1st Battalion Irish Guards

History

The 1st Battalion Irish Guards was a regular army unit based in the UK at the start of the war. As part of 24 Guards Brigade, It formed part of the expedition to Norway in April 1940 before being evacuated back to the UK in May. It then remained in the UK until March 1943, when it departed for North Africa as part of 1st Infantry Division. The battalion saw heavy fighting from the end of March through to the Axis surrender in Tunisia May 1943.

After the conclusion of the Tunisian campaign, 1st Infantry Division remained in Tunisia until early December 1943, when it moved to Italy. Here 1st Infantry Division was identified as the British component for the Anzio operation and 1st Battalion Irish Guards landed in the second wave on the 22nd January 1944. After suffering appreciable casualties while participating in an unsuccessful attempt to advance out of the bridgehead at the end of January, the battalion suffered further heavy losses in the defensive fighting that followed throughout February. 

The severe casualties suffered by all three battalions of 24th Infantry (Guards) Brigade resulted in it being replaced in 1st Infantry Division by 18th Infantry Brigade. The battalion was withdrawn from the line on 25th February 1944 but remained at Anzio until 7th March when it was transported to Naples.

The battalion was severely understrength and there were virtually no Irish Guards reinforcements available in Italy or North Africa. This resulted in the decision to return the battalion to the UK. It was replaced in 24th Infantry (Guards) Brigade by 3rd Battalion Coldstream Guards from 201st Infantry (Guards) Brigade with 1st Battalion Irish Guards going in the opposite direction.

The battalion left Italy on 11th April 1944 with 201st Infantry (Guards) Brigade, arriving back in Liverpool on 22nd April 1944. The battalion served in a training role for the rest of the war, providing reinforcements for the two Irish Guards battalions in the Guards Armoured Division fighting in northwest Europe.

*Note that of the 64 officers, eight joined after the battalion had returned from Anzio. Most of these were officers from 1 IRTD who had served with the battalion previously and were returning home to the UK with it.

Organisation

When the battalion arrived in Italy in December 1943, it was organised as a standard British infantry battalion per WE II/233/2.  Its rifle companies were named No. 1, No.2, No.3 and No.4.

Due to heavy casualties at the end of January and early February at Anzio, the battalion reorganised on a three-company basis on 5th February 1944 (Nos. 1, 2 and No. 4). Further losses necessitated another re-structured on 15th February 1944 to two rifle companies (No. 2 and No. 3). At some point after being pulled out of the line on 25th February 1944, the battalion formed just one company (No. 2) before the transfer from Anzio to Naples. At the same time as these reorganisations the battalion also kept a reserve company to manage reinforcements.

As part of the reorganisation of the Guards units in Italy, it was decided to return 201st Infantry (Guards) Brigade to the UK. Due to the lack of Irish Guards reinforcements in Italy, it was decided to replace 1st Battalion Irish Guards with 3rd Battalion Coldstream Guards in 24th Infantry (Guards) Brigade and return the Irish Guards to the UK with 201st Infantry (Guards) Brigade.

Strength

The following table is based on the WE returns in the war diaries.  The standard infantry battalion war establishment at this time (WE II/233/2) for an Irish Guards battalion comprised 36 officers and 817 NCOs and ORs, for a total of 853 personnel. The WE included the Regimental Medical Officer and attached personnel such as cooks and mechanics and these are included in the figures below. Personnel not part of the WE (i.e. the attached chaplain and his driver) have not been included.