| Since the end of World War 2 the Irish
Guards have been involved in active service all over the
world
in places such as Aden, Northern Ireland, Belize, Palestine
and Hong Kong . Below is what the Irish Guards have been
up to
since 1980.
In 1980, the Irish Guards sent a small force
to join the Commonwealth monitoring team in Rhodesia. Their
job was to oversea the handing in of weapons by the "Rhodesia
Freedom Fighters". The Irish Guards were stationed
at Chelsea Barracks, and in 1981 St Patrick's Day was celebrated
a day early on the 16th March due to the State visit by the
President of Nigeria on the 17th. The Regiment purchased
the
final Victoria Cross from the family of Sgt O'Leary to become
the only Regiment in the Army to hold all it's Victoria
Crosses.
On the 10th September 1981 the Irish Guards
were the target of a vicious attack by the IRA. When dismounting
Tower of London Guard, the bus was approaching Chelsea barracks
when a nail bomb made of heavy metal coach bolts was exploded
at close range to their bus. Twenty three NCO'S and Guardsmen
were hurt. Sgt Cullen and Gdsm Trafford were awarded the MBE
for their actions that day, the latter performing an emergency
tracheotomy on another causality.
In February 1982 the Battalion moved to
Oxford Barracks, Münster, Germany to join 4th Armoured Brigade.
In
1983/4 the Battalion visited Alberta, Canada twice, Once
in the extreme heat and once in the extreme cold. This was
the
most realistic training the Battalion had done for some time
and while it was out there it trialed the new APC the Army
was using, The MCV 8,(now known as the Warrior). Sadly, in
1984, during our time in BAOR, the Colonel of the Regiment,
General Sir Basil Eugster died. In his place, Her Majesty
The Queen, appointed His Royal Highness, The Grand Duke
of
Luxenburg KG, who served with the Regiment during the Second
World War.
The Battalion returned to Chelsea Barracks
in 1986, being fully committed to public duties and Guards
of Honour. Operational tasks included deployment to Heathrow
Airport on anti-terrorist tasks and to Salisbury Plain in
support of our American Allies. The Battalion received New
Colours from The Queen in May 1988 and trooped them on the
Queen's Birthday the following month. In 1988/89 the Battalion
found itself completing a tour of duty in Belize, South America.
In 1990 the Battalion was posted to Berlin,
Germany and was privileged to be on hand to see the removal
of the Berlin wall and the improved East/West relations. They
returned to the UK in 1992 and were stationed at Elizabeth
Barracks, Pirbright, and it was from here that the Battalion
supported by a Company from the 1st Battalion the Royal Regiment
of Fusiliers, embarked on it's first Tour of Northern Ireland
in the County of Fermanagh.
On the 21st February 1994, the Battalion
again moved up to Chelsea Barracks for another stint of
Public
Duties. It was from here that they carried out their second
tour of Northern Ireland in 1995, this time serving in East
Tyrone. Two years on they moved back to Pirbright and conducted
Exercises to Kenya, the Oman and The Falkland Islands from
there. In February 1998 the Battalion moved over to Münster,
Germany, where they became part of 4th Armoured Brigade
once
again and are still stationed there today. During their time
in Münster they were deployed over to Kosovo as part of
NATO
and carried out full Brigade and Divisional exercises in
Poland, Canada and Oman.
At the start of 2003, the Battalion was
split up and attached to 7th Armoured Brigade (The Desert
Rats) for the pending deployment to the Gulf on Op Telic.
Numbers One and Two Company boosted in numbers from elements
of Support company were attached to the Scots Dragoon
Guards Battle Group. A Platoon from Four Company plus elements
of the Anti-Tank Platoon were attached to the First Fusiliers
with the final attachment of another Platoon from Four Company
and two Sections from the Mortar Platoon attached to the
Black Watch.
Click here to read how they did.. |
