WW1 London Irish Rifles

WARGroup's London Irish Rifles trenches.... WARGroup's London Irish Rifles trenches....

The 1st Battalion LIR arrived in France in March 1915, and one of the first actions in which it distinguished itself was at Festubert in the following May. In September it took part in the Battle of Loos, and it was in that action that a rifleman kicked a football over the top as the London Irish attacked the German lines, and dribbled it across "no man's land".

As part of the 47th Division, the 1st Battalion fought in the Battle of the Somme, and from October 1916 to September 1917 it served in the Ypres Salient under terrible conditions of weather and warfare. In March 1918 the London Irish took part in the great retreat of the Anglo-French forces, and had its share of the responsibilities of the rearguard actions.

By August the same year the 47th Division was ready to take its part in the Allied counter-offensive which in due time brought the war to an end. The division arrived forward, first in the Somme Valley and then in the Bethune area, and eventually into Lille, which up to then had been in German occupation through-out the war.

The 2nd Battalion also served on the Western Front, where its first duty was to take over part of the line at Vimy Ridge.  From France, the Battalion moved to Macedonia, and later served in Palestine.  There, on 23rd December 1917, at Khurbet Adesah, the Battalion's officers and NCOs were reduced to one subaltern and one sergeant.  The 2nd Battalion was disbanded in July 1918.  The 3rd Battalion was a Reserve Battalion throughout the War.

BATTLE HONOURS, 1914 - 1918

Festubert,  1915           Albert,  1918
Loos-Somme,  1916, 1918           Pursuit to Mons
Flers-Courcelette           France, Flanders, 1915-18
Morval           Doiran,  1917
Le Transloy           Macedonia,  1916-17
Messines,  1917           Gaza
Ypres,  1917           El Mughar
Langemarch,  1917           Nebi Samwil
Cambrai,  1917           Jerusalem
St. Quentin           Jericho
Bapaume,  1918           Jordan
Ancre,  1918           Palestine,  1917-18

The London Irish at Play

Follow this link to see video of the London Irish Sports Day

 

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/london-irish-silly-sports-day-aka-london-irish

London Irish Rifles Sports Day, Camel Race London Irish Rifles Sports Day, Camel Race

The Footballer of Loos

The London Irish had a first class football team and they planned to dribble six footballs towards the German front line in a unique display of British bravado and courage. Their commanding officer rumbled them on the eve of the Battle of Loos in 1915, and before the attack shot five of the balls rendering them useless.

But the last remaining ball had been stuffed up the tunic of team captain Rifleman Frank Edwards who removed it and blew it up with his mouth while his comrades gave him cover.

As the whistle for the 'big push' sounded, Edwards booted the ball out of the trenches. It was passed between a small band of men before it ended up being pierced on barbed wire on the German front line.

Rfl. Edwards was said to have dribbled the ball for 20 yards before he went down injured when he was shot through the thigh.

The football is still preserved in the regimental museum of the London Irish and to this day the memory of Edwards is commemorated on Loos Sunday.

 

 

 


 

Vickers at the Ready! Vickers at the Ready!
One of many recruiting posters used by the British Army during WW1 One of many recruiting posters used by the British Army during WW1
A Propaganda Poster used in Ireland in 1915 to try to recruit Irishmen by appealing to them to support smaller countries being bullied by larger ones... A Propaganda Poster used in Ireland in 1915 to try to recruit Irishmen by appealing to them to support smaller countries being bullied by larger ones...

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