2 LIR depart for North Africa

The 2nd Battalion The London Irish Rifles boarded the HMT Duchess of York at Glasgow on 10 November 1942 and sailed Into the River Clyde to join a large convoy bound for North Africa. Arriving off Algiers on 22 November, 2 LIR entered the harbour under the cover of a Royal Navy smokescreen and anti-aircraft fire as an air-raid warning had been sounded in response to enemy aircraft flying over the area.

The Battalion disembarked and marched, with the Pipes leading, up the steep terrain to Kouba where the bivouac area was in a vineyard. Due to heavy rain, the site became waterlogged, but shelter was found in a nearby factory - complete with large brown rats. Moving in cattle-trucks, it was a two-day journey through the snow-capped mountains from Kouba to its concentration area near the port of Bougie where, from 1-5 December, the Battalion unloaded its vehicles that had been shipped separately. The vehicles were prepared and loaded for the move to Tunisia.

Mounted up, 2LIR moved by road and crossed the Atlas Mountains to arrive east of Constantine at Le Kroub that same day, 6 December, crossing the border into Tunisia the following day and resting at Guardimaou. That night, at 2330 hours, the Commanding Officer, Lt Col T P D Scott, with his Company Commanders, set off to recce the Battalion‘s defensive position at Teboursouk where 2 LIR would be deployed on the right flank of First Army. On 9 December, positions were occupied and digging-in commenced.