111 Ion Malise GOFF King's Regiment (Liverpool) Cdg. 2nd Bn. The London Irish Rifles: 15/05/1944

Remembering today

And the 11 other men from the Irish Rifles who were killed on the afternoon of 15th May 1944 awaiting orders to advance on Colle Monache and Casa Sinagoga.

Quis separabit.

Sgt Harold Henshaw

Rfn Patrick Flynn

CSM Frank Wakefield

Sgt William Roberts

Rfn Herbert Hutt

Rfn Francis Trotter

Cpl Robert Jackson

Lt Michael Clark MC

Cpl Christopher Dean

L/Cpl Thomas Spain

L/Cpl Raymond Harrison


GOFF, ION MALISE

Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Service No: 111
Date of Death: 15/05/1944
Age: 42
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool)

Cdg. 2nd Bn. The London Irish Rifles Royal Ulster Rifles
Awards: Mentioned in Despatches
Grave Reference XVI. A. 1.
Cemetery CASSINO WAR CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of Ewen Cameron Goff and of Ellen Clara Goff (nee Constable); husband of Dorothea June Goff (nee Taylor), of Kensington, Lond

 

Richard
Not only the men from 78th Div killed on that day but many others from 1st Cdn- 6th armoured - 4th Brit - 8th Indian as 8th army went through the Liri Valley

we should recall all of them

Cheers

 

Tom,

Thank you and you're quite right - we should and will indeed remember them all.

Sorry, I wasn't meant to be partial in my remembrance note- I named these 12 men as my father had been serving with them within 2 LIR. That afternoon, my father had been called over to help by Father Dan Kelleher when he was with Col Goff.

When I visited Cassino CWGC cemetery with him in 1997, the first time he had returned to the Liri Valley since 1944, I heard my father speak in detail about the events of May 15th 1944, and the days after.

I've now checked with the CWGC Data base and there were 354 reported Commonwealth forces deaths worldwide on this date in 1944 - 139 in Italy, 107 of which were men serving with the British Army, 10 with the Canadian forces, 3 with the New Zealanders, 18 with the Indian Army, and 1 serving with the South African forces.

During the period 11th to 31st May 1944, the CWGC report there were 3077 killed whilst serving with Commonwealth forces in Italy.

A snapshot but indicative of the difficulties of that period.

 

Richard-

No apologies needed as I know that Gerry Chester's NIH lost 30 Tanks and 35 KIA
when they wandered into a fancy new Tank killing ground- half an hour later 51st RTR
did exactly the same a mile away- but that might have been on the 18th May in support of 1st Cdn Div......life in those days was very difficult..and we can only give thanks that we survived

Cheers