Royal Ulster Rifles & London Irish Rifles

LIFE magazine picture of leaning road sign, photo credited to George Rodger.

 

Rifleman James Lightbody, 2nd Bn London Irish Rifles (Royal Ulster Rifles)
Service No.: 14401404
Award: Mentioned in Despatches

Belfast Telegraph 18th June 1946

Wounded Italy 26th October 1943

 

Earlier this name appears: STRICK JR 101467 1ST BN THE LONDON IRISH RIFLES 18/02/1944 ROYAL ULSTER RIFLES

Today James Holland has written an account of two young officers who died in Italy, Strick and Captain David Cole, commanding the Signals Platoon in the 2nd Inniskillings. See: Ordinary Men

Keywords for searching: Garigliano , Castelforte , Monte Damiano , Gustav Line , Minturno Ridge .

 

Thanks for this,. The London Irish Rifles has treasured John Strick's memory for the past 81 years... good to see that James continues to highlight the story - no doubt, reliant on the hundreds of letters/personal diaries and poems stored with the IWM. I had the privilege of spending a day reading them in the autumn:
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1030015727

Captain Strick's face looks down on visitors in the LIR Officers' Mess in Camberwell - and I was able to visit his final resting place at Anzio again in April.

John Strick's death during February 1944 is well described in the Regimental History:
"On February 18, further efforts were made to trace the Oxford and Bucks with no result, except to bring more casualties to the battalion. That night, Lieut-Colonel Good, exhausted by many days and nights with no sleep and little rest, was ordered by Brigadier Davidson to have a respite.

The position at that time was that in accordance with a plan prepared by the Brigadier, the London Irish, despite heavy shell and mortar fire, had got up forward as far as it possibly could. A strong, powerful blow would be needed to dislodge the Germans from their positions on the higher ground ahead.

Owing to the shelling, battalion headquarters had lost touch with the companies. Tactical Headquarters, commanded by Captain TJ Sweeney, the Adjutant, and accompanied by Captain A Mace and about ten personnel of the carrier platoon acting as headquarters defence, struggled all that night to reach the companies. They finally joined them at first light and found them sheltering in a wadi. Everyone was extremely weary and all further attack was out of the question for the moment. A Company now numbered about thirty-five men and C Company about the same. About an hour later the battalion suffered another severe blow. A stray shell landed near the resting men and Captain JR Strick, a very popular and efficient officer who had been with the London Irish from pre-war Territorial days, and CSM Flavelle, were killed and Major Brooks severely wounded...."

QS

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