London Irish Rifles
| London Irish Rifles | |
|---|---|
Crest of the London Irish Rifles
|
|
| Active | 1859 - 1919 1920 − Present Day |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Branch |
 army reserve
|
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Rifles |
| Size | One company |
| Part of | London Regiment |
| Garrison/HQ | London District |
| Motto(s) | "Who shall separate us?" |
| March | |
| Anniversaries | St Patrick's Day (17 Mar) Loos (25 Sep) |
| Commanders | |
| Honorary Colonel | Major-General Sir Sebastian John Lechmere Roberts KCVO OBE |
| Insignia | |
| Tartan | Saffron (pipers kilts) |
| Hackle | St Patrick's Blue Hackle worn by Officers, Warrant Officers and Pipers. Dark Green Hackle worn by all other ranks. |
The London Irish Rifles (LIR) was a volunteer rifle regiment of the British Army with a distinguished history, and now forms 'D' (London Irish Rifles) Company of the London Regiment and is part of the Army Reserve. They are based at Connaught House, Flodden Road in Camberwell.
The London Irish Rifles was originally formed in 1859 during the Victorian Volunteer Movement and named 28th Middlesex (London Irish) Rifle Volunteer Corps.
During the Second Boer War, the battalion sent eight officers and 200 private soldiers for active service. One officer won the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and another member gained seven bars to his South Africa Medal. 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).
During the First World War, the LIR raised three Battalions, one of which stayed in reserve in England. The 1st Battalion was sent to France in 1915 and saw its first action at Festubert in May, before taking part in many of the major battles on the western front during the next three years. The 2nd Battalion served in France, Greece and Palestine.
At the Battle of Loos, the 1st Battalion LIR particularly distinguished itself. While storming across No-Man's Land to capture the enemy trenches, Rifleman Frank Edwards, the Captain of the football team, kicked a football along in front of the troops. This earned the LIR probably their most famous Battle Honour - "Loos, 1915". The Loos football is still preserved in the Regimental Museum, and to this day, the memory of Rifleman Edwards and his comrades is commemorated every year at Connaught House on Loos Sunday.
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Wikipedia