Posts Tagged ‘Mervyn Davies’
The London Irish Rifleman who walked to freedom
January and February of 1945 were among the coldest winter months recorded in Europe in the entire 20th century. In Silesia, then part of the Third Reich but now in Poland, temperatures fell to 25 degrees centigrade below freezing. These were the conditions that faced Prisoners of War (POWs) at the Stalag VIII camp near…
Read MoreLondon Irish Rifles at Spinello – 23rd October 1944
After several abortive attempts to make a breakthrough at Monte Spaduro, on 23rd October 1944, the 2nd Battalion, London Irish Rifles (2 LIR), were ordered to assault and occupy the strongpoint of Casa Spinello, which was a key position on the approach to the Spaduro ridge. During the afternoon, a patrol from E Company, led…
Read MoreMajor Sir Mervyn Davies, 1918 – 2015
Lieutenant (David Herbert) Mervyn Davies joined the 2nd Battalion, London Irish Rifles (2 LIR) at Guelma in Algeria as a (Temporary) Captain on 14th June 1943, while the Battalion was resting after their exertions over the previous six months in Tunisia and about to embark on a round of renewed training in preparation for the…
Read MoreVisit to Casa Sinagoga in the Liri valley
Following the review of the area where 2 LIR had held their ‘O’ Group on the afternoon of 15th May 1944, the London Irish Rifles group followed the line of attack for the battalion on the morning of 16th May. After the death of their Commanding Officer, Ion Goff, the previous day, there was some…
Read MoreMervyn Davies remembers
Sir Mervyn Davies, a retired High Court judge, spoke this week about his experiences during the period 1943 to 1945 as a company commander with 2 London Irish Rifles (2 LIR). Sir Mervyn, who lives with his wife Zita in Lincoln’s Inn in central London, served with the battalion in Tunisia, Sicily and mainland Italy…
Read More