Posts Tagged ‘Irish Brigade’
Centuripe 1943 – an eyewitness account
The celebrated attacks by 78th Infantry Division, which included the Irish Brigade, on the Sicilian mountain top town of Centuripe on 2nd August 1943, was recently remembered by Salvatore Biondi, an eight year old at the time and who had a clear view of what happened that day. “My family was sheltering in caves in…
Read MoreRifleman Michael Foley- Irish veteran who died fighting in Italy
Michael Foley in 1942 We have been recently contacted by the family of 7010933 Rifleman Michael Foley who served with the 2nd Battalion London Irish Rifles (2 LIR) in Italy. He was married to Annie and came from Killann, County Wexford. According to the CWGC records, when he died on 11 January 1945, Michael Foley…
Read MoreThe Irish Brigade’s epic attack at Centuripe
Cliffs on the southern edge of Centuripe viewed from the south The attacks by 78th Division on Centuripe were initially thwarted but the Divisional Commander, General Evelegh, now called the Irish Brigade forward to continue the assault. While 2 LIR laid on a preliminary attack on three flanking hills to the west of Centuripe, the Faughs…
Read MoreAfter carnage around Etna, the Irish Brigade found heaven on Sicily’s beaches
A Sicilian beach 2014 Following the end of fighting, the Irish Brigade spent two weeks encamped between Randazzo and Maletto in an area which had been dubbed ‘Mortar Corner’, but by the month end, they had been able to travel to the sea front and spent time near Patti on Sicily’s north coast. The next…
Read MoreScarifice and honour celebrated at Sicily’s CWGC Cemeteries
111 men from the Irish Brigade were killed during the Sicilian campaign during August 1943, with the vast majority of these men, 101, buried at Catania, three are at Syracuse and two in Tripoli where they had been evacuated. There are five other men commemorated at Cassino and named there on the Memorial Panels. During…
Read MoreIrish Brigade advance to Randazzo in August 1943
The area near to Maletto today From the 6 – 11 August, the Irish Brigade were able to take a much needed rest after advancing 25 miles and fighting three battles over the preceding five days. Other units of the 78th Division now took up the advance through the towns of Aderno and Bronte. On…
Read MoreRemembering Rifleman James Murtagh MM
Catania CWGC Cemetery In July/August 1943, two battalions of the London Irish Rifles were in action in Sicily, their 1st Battalion (1 LIR) with the 50th (Northumbria) Division fighting along the east coast of the island and the 2nd Battalion (2 LIR) with the Irish Brigade on the west side of Mount Etna. During the…
Read MorePrince Harry at Cassino ceremony 2014
A party of London Irishmen and Royal Fusiliers attended a British Service of Remembrance to Commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Italian Campaign, which was held at Cassino CWGC Cemetery on 19th May 2014. In attendance was His Royal Highness, Prince Henry (Harry) of Wales and government officials from Commonwealth nations whose men served in…
Read MoreO Group in the Liri Valley and the death of Colonel Goff in May 1944
A group of London Irishmen recently re-traced the movements of 2 LIR to the exact point where they had concentrated on the afternoon of 15th May 1944 as they prepared for an attack against German forces along the Gustav Line. At about 2pm that day, an artillery strike hit the battalion’s ‘O’ Group that was…
Read MorePreparing for the storm at Monte Trocchio in May 1944
Monte Trocchio, at over 400 metres, proved an excellent viewing platform for the Allies in early 1944 after it had been first occupied by American forward units in the middle of January. During the Cassino campaign, it was used by Air Force spotters, nicknamed ‘Rover David’, that were able to call up sorties when requested…
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