8th Irish battalion Kings Regiment

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by Mal t, Oct 13, 2015.

  1. Mal t

    Mal t Member

    Hi I am looking for information on the 8th Irish battalion which my date served with on d day has anyone got any photos of the battalion also does anyone know which ship they went to France on cheers






    dbf: Edited title to include regiment.
     
  2. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

  3. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Do you know what unit it was posted to in August 1944. The battalion was disbanded on the 31st August 1944.

    The battalion left the UK from Gosport and Southampton and were on LSI's - Landing Ship Infantry. A Company were the first to Land on Mike Green at 0735hrs. I suspect forum member 'Trux' Mike will have a landing table to hand and will be able to tell you what LSI's the battalion were on.
     
  4. Mal t

    Mal t Member

    Hi thanks for info my dad was injured at the end of June 44 [shrapnel wound to knee] and was posted back to England the beginning of August still trying to find out what he did after coming home
     
  5. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Do you know the date of injury? Have you considered applying for a copy of his service records? They should record the date he returned to the UK along with the date of injury etc.
     
  6. Mal t

    Mal t Member

    Will do thanks
     
  7. Hi Mal t.

    I've previously posted links to all of the 8th Irish war diaries in the unit documents section. If you know the date your dad was injured he might be named but if he was an O.R. then he would most likely just be recorded as a figure - e.g. 5 O.R. wounded. Drew5233 is right in that 'Trux' has a complete set of landing tables but you'd need to know what time your dad went ashore to give you a chance of narrowing it down to a series of LCA or an LSI. I know from my grandfather's own account that he went on at 0745hrs (H+20) with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles which narrowed it down to one of the following LCAs 1056-1067. By a process of elimination with 'Trux' we worked out that they departed from LSI J16 which was the Llangibby Castle. If I remember correctly only A and B companies went ashore on the 6th so it would also help if you know what company your dad was in - my grandfather was in A company.

    The 8th (Irish) Liverpool Battalion were slightly unusual in that they were a British battalion that was part of the 7th Canadian Brigade of the 3rd Canadian Division Group. They went onto Juno beach, Mike Green sector at a place called Graye-sur-Mer along with 217 men from the Royal Winnipeg Rifles and the 8th Irish’s role as a beach group was to clear the beach for the Royal Winnipegs to make the assault and for the next wave of landing crafts that came on behind at H+45, H+75 and H+105 minutes. From D-day onward the 8th Irish were responsible for keeping the beach clear and navigable and they stayed on the beach until moving slightly inland to Courseuilles-sur-Mer. The order was given for the batalion to be disbanded on 28th July 1944 with disbandment to be completed by 26th August 1944. The majority of the men were transferred to the Green Howards. My grandfather was transferred to the 7th Battalion of the Green Howards on 26th August 1944. This is also quite important as to apply for your dad's service record you need to know what regiment your dad was in when he was discharged. Some other members might correct me with this but it was the case when I applied for my grandfather's service record however thankfully I have his Service Book 64. Not sure if knowing his service number is enough? What I can tell you is that 8th Irish service numbers starting 377 means a Territorial member prior to conscription.

    Other regiments men were transferred to were 5th Kings, 1st Bn Oxs and Bucks L.I., 1st Queen's, 2/5 Lancs Fusiliers, 5 East Lancs. Unfortunately the diary also mentions that 48 O.R.s left for various battalions of the line so that's a needle in a haystack. HQ and Sp Companies (100 O.R.s) were posted to 49 Inf Div (unfortunately no more details), 103 left for various units of 2nd Army

    I've got some photos - a few from Jim Fitzsimons book, one from the war diary showing all the C.O.s and my grandfather in the regimental band. I've never seen any from the D-day period but I've managed to collect quite a few showing Canadian and/or Juno beach activity.
     
    dbf likes this.
  8. Malcolm thomson

    Malcolm thomson New Member

    hi Michael just got back on the forum and seen you message from 2016 would you be able to put some of the pictures on here many thanks for your info its been a great help
     
  9. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

    8th (Irish) Battalion, The King’s Regiment (Liverpool) (T.A.)


    198th Infantry Brigade – 3 September 1939 to 4 July 1943

    The battalion was raised in October 1939 from the 5th Battalion at Liverpool. At the start of 1940 the battalion was located at Heysham and then moved to the Yorkshire coast at the end of April 1940.


    In July 1943 the brigade became the 11th Line of Communication Area and the battalion moved to Gailes Camp in Ayrshire to convert to the No. 7 Beach Group. It trained through 1944 and moved south in May 1944 to prepare for the invasion. It was located in the marshalling area from May 18th, 1944 and was attached to the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division for the invasion. It landed under the division in Normandy on June 6th, 1944 under the 103rd Beach Sub-Area. It worked for three weeks as a beach group and then moved away from the beaches on July 21st, 1944. It was to disband and despatched drafts to various Lancashire regiments on July 24th, 1944. Over the next month it was reduced to cadre and finally placed into suspended animation on August 31st, 1944.
     

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