Our Regimental Museum at Connaught House contains many interesting artefacts, including the original Loos Football.
The Museum is open to visitors on the three days of the year when there are formal Association events, that is in March, September and November – check the events page for the exact schedule.
Museum Curator, Alex Shooter, and his assistants are available at all Regimental Association events when they will be able to provide further information on the history of the Regiment.
2024 Updates
On first review, it might be thought that the London Irish Rifles’ Museum has had another quiet year. Perhaps, it might be described as one of consolidation including continuing review of the full range of artefacts within the Museum as well as responding as usual to the myriad of questions from relatives of those who have previously served with the London Irish Rifles.
It certainly continues to be a very rewarding experience for the custodians of the Regiment’s history to uncover (often previously untold) stories residing within the deep vaults of family memories and stored in filing cabinets right around the world. As well as hosting visitors to the museum on the three parade days, we did make some notable connections and attended some high profile events over the past year and received some very interesting donations of artefacts and photographs. For example, the family of the late Pipe Major Johnny Franklin donated a number of items to us and we are still leafing through all his papers and photographs and hope to be able to display these properly in due course. A set of Pipe Major Franklin’s pipes was also passed over to the Pipe Band for them to treasure.
In terms of external events, Richard O’Sullivan was privileged to speak at a major conference in Catania to mark the 80th anniversary of the Sicilian campaign and where he shared the story of the 2nd Battalion’s time with 38 (Irish) Brigade during the 38-days of fighting on the island. In attendance at the conference was British Ambassador to Rome, Ed Llewellyn, and numerous military and diplomatic representatives and historians from all round the world as well as local civic representatives from across Italy. The stories of valour at Centuripe, the crossing of the Simeto river and the final battles near Maletto continue to enthral one and all. Of course, the names of the fallen London Irish Riflemen, Skins and Faughs are included on recently unveiled Memorials in Piedimonte Etneo and Maletto and we remember them all.
Following the conference, Richard then embarked on a 1,100 km road trip north to the Gothic Line museum at Castel del Rio to meet with it’s mayor Alberto Baldazzi, and close to where the Irish Brigade had spent some part of the winter of 1944/45. On route, he was also able to visit the final resting place of hundreds of lads, who served in Italy with the London Irish Rifles and who are buried at the CWGC cemeteries at Catania. Syracuse, Cassino, Faenza and in the Santerno Valley. During these visits, we do ensure that we stop and take time to thank the local CWGC teams who so faithfully look after our Regimental forebears. A remarkable job undertaken by one and all.
Over the recent few months, we have also been able to contribute to various webcasts, including ones hosted by Paul Woodadge of “WW2 TV” and Sasha from the “Mother of Tanks” podcast. We have also been regularly contributors to “This Week in the Italian Campaign”, a YouTube video series hosted by Edmund O’Sullivan that is covering the whole 21 month period of the Allied advance from Syracuse in southern Sicily right up to the banks of the river Po. It is fair to say that the London Irish Rifles’ storied contribution to victory during the Second World War is not being hidden under a bushel.
On a couple of occasions in 2023, we also met with well-known author and military historian, James Holland, and provided him with some additional background information about Captain John Strick, whose story will be featured in James’s upcoming book about the Italian campaign period of early 1944. Of course, we know Captain Strick’s story very well indeed – as he had been a pre-war Territorial Army officer, who was a talented writer and poet and had been editor of the Regimental journal. He would then serve with the 1st Battalion right across the UK and then went overseas to Iraq and Egypt before moving across to southern Italy where he was wounded near the Garigliano river before being tragically killed at Anzio in February 1944. An outstanding portrait of John Strick, painted by renowned artist Edward Halliday, is on display in the Officers’ Mess at Connaught House
Looking ahead, we shall, of course, be joining the Regimental Association’s pilgrimage to Castelforte, Anzio & Cassino in May to continue to trace the story of the Regiment’s massive contribution to victory in Italy and we shall be joined on that trip by a number of family members of the men who fought during the campaign. – among them will be David Sweeney, Daniel Crampton, Richard O’Sullivan and Alan Mayo, whose fathers and grandfather served with the London Irish Rifles in Italy..
In June, we also know that there are other commemorations in both the UK and Italy to mark the 80th anniversary commemorations of the Liberation of Rome and you should continue to check the website for what is planned for those occasions.
Meanwhile, on the home-front, we have continued to maintain close links with both the National Army Museum and Army Museum Ogilby Trust (AMOT). We always appreciate the close collegiate support from these esteemed organisations, whether it be in terms of us sharing relevant historical researches with them or our volunteers joining courses and conferences that help us to maintain best practice where possible.
As always, grateful thanks are due to Richard O’Sullivan, Alan Roberts, Peter Power-Hynes and Nigel Wilkinson for their continuing support to Museum activity and also to the Association Chairman, Lt Colonel Anthony Maher, and George Willis for providing additional invaluable research on the early days of the Regiment and the Pipe Band.
In fact, on review of the multi-faceted litany of connections made and associated historical research undertaken over the past 12 months, it may not actually have been a quiet year at all for any of us in the Museum – and long may this continue.
Alex Shooter
March 2024