Second World War History of the Irish Guards

irish guards wearing gasmasks advance through smoke tommy guns @ ready, nooks head near woking in surrey, 8 july 1940.

in 1941 2nd battalion, irish guards reorganised armoured regiment, joining newly formed guards armoured division. holding battalion raised same year, later becoming 3rd irish guards. in 1943, 3rd battalion, irish guards joined guards armoured division infantry battalion.

in 1944 2nd , 3rd irish guards took part in normandy campaign. irish guards, part of guards armoured division, took part in operation goodwood (18–20 july). division s objective cagny, vimont , surrounding area. during 18 july 1944, near cagny, lieutenant (later sir) john gorman of 2nd battalion, irish guards in sherman tank when confronted far superior german tiger ii or king tiger . gorman s tank fired 1 shot @ tiger ii, shot bounced off thick armour. sherman s gun jammed before second shot fired, , gorman gave order ram tiger ii beginning turn massive 88mm gun on tank. sherman smashed tiger ii, collision disabling both tanks. crews of both tanks bailed out. lieutenant gorman, once had seen crew safety, returned scene in commandeered sherman firefly , destroyed king tiger. awarded military cross actions, while driver own crew, lance-corporal james baron, won military medal.

a sherman tank , infantry of irish guards advance along road near st martin-des-besaces, 1 august 1944.

the irish guards involved in further action day. cagny, devastated heavy bombing, liberated on 19 july. irish guards saw action in mont pincon area. on 29 august 3rd irish guards crossed seine , began advance belgium rest of guards armoured division towards brussels.

the irish guards part of ground force of operation market garden, market being airborne assault , garden ground attack. irish guards group commanded lieutenant-colonel joe vandeleur. irish guards led xxx corps in advance towards arnhem, objective of british 1st airborne division, furthest xxx corps start line.

irish guards sherman tanks advance past destroyed ones in initial stage of operation market garden on 17 september 1944.

the corps crossed belgian-dutch border, advancing neerpelt on 17 september met heavy resistance german forces prepared anti-tank weapons. of tanks in initial troops hit , destroyed. result, advance slower planned. corps camped @ valkenswaard. on 18th reconnaissance units of guards armoured division made contact u.s. 101st airborne division had liberated eindhoven, rest of corps reaching city later day. corps camped outside son while royal engineers built bailey bridge on wilhelmina canal corps advance nijmegen. bridge completed on 19th.

later day guards division, led irish guards, reached nijmegen u.s. 82nd airborne division located. advance had halted, 82nd had not taken bridge intended due heavy german resistance. bridge captured on evening of 20th. on 21st, british 1st airborne division @ arnhem, heavily outnumbered , outgunned, had surrender after many days fighting saw true heroism , courage. xxx corps had been hour bridge @ arnhem had wait arrival of 43rd (wessex) infantry division. further fighting took place until 25th.

the irish guards in netherlands until allied advance germany, seeing heavy action during rhineland campaign. on 21 april 1945, @ village of wistedt in northern germany, guardsman edward charlton of 2nd battalion, irish guards, co-driver of tank during capture of village small force of irish guards. germans attempted retake village numerically superior forces, consisting of officer cadets under command of experienced instructor officers 2 or 3 self-propelled guns. 3 of 4 tanks of irish guards force knocked out, while fourth (charlton s) disabled complete electrical failure before action started. when tank disabled, guardsman charlton ordered dismount turret 0.50 browning machine gun , support infantry, in danger of being overrun germans.

charlton took machine gun disabled tank , advanced in full view of attacking germans, firing , inflicting heavy casualties on them, halting lead company , allowing rest of guards reorganise , retire. charlton, despite having 1 arm shattered, continued firing until collapsed further wound , loss of blood. courageous , selfless disregard own safety helped of irish guards escape capture. later died of wounds had received , awarded posthumous victoria cross, last vc of european theatre, , last, far, of irish guards. unusually, of citation award of vc based on german accounts of fight of later actions not witnessed guards officers or surviving non-commissioned officers.

north africa , italy

in march 1943 1st battalion, irish guards, had been based in united kingdom since return norway in april 1940, landed, rest of 24th guards brigade, in tunisia, fight in final stages of campaign in north africa. battalion fought in medjez plain area, seeing heavy action @ djebel bou aoukaz, or bou . part of area taken on 27 april , further fighting continued several days irish guards suffering heavy casualties.

during action on 28 march, lance-corporal john patrick kenneally of 1st battalion, irish guards charged down forward slope of ridge on company positioned, attacking main body of german company preparing assault ridge. fired bren lmg advanced, causing surprise , confusion germans broke in disorder , retreated. lance-corporal returned position unharmed.

sherman tanks of 46th (liverpool welsh) royal tank regiment in support of men of 1st battalion, irish guards, anzio, italy, 25 january 1944.

on 30 april lance-corporal kenneally repeated brave actions when, accompanied sergeant of reconnaissance corps, charged enemy again forming assault same ridge. both men charged germans, inflicting heavy casualties on germans resulted in rout of german force. 2 men began return position did so, kenneally hit in thigh. however, continued fight, refusing relinquish bren gun or leave position. despite wound fought rest of day , actions awarded victoria cross, regiment s first of war.

sixty hand-picked men of irish guards part of 14,000 strong british contingent took part in victory parade in capital tunis on 20 may 1943. in december of year 1st battalion, irish guards, rest of brigade, reached italian front.

the battalion took part in anzio landings (codenamed operation shingle) on 22 january 1944 , saw action @ carroceto repulsed several german attacks. battalion took part in attack on campoleone, experienced heavy casualties. german counterattack launched several days later. battalion inflicted heavy casualties on germans, surrounded following day little support against german armour, , forced fight way through allied lines, suffering many casualties in process.

a few further actions took place battalion s companies but, april, battalion severely depleted in manpower , returned uk, remain duration of war training battalion.