1859–1914 The London Irish Rifles was originally formed in 1859 during the
Victorian Volunteer Movement and named
28th Middlesex (London Irish) Rifle Volunteer Corps. In 1880 it was renumbered the
16th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers. During the
Second Boer War, the
battalion sent eight
officers and 208
private soldiers for active service. Captain EG Concannon won the
Distinguished Service Order (DSO). In recognition of their service, the London Irish was granted their first battle honour, "South Africa, 1900-1902". In 1908, the London Irish was transferred to the
Territorial Force and renamed the
18th (County of London) Battalion, the London Regiment (London Irish Rifles). It landed at
Le Havre as part of the
5th London Brigade in the
2nd London Division. Some 1,016 London Irishmen were killed during the conflict.
Inter-war After the cessation of hostilities, the LIR was reduced to cadre strength, before being disbanded in May 1919 at
Felixstowe. In February 1920, the 18th (County of London) Battalion of the London Regiment (London Irish Rifles) was reconstituted as a component of the
47th (2nd London) Infantry Division of the new
Territorial Army, and in 1923, the designation of the Regiment was shortened to 18th London Regiment (London Irish Rifles).
Second World War In April 1939, the establishment of the
Territorial Army (TA), the British Army's part-time reserve, was doubled in size and the 2nd Battalion, London Irish Rifles was reformed, initially as a component unit of the
4th London Infantry Brigade, part of the
2nd London Infantry Division which was a 2nd Line duplicate of the 1st Line
1st London Infantry Division. , Kent, 31 December 1940. The 70th (Young Soldiers) Battalion, a Young Soldiers unit of the London Irish Rifles, was also formed, early in 1940, and set up for young men volunteering who were between the ages of eighteen and nineteen and a half. The objective of the battalion was to train the soldiers to the highest standard of drill, skill-at-arms, discipline and turnout in preparation for the time when they would, in theory, be fit to take their place within the 1st and 2nd Battalions. The 70th (Young Soldiers) Battalion ceased to exist in January 1943, when all such units were disbanded. A company of the 1st Battalion was involved in the
Battle of Graveney Marsh, in September 1940 the last ground combat between a foreign invading force and British troops that happened on British mainland soil. The 1st Battalion, London Irish Rifles formed part of the 1st London Infantry Brigade, itself part of the 1st London Division. In November 1940 the battalion transferred to the 2nd London Brigade, which was soon renumbered as the
168th (London) Infantry Brigade, due to the division's redesignation as the
56th (London) Infantry Division. From the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 until late July 1942, the battalion was in training, mainly in
southeast England. The battalion left England in August 1942 to serve in the
Middle East. In April 1943 the battalion, together with the rest of the 168th Brigade, was temporarily transferred to the
50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division and fought in the
Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, in July/August. The battalion, as part of the 168th Brigade, returned to the 56th Division in Italy in October, and took part in major actions during the
Italian Campaign at Fosso Bottacetto south of Catania, Monte Camino, Monte Damiano, the Garagliano crossing during the first
Battle of Monte Cassino and Aprilia (Anzio), and at the
Gothic Line, and, transferring back to the 167th Brigade, the battalion played a leading role in the
final Allied offensive in Northern Italy during April 1945. In the month that they spent
fighting in the Anzio beachhead, the 1st Battalion's casualties totalled 600 officers and other ranks killed, wounded and missing. Some 700 men of the London Irish Rifles were killed in action during the Second World War.
Post war After the war, the battalion re-formed as a battalion of the Royal Ulster Rifles. In 1967, with the disbanding of the London Regiment, the three Irish Regular Infantry Regiments combined to form The Royal Irish Rangers, and the London Irish Rifles became D Company (London Irish Rifles), 4th Battalion The Royal Irish Rangers, remaining so until the re-formation of The London Regiment in 1993. The London Irish Rifles moved from their historic home,
Duke of York's Headquarters, Chelsea to Flodden Road,
Camberwell in 2000. ==Battle honours==