WO 171/5147 2 Irish Guards 1945 Jan.- Dec. WO 171/5148 3 Irish Guards 1945 Jan.- Dec. According to the war diaries at Kew the above are the only possibilities. I don't have the IG history yet but I'll ask someone who knows. Cheers Andy
I have their history in front of me now. 2 & 3 IG formed the 'Irish Group'. They were fighting together armour & infantry. page 577. On 2nd May the Irish Group reached Estorf and Ohlendorf.... The Group halted at Estorf. That's all. No mention of Hamburg but Estorf is rather close by.
My research is strictly post May 45...2nd and 3rd Battalions Irish Guards were part of the 5th Guards Armoured Brigade of the Guards Armoured Division command 30th Corps on the Cuxhaven Peninsular not Hamburg at the end of WW2 and was renamed 5th Guards Brigade in Jun 45 of the Guards Division and went south to the Köln/Bonn area command 1st Corps District the 3rd Battalion Irish Guards was merged with 2nd Battalion Irish Guards who moved to Estorf Kaserne Vansbek Hamburg renamed St Patrick’s Barracks in Mar 46 returning to UK Nov 46...thanks go to Diane from this forum who has helped put this together and hope this helps
2nd Battalion Irish Guards who moved to Estorf Kaserne Vansbek Hamburg renamed St Patrick’s Barracks in Mar 46 returning to UK Nov 46 Update - Have now found that 2nd Battalion Irish Guards were still in Hamburg Mar 47 command Hamburg District winning the football knock out competition Best regards Steve History is a mystery and only as good as those who wrote it down
........sorry for tacking on to Hamburg thread - but were 1st Black Watch in Hamburg during the winter of 1945??
1st Battalion Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) were not far away in Buxtehude on the Cuxhaven Peninsular command 154th Infantry Brigade of 51st (Highland) Infantry Division moving to Hesedorf north of Rotenburg May 46 Best regards and Happy New Year Steve
