London Irish Rifles

The London Irish Rifles (LIR) was a reserve infantry regiment and then company of the British Army.

[6] The 2nd battalion served on the Salonika front from December 1916 to June 1917 and then join the Egyptian Expeditionary Force for the advance to Jericho.

From the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 until late July 1942, the battalion was in training, mainly in southeast England.

In April 1943 the battalion, together with the rest of the 168th Brigade, was temporarily transferred to the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division and fought in the Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, in July/August.

The battalion, as part of the 168th Brigade, returned to the 56th Division in Italy in October, and took part in major actions during the Italian Campaign at Fosso Bottacetto south of Catania, Monte Camino, Monte Damiano, the Garagliano crossing during the first Battle of Monte Cassino and Aprilia (Anzio), and at the Gothic Line, and, transferring back to the 167th Brigade, the battalion played a leading role in the final Allied offensive in Northern Italy during April 1945.

[14] In the month that they spent fighting in the Anzio beachhead, the 1st Battalion's casualties totalled 600 officers and other ranks killed, wounded and missing.

[16] The London Irish Rifles moved from their historic home, Duke of York's Headquarters, Chelsea to Flodden Road, Camberwell in 2000.

[17][18] The regiment's battle honours were as follows:[3] As of 2014, the main memorial to the unit's dead in the world wars is now located in the drill hall at the Army Reserve Centre at Connaught House, 4 Flodden Road, Camberwell.

16th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers (London Irish), c1895
Cap badge variations between WW1 (Left) and WW2 (Right)
The Pipe Band of the London Irish Rifles on parade with their Irish Wolfhound mascot, near Royal Tunbridge Wells , Kent, 31 December 1940.
A casualty is brought back across the River Reno during operations by 'C' Company of the 1st Battalion, London Irish Rifles to establish a bridgehead across the river, 6 April 1945.
Infantrymen of the 2nd Battalion, London Irish Rifles move forward through barbed wire defences on their way to attack a German strongpoint on the southern bank of the River Senio, Italy, 22 March 1945.