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- They Shall Not Grow Old – 1 London Irish Rifles
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- Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers – “The Skins”
- At Rest in Rome and Egypt
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- Raid on Casa Tamagnin
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- The Beginning of a New Phase
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- Senio Floodbanks
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- Visitors to the Irish Brigade
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- The Po and the End of the War
- Northern Italy
- Into Austria – Settling Frontiers
- Balkan Troubles
- Postscript
- Irish Brigade Awards: May 1944 to March 1945
- Irish Brigade Awards: April to July 1945.
- December 1942
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- 38 (Irish) Brigade – November 1942
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- 38 (Irish) Brigade – June 1943
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- 38 (Irish) Brigade – May 1944
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- Officers’ Roll : Nov 1942 to Dec 1943
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- Point 286, Tunisia – Jan 1943 by Lt-Col Jeffreys
- Lieutenant Nick Mosley at Monte Spaduro
- The Skins in Sicily
- Percy Hamilton – On Route to Africa
- Percy Hamilton – To The Front
- Percy Hamilton – Djebel Mahdi
- Percy Hamilton – Tanngoucha
- Percy Hamilton – Advance To Tunis
- Percy Hamilton – Guelma/Hammamet
- Percy Hamilton – Arriving in Sicily
- Percy Hamilton – From Centuripe To Randazzo
- Percy Hamilton – To Mainland Italy
- Percy Hamilton – Termoli
- Percy Hamilton – Crossing the Trigno River
- Percy Hamilton – Assault on San Salvo
- Thursday 4th November 1943 (1)
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- Saturday 6th November 1943
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- Friday 25th November 1943
- Monday 28th November 1943
- Captain David Schayek – March/April 1943
- Colin Gunner at Argenta
- Ted O’Sullivan joins the London Irish Rifles
- Day 2
- The making of Rosie
- Training at Wimbledon
- Invasion alerts
- From Lowestoft to Haverfordwest
- Onto Goodwood
- Joining the Irish Brigade
- Operation Dryshod and ready for War
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- Stormy Mediterranean crossings
- The Sicilian campaign
- From Termoli to the Trigno
- Crossing the Sangro River
- Interlude at Campbobasso
- Meeting the new OC
- German raid at Montenero
- In clear sight of Vesuvius
- Defensive positions at San Angelo
- Ascending Monte Castellone
- The Liri Valley
- North of Rome
- Back to Rome and onto Egypt
- Hospitalised in Alexandria
- Out of the Line
- Back to the London Irish at last
- Resting in Forli
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- The Atomic Sergeant Major
- RQMS Edmund O’Sullivan goes home
- Irish Brigade at Termoli, October 1943
- Termoli. 5/6 October 1943
- Campaign Narrative
- Unit Accounts – 11 Brigade
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How the Irish Brigade crossed the Salso in 1943
Following the capture of Centuripe, the Irish Brigade pressed forward but were hampered by craters in the road down to the Salso river. Due to these delays, plans were made to attack across the river on the afternoon of 4th August and, despite some opposition, a bridgehead was secured by 430pm.
The view northwards from Centuripe towards the Salso and Simeto rivers.
Nelson Russell recalled the advance:
“There was no delay after the capture of Centuripe. The Royal Irish Fusiliers were through the town.. and by daylight their carriers were feeling down towards the river shortly there after. The whole battalion was in contact with the enemy and concentrated in the vicinity of the river by midday.
The remainder of the brigade was assembled and in contact by early evening.
This quick follow up pays a good dividend. The Bosche is often on the wrong foot. In this particular instance, an exposed and open approach to the river was free from enemy interference until after midday. But it requires fit troops to follow up quickly after 36 hours fighting and hill climbing in difficult country. The following were the chief problems in this river crossing:
– In addition to 100 feet of the bridge being blown; there was a bad crater at 667928, which was a 12 hour job.
– No material could reach the river until this crater was fixed, and although he bulldozers were up quickly, it was impossible to work them by daylight, in full view of the enemy, and under heavy shell and mortar fire.
– Part of the Artillery had to be stepped up to support an infantry crossing.
The attack went in at 1500hrs…The Artillery support was effective; the barrage, which commenced on the escarpment being most accurate, and by 1630hrs, the bridgehead was secure, with the Royal Irish Fusiliers on the right and the London Irish Rifles on the left.
The Royal Irish Fusiliers met a certain amount of opposition, and a good many stubborn MG 34s and sniper posts had to be eliminated. The LIR had a pretty free run through.”
The Salso river today – with very little water flowing.
Although the Skins had not been involved in the crossing of the Salso river, Lieutenant Percy Hamilton recalled what happened when he moved up with 6 Innisks.
“During the morning, I went to a stream about 200 yards in front of Bttn HQ to have a wash and shave. The place was among large trees, and the way there was through an orange grove so Jerry could not see me. I hung my shirt and vest on a tree and got a biscuit tin full of water from the stream and started washing. I hear him drop half a dozen mortar bombs a few hundred yards away, but we were used to that and I didn’t worry, then he dropped a lot round me and covered my back with dirt as I lay on my face in a hollow in the ground. I decided the place was a bit hot so I gathered up my things and beat it for Bttn HQ. He dropped another lot in the same place, but I was clear by them and didn’t worry.
I passed a group of lads in their trench and one of them pointed out that my shirt was on fire; there was fire pouring from the collar, which must have caught a piece of hot shrapnel, when it hanging on the bush. It was the only one I had, so I wore it with a hole burnt in the collar. I also lost my identity discs in the schemozzle and didn’t get another set for ages. I have never worn any since.”
Area north of the Salso river.
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