Hello Everyone, Whilst I joined last year, I’ve not managed to progress this until now and I’m still learning forum. I have some service details and pictures of my grandfather who served as Irish Guardsman in WW2 and I thought it may help to post it on this forum. Can you direct me to the appropriate place, please? Perhaps it can be linked to the Unofficial Nominal Roll. I’m trying to gain a fuller picture of my grandfather’s war after reading his ageing service book. I’ve since obtained his service record and acquired some of the relevant war diaries. Along with Major D. Fitzgerald’s account (History of the Irish Guards in the Second World War), they make for fascinating reading! Thank you. Richard Guardsman Richard Eames (Service No: 2721542)
Welcome to the forum. Start a thread in the Guards bit of the forum. Which battalion of the Micks was he in ?
Hi, Welcome to the forum. I’m sure Diane dbf will be along shortly to offer her advice as the resident IG expert. In the meantime have a look in Brigade of Guards sub forum and you will see various mentions of IG - including Battalion War Diaries and the unofficial nominal roll. There are also various original IG documents in the forum gallery. Steve
Thank you. He was originally posted to 1st Battalion but, curiously, had several postings: e.g. Holding Battalion, 5R.D.S. (Regimental Depot Staff?), Tn (Training Battalion), returned 1st Battalion. After returning from Italy, it appears he was sent to join 3rd Battalion (posted: 24th August 1944) in NW Europe via 40 & 34 Regimental Holding Units. He was later evacuated to UK after wounding.
RRE. His transfer to 3 IG from 1 IG in Aug 44 makes sense. 1 IG got very badly mauled at Anzio on the night 30-31 Jan 44 in the night advance towards Campoleone and never really recovered their strength. After being withdrawn to the Sorento Peninsula in Mar 44, the decision was made to suspend the battalion and post the remaining troops to 3 IG in NW Europe. The Household Division never took soldiers from county regiments but the Scots, Grenadiers, Welsh and Coldstreamers could not provide because they were also thin on the ground after six months of fighting in Italy. Regards Frank
1 Irish Guards returned as a formation to the UK in April 1944 as per the document below. As Frank mentions the Guards operated outside the normal infantry replacement system - it is quite incredible to see the decision making process, meetings and documents produced by the Guards in trying to shuffle their battalions and replacements in Italy in the spring of 1944. It went up as far as Alexander and the C.IG.S. All because they needed the correct type of Guardsman for the correct regiment - never mind posting personnel to line regiments or vice versa.
