Irish Guards memorial in Tunisia - visit to the original site

I recently travelled to Tunisia and managed to find the original site of the Irish Guards' memorial on 'The Bou'. It was placed there in 1943. It was vandalised in the 1950s and a replacement plaque was made for St George's church in Tunis. What I found were the original foundations, on Point 212.

 

Thank you for posting Trevor.
I think members are so pleased that someone has visited Tunisia and brought photos we've been waiting years for.

 

Thanks for sharing

Mass on Hill 212, 1943


From Irish Guards Journal : Dedication ceremony for Memorial


Info about the replacement plaque, also from IG Journal, 1959

 

Great Post.
Thanks for sharing.
Andy.

 

Hi everyone, I'll be visiting various points on Bou Aoukaz on Sunday 20 Sept. We will visit VC sites and 88mm gun site. Already seen German Dragon's Teeth under steep side of the Bou trying to cut access by Allies in narrow between Bou and Mejerda river. This pic is near small washaway under the Bou.

 

Just navigating my way through the forum and came across this thread. I am hoping to go to Tunisia next year to see where my Gt Uncle Leonard spent his last days. He was apparently on 212 and would like to find out more as I’ve just started to research his time within the service. I started a few years back but got side tracked.
I am hoping to make a few mini documentaries about various regiments from all of the armed services and thought what better way to start is with Uncle Leonard.

Thank you for the above information.

 

Mechoes,

Clearly Takrouna and Philip Eliason can comment on visiting Tunisia. There is another member who has visiting the area and written the Bradt Tunisia guidebook - will add his name if found next: ozymandias24. He has not been here for nearly a year, so I will drop him a PM. Plus the other two.

See: Tunisia battlefield tours? On a quick look the focus was the Mareth Line.

PM explanation

If you hover over the name of the member in their avatar it will show a new text box and within is the date of their last logged visit. Some members "flag" their interest in a thread, which means they get a system alert. Once you have posted five times - a measure to stop spam - you can send a private message (PM) to members using 'Start a private conversation' accessed via your avatar. Such messages depend on their email given at registration is still valid. You can receive and reply to a PM already.

 

Happy to help Mechoes

 

Hi Mechoes, a good time to visit is late Sept or during Oct and Nov after harvest and grass and weed die off (so you can see the ground)... Bou Aoukaz is not too strenuous (unlike slopes of Takrouna or slopes of Dj Garci). Hiull 212 and others on the Bou are a day trip from Tunis about 8 hrs gives loads of time over several immediate sites. You can take less time of course. PM me when you are finalising dates. I'll be in Tunis in March for a month and hopefully from mid-Sept to mid Dec 2026.