Davidson, Sgt C Pratt.
No 5 Pioneer Platoon – PSM D O’Brien, Sgt W Garrett.
QM – Lt E Maginess. RQMS W Goldrick.
Sgt C Haydon, REME, Armoury Sgt. Sgt A Parks, REME, Artillery Sgt.
Cooks – Sgt P Bunting, ACC, Sgt G McBrathey, ACC.
Motor Transport – Lt NW Bass, MTO. Sgt J Moorhead, MT Sgt. Sgt M Gibbs, Tech Sgt.
A/Tk Platoon – Sgt EL Gibbon, Sgt M McHugh.
A Company.
OC- Major PC Murphy. 2.i.c. – Lt PJ Bryan.
CSM J McCracken. CQMS T McKessick
No 7 Platoon – Lt PJ Slattery, Sgt J Mullen.
No 8 Platoon – Lt MG Trousdell, Sgt A Lancaster.
No 9 Platoon – Lt KM Hunting, Sgt P Keenan.
B Company.
OC – Captain JW Dunnill. 2.i.c. – Captain DR Le P Gethin.
CSM S Morrow. CQMS F Fincham.
No 10 Platoon – Lt PJ Brady, Sgt F Shannon.
No 11 Platoon – Lt DHW Jamieson, Sgt B Kibblewhite.
No 12 Platoon – Lt DB Moore, Sgt B Browne.
C Company.
OC – Captain DJL Gray. 2.i.c. – Captain B St Q Power.
CSM G Taylor. CQMS E Crowley.
No 13 Platoon – Lt MJ McDonald, Sgt L Steele.
No 14 Platoon – Lt JS Clarke, Sgt B Hannigan.
No 15 Platoon – Lt JJ Hill, Sgt M McDermott.
D Company.
OC – Major JH Coldwell-Horsfall. 2.i.c. – Captain HFW Holmes.
CSM L Wilson. CQMS D Bartlett.
No 16 Platoon – Lt DN Jefferies, Sgt F White.
No 17 Platoon – Lt DH Walsh, Sgt T Martin.
No 18 Platoon – Lt CF Sutcliffe, Sgt D Wheater.
Reinforcements (who did not embark with Bttn).
Captain JMO Bartstow. Lt FG Black. Lt CLT Tomkins. CSM J Carroll. CQMS G Green. Sgt J Smyth. Sgt T Charles. Lt J Ray. Lt NW Sutcliffe. CQMS J Meehan. Sgt J Robinson. Sgt M McBride. Sgt R Glenn.
2 London Irish Rifles Officers’ Roll:
Commanding Officer – Lt-Colonel JB Jeffreys. 2.i.c. – Major WD Swiney.
Adjutant – Captain TL Laister. Medical Officer – Captain LJ Samuels.
HQ Company :
OC – Major J McCann.
Transport Officer – Captain DW Conroy.
Carrier Platoon – Captain RG Cockburn. Quartermaster – Lt D Aitkenhead.
2nd Lt TWH Wilson, 2nd Lt K Neely, 2nd Lt FE Fletcher, 2nd Lt AG Lees, 2nd Lt BC Stigant.
E Company.
OC – Major CAF. Gibbs.
Captain JP Carrigan, Lt VC Joseph, Lt CJ Reidy, 2nd Lt HE Rawlings.
F Company.
OC – Captain SM Ekin.
2nd Lt VWL Pottinger, 2nd Lt JM McGranahan, 2nd Lt CE Kinch, Lt WFH Cooper.
G Company.
OC – Major BA Tebbit.
Captain J Grant, 2nd Lt EHE Beechey, 2nd Lt RT McKenna, 2nd Lt R Hardwick.
H Company.
OC – Captain JD Lofting.
Captain VJA Lillie-Costello, Lt A Cowdy, 2nd Lt W Bowker.
Key Dates:
10th November – 38 Brigade staff. 2 LIR and 6 Innisks board HMT Duchess of York and Nella Hellas at Greenock.
14th November – 38 Brigade staff, 2 LIR and 6 Innisks leave the River Clyde bound for North Africa.
22nd November – 2 LIR and 6 Innisks arrive in Algiers to join 1st Army.
27th November – 1 RIrF leave Liverpool bound for North Africa.
30th November – 2 LIR travel to Bougie.
November 1942 War Diaries: