History of the Irish Guards in the Second World War

In 1940, 1st Battalion fought in the Norway campaign. 2nd Battalion (raised in 1939) served in Holland, where it helped evacuate the Dutch Royal Family before joining the retreat to Dunkirk. In March 1943, 1st Battalion joined the final stages of the North African campaign, fighting in Tunisia. It was subsequently deployed to Italy in December of that year. The battalion took part in the Anzio landings (1944) and then fought its way up the Italian peninsula for the rest of the war. In June 1944, the 2nd and 3rd Irish Guards (raised in 1941) landed in Normandy. They went on to fight at Caen (1944), before joining the advance into Belgium and Holland. In September 1944, both battalions joined 30 Corps' advance to relieve the airborne troops at Arnhem. It then fought its way into Germany.