2nd Armoured Battalion, Irish Guards

I've decided to start a separate thread for the Armoured battalion, rather than continue on from this thread. I think there's a substantial enough distance in both time and role to allow for this. As and when the need arose, personnel moved between various battalions anyway, so it isn't quite so important to keep the information all in the one thread.

With the resurrection of the Guards Armoured Division, the 2nd Battalion was converted from an infantry to an armoured role and this thread will concentrate on the latter.

 

The window in the Church of St. Gertrude, Landen, Belgium, presented by members of the 2nd Battalion Irish Guards to their friends at Landen.

From the IG Journal, 1969



Courtesy of L. Regemortels, photos from 2010





From the IG Journal, 1967

THE CHURCH OF ST. GERTRUDE.
By Colonel R.S. Langton, M.V.O., M.C.

It may be recalled that in 1963 a party of the Association visited the 1st Battalion then stationed in Germany. During the stay we visited the town of Landen in Belgium which has sting ties with the Regiment from the last war. On inspecting the window presented to the Church of St. Gertrude by the 2nd Battalion, to replace one shattered by a flying bomb, we found that the list of Irish Guardsmen who subscribed could not be found and there was little to show concerning the reason for the Regimental connection.

I therefore arranged for a decently bound book to be inscribed with a short historical note in French, a roll of Officers and Guardsmen of the 2nd Battalion, many of whom subscribed to the window, an obituary of those who were subsequently killed in the war and, as far as could be ascertained, those who have died since. The inscription was done in Gothic Script by Lance Sergeant Cooker and the French translation by Captain de Remusat, to both of whom I am most grateful. There follow pages for visitors signatures.

Readers will wonder why this had taken so long to appear in the Journal - I can only plead lack of opportunity but mostly, I fear, just idleness. Realising the omission, I felt it was not really too late to remind those who are interested in this Regimental connection. The people of Landen were delighted with the 1963 visit (short though it was) and are, I know, well pleased with the book. There are, I am sure, many who travel through Belgium, and a short detour outside Brussels on the way to Maastricht or Namur will bring you to the Church of St. Gertrude in Landen. You will we warmly welcomed by those hospitable people who are so very pro-Mick. Please do not forget to sign the book.

The following are translations of the Inscription and Historical Note contained in the book:

"From the Irish Guards to the Church of St. Gertrude in Landen, Belgium. In memory of our stay 1944/1945 and of the hospitality of the people of Landen."


"The Second (Armoured) and Third Battalions of the Irish Guards, part of the Guards Armoured Division, moved to the Landen area of Belgium from the Geleen/Sittard area in Holland, on 20th December, 1944, as part of the hurried precautions to counter the German thrust through the Ardennes. The Second (Armoured) Battalion was billeted in Landen itself with the Third Battalion in and around Attenhoven. The Battalions remained throughout January and this was the first time that either had had a proper breathing space since the landing in Normandy.

It was a bitterly cold period and, for the people of Landen, food was terribly scarce and fuel almost non-existent. Nevertheless the utmost hospitality and friendship was shown by everyone and many lasting friendships sprang up.

On 5th February the Battalions moved off to Tilburg to prepare for the next offensive. During the remaining months of the war Landen was often visited by the Guardsmen who were always assured of a hearty welcome.

Immediately after the war the idea was born in what had then become the Second Battalion (no longer armoured) to present a new stained glass window to the Church in Landen to replace one shattered by a flying bomb. The scheme was subscribed to by many Irish Guardsmen and the work carried out in Belgium.

The window depicts the Patron Saints of the Irish Guards and of Landen, St. Patrick and St. Gertrude; a Sherman Tank arriving in Landen and finally the bells of the Church being removed by the Germans in 1943 for munitions.
In May, 1963, a party from the Irish Guards Association and from the First Battalion stationed in Germany, visited Landen and received the usual hospitable welcome. It was decided that the list of subscribers to the window should be recorded in a proper book together with a history of the window.

This then is the result and it is hoped that many Irish Guardsmen and others will visit the Church and the window and record their visit on the following pages for visitors signatures."

 

Cheers Wills.


Thanks go to Alan a contact of mine who a couple of years ago shared with me me his list of vehicles which were used by 2nd Armoured IG.

The basis of this is the pre-embarkation list which can be found in their War Diary for May 1944. Kevin T, Alan and others have added information found elsewhere to improve upon this.

There is a sequential gap in the numbering on the original list, so some pages might be missing from the war diary - but a veteran of the battalion suggested that gaps were left for vehicles which had not yet been delivered but were expected - or even put on an unofficial wish list.

It gives a good indication of the make-up of each Troop and Squadron as well as what armour etc they had before Normandy. Of course, this data changed throughout the course of the campaign with tanks and crew being replaced.

Thanks to KevinT for permission for this to be placed on the forum.


Ardnacrush is listed as M4A4, Sherman Mk V, Serial T147470, No. 2 Troop, 1 Squadron.
The crew were noted as of May '44 as:
233957 Lt MH Chaine-Nickson - Tp Offr 1 Sqn/2 Tp
2719910 LCpl Unwin R - D/Op
2720535 Gdsm Swallow F - D/Op
2719127 Gdsm Clarke T - G mech
2722184 Gdsm McDermott H - D/mech

 

I bow to your knowledge! Digressing just a tad the picture directly behind the The Commanding Officer 2SG in his office at Chelsea Barracks was this - (Not Sherman)


View attachment 51067

3rd Bn SG Fighting through the Bocage led in this instant by Lieutenant Robert Runcie MC (lately Archbishop of Canterbury)

Thanks Wills
I just know where to look for stuff.

Robert Runcie's MC, just after Willie Whitelaw's in the SG thread ...
http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/396497-post86.html

 

Kevin,

The list was passed on to me to continue with the IG research alone but I made sure to state in the above post that Al had worked with others on it. I simply added his name to the title to ensure that his contribution to myself was acknowledged and to highlight the fact that I did not claim the work that was enclosed as my own.

I hope that you realise that i did not intend to usurp your part in the compilation. Had I known about you being on the forum, I would have checked with you before posting.

Regards
Diane

edit, list now re-posted

 

Thanks Kevin that's great.
Pleased to have this excellent resource up again and available for others to see.

 

Hi Brennan,
It is indeed a fantastic resource.

Have you applied for a copy of your uncle's service records yet? Do you have a photo of him that you'd care to post here?

Photo of his headstone on my site, courtesy of another forum member
ST. CHARLES DE PERCY WAR CEMETERY, FRANCE
and of Chaine-Nickson's courtesy of an ex-Mick who took it upon himself to visit as many IG graves in NWE as possible - hence the poppy cross.
ranville war cemetery, france

More or less the same as the accounts in the history, from 2Armd Bn, IG War Diary,

27 July 1944:
Our first shelling in this area came down. Very unfortunately Lt. M.H. CHAINE-NICKSON was killed by a splinter in the chest. He was a competent and cheerful always, much liked by officers and Gdsm alike. He will be missed greatly.

The funeral of Lt. M.H. CHAINE-NICKSON took place. He was buried just by the roadside, and his troop collected bunches of flowers to lay as wreathes on his grave. The rest of the day passed quietly - except for the nightly Air-Raid, which “brewed up” 5 GRENADIER trucks nearby. The Division reverted to 8 CORPS.

4 August 1944:
The Bn broke harbour and moved out to nearby the same positions as they had occupied the day before: No. 3 forward towards the main road by LE BUSQ, No. 2 behind them and facing E and E, No. 1 along the road from LA MARVINDIERE towards pt 187 facing E and N in what was thought to be reserve. The enemy was infiltrating pat our left flank to MONTCHAMP where heavy fighting was going on against 32 Bde, so while No. 3 Sqn’s front was quiet, some Panzer Grenadiers and A Tk guns began worrying No. 2 Sqn. Major J.W.R. MADDEN’s tk wa hit twice through the gear box but luckily no-one was hurt and Lt. J.V.D. TAYLOR’s spent most of the morning shooting little men who persisted in stalking his tk with sticky bombs and Bazookas. Finally he had to dismount his co-driver with a Browning to make them keep their proper distance. Lt. D.B. LIDDLE on the left of No. 3 Sqn also had a satisfactory shoot. He found 6 Pz Grenadiers digging in some 100 yds away behind a hedge, so lining up his tp, let them have 5 rounds HE rapid from each tk. No more digging was done.

A F2 Echelon had been unable to replenish yesterday, supplies for tonight would have to come up in ‘A’ Echelon’s vehs. The C.L. of 11 Armd Div was lent to us as being safer than our won and after a reconnaissance had reported it clear. ‘A’ Echelon started on its way. The journey was peaceful as far as pt 218, but as the column turned S down and towards CAVIGNAUX 7137 it was fixed on by tks in the area pt 181 (239) and the leading scout car and lorry knocked out. The remainder could do nothing but return to pt 218 and wait until the area was cleaned properly. Meanwhile the enemy started withdrawing from MONTCHAMP towards LE BUSQ, unfortunately for them they did not know we were in the way.

Lt. J.K. MAGUIRE on the extreme E of No. 1 Sqn reported movement on the road N of him. Soon after an enemy scout on foot came into view and was promptly shot. Capt. E.G. TYLER who had taken over command of the Sqn from Major N.A.R. O’NEILL for the day, pushed two tps, Sjt BRENNAN’s and Lt. J.C.F. KEATINGE’s of Lt. J.K. MAGUIRE’s to face E and the gap between No. 1 Sqn and No. 2 Sqn was closed by No. 3 Sqn Armd Recce WG. The other tp of No. 1 Sqn, Lt. M.A. CALLENDER’s was deployed by the houses of LA MARVINDIERE watching N & W.

Enemy tks were heard moving to N & E and suddenly both Sjt BRENNAN’ and Lt. KEATINGE’s tks were knocked out by a PANTHER some 500 yds to NE of them. Lt. KEATINGE being mortally wounded and Sjt BRENNAN killed. Sqn HQ moved up to strengthen the threatened flank and an exchanged of fire ensued, without damage to either side. Lt. M.A. CALLENDER’s tp then came under fire from N an again Sqn HQ moved to the dangerous area. One of our tks was knocked out, and through hits were claimed on an enemy TIGER, later examination found no “dead” bulk. A tp of No. 2 Sqn now faced round NORTH and joined in the battle at long range. Sjt MURRAY’s FIREFLY scored hit at long range on a TIGER, but was itself hit 6 times. The crew did not bale out until the 4th hole was made in the hull. Lt. J.K. MAGUIRE then reported Infantry moving S to the EAST of his position. No. 3 Sqn 2 WG gave them some minutes MG fire and no more movement was seen in that area. Enemy “Spandau Squads” began to infiltrate into the orchards E and N of us. One Squad had the misfortune to choose as its “nest” a house previously mined by REs and Capt E.G. TYLER in the words of the Signal Log “Enemy goes into house - house goes up”.

Some shelling of the road and No. 1 Sqn’s area started. The Fitters ½ track was hit, L/Cpl MORRELL killed and some trucks set on fire. A Mk IV then came down the road from N, spotted Lt. MAGUIRE’s tk in the hedge and knocked it out, killing Lt. MAGUIRE before it itself was hit by our guns. This Mk IV was found “brewed up” next day and identified as belonging to 9 S Pz Regt. Fairly heavy mortaring then added to our discomfort: and some casualties were caused to 5 COLDM GDS and ourselves. An unlucky salvo landed just outside the RAP wounding many including the Adjutant, Capt A.C. CRICHTON, and Lt. D.F. GOODBODY. The highest praise is due to the MO Capt. H.A. RIPMAN and his staff who continued to treat casualties quite undismayed by the enemy.

The evacuation of casualties had by now become a serious problem. 50 wounded, some of them in urgent need of further treatment, had accumulated in the RAP which was under continued fire. 6 lorries, therefore, were unloaded marked with Red and White crosses and the wounded lifted on board. Previous warning had been given to CCP of 29 Armd Bde to expect the convoy and they had ambulances and beds ready. The convoy then drove slowly down the road under command of Major G.A.M. VANDELEUR who was helped by Lt. J. FERGUSSON-CUNNINGHAME, a LO from 5 GDS ARMD BDE. The enemy did not fire, but for a few bullets at the last lorry. The road from CANIGNAUX to LA MARVINDIERE was not guarded by Lt. M.A. CALLENDER’s Troop and 1 Troop SP A Tk Guns lent by 29 Armd Bde and seemed fairly free from enemy interference, except for an odd shell. The Commanding Officer, therefore, decided to bring in ‘A’ Echelon before nightfall, and the lorries were ordered to “Run the Gauntlet” one by one; which order they carried out cheerfully at top speed. No lorry was lost though some very accurate shelling came down on he corners of the road. During this shelling, Major LORD WILLOUGHBY d’ERESBY who was unfortunately run over by one of our tanks while sheltering in the ditch. His feet were badly crushed and he had to be evacuated next morning. We miss his company greatly as he had trained with us for two years and been in all our battles.

The day ended quietly enough as we went into close league. The fighting had been long, difficult and costly. The enemy clearly had bumped us by accident but with his better guns and advantage in ground could do us more damage than we could do to him. His infantry, however, had had a very uncomfortable afternoon, though subsequent search did not reveal more than 10 of his dead. The only tank knocked out was the Mk IV already mentioned.

The Bn lost 4 tanks KO and several casualties including 2 officers Lt. J.K. MAGUIRE and Lt. J.C.F. KEATINGE killed.

 

Kieron many thanks for your comments but especially for sharing those photos here.

I dont have my stuff to hand at the moment but will check my paperwork later and see what I can add.

My notes state that your uncle was listed in the Army Casualty list in The Times as having Died of Wounds on 4th Sept. This is also confirmed by "DW" on his original grave marker, something that isn't recorded on the permanent headstones. So I need to find a reference to either him or the crew from before that date. Give me a day to find the files and sort out what I can.

Have anyone in your family applied to IG RHQ for a copy of Joseph's service records?
Regards
Diane

 

2721391 Lance-Sergeant F ROBINSON G/Mech - Survived
2722622 Guardsman H. POOLEY G/Mech - Survived
2723239 Guardsman J. CAIN, G/Op - Survived
2719959 Guardsman W. PAWLEY - G/Mech - Survived,
2722111 Guardsman J. HEYES - G/Op - DOW 4/9/44


Kieron
The above are pre-embarkation details of his crew, ie as of May 1944. Another member KevinT might be able to tell you more about his tank.
I have yet to dig up the War Diary for the 2nd Armd but I will move this over to another thread for that Battalion where you can see Kevin's spreadsheet for yourself. [Moved from IG ROH thread]

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/brigade-guards/37127-researching-guardsmen-foot-guards.html
If you do want to apply for records, have a look at the above link. Good news is that Wellington Barracks do not take as long to respond as the MOD do for other regiments. Copy of his CWGC certificate would be required.
CWGC :: Certificate

 

Kieron
G/Op = Gunner / Operator
G/Mech - Gunner / Mechanic

Crew had to learn to do at least 2 jobs.

I'd send off a letter of enquiry first, giving his Army No., full name and DOB. They should then forward forms and details of payment, probably confirming at the same time that they hold his records.

As your uncle died over 25 years ago there shouldn't be a requirement of Consent from Next of Kin for full disclosure. However, if it's a matter of getting eg your mother, to complete a consent form, then i'd go along just to make sure you get copies of everything. (I haven't heard of the MOD 25 yr ruling being tested for Guards records)

Ask away, and yes Kevin's work is as impressive as it is helpful.

Regards
Diane

I've just noticed there's no driver, i may have transcribed incorrectly ... will recheck my notes when I get the war diary and confirm that.