The 2nd Battalion, Tower Hamlets Rifles, was a Territorial Army unit of the British Army during World War II. It fought as a motor battalion in the Tunisian campaign, including the Run for Tunis and Battle of Kasserine Pass, and in the Italian Campaign from Monte Cassino to the Apennines, including the seizure of the Muraglione Pass.
Origin
The origin of the Tower Hamlets Rifles lay in an invasion scare of 1859, when large numbers of Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVCs) were formed across Britain. Among these were the 15th Middlesex (The Customs and Docks) and the 2nd Tower Hamlets RVCs, which were raised in the East End and London's docklands. Both battalions were affiliated to the Regular Army's Rifle Brigade. When the Territorial Force was formed in 1908, they combined to form the 17th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Poplar & Stepney), with its drill hall at 66 Tredegar Road, Bow.Frederick, pp. 314–5.15th Middlesex RVC at Regiments.org.Tower Hamlets Rifles at Regiments.org.Westlake, pp. 172, 176, 179, 239–40.17th Londons at Stepping Forward London.Drill halls in Tower Hamlets at Stepping Forward London.
The part-time Territorials were mobilised on the outbreak of World War I and the 17th Londons served on the Western Front from 1915 until 1918. It formed a 2nd Line battalion (2/17th Londons) that also went to France, but later served at Salonika and in the Sinai and Palestine campaign before returning to the Western Front in the closing stages of the war.James, pp. 114–5.
After the war the TF was reorganised as the Territorial Army (TA), and the London Regiment had fallen into abeyance. The unit was reformed in 1920 and changed its title to 17th London Regiment (Tower Hamlets Rifles) in 1926. When the London Regiment was formally abolished it became the Tower Hamlets Rifles, The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) in 1937, simply known as the Tower Hamlets Rifles (THR). With the doubling of the TA after the Munich Crisis, the THR formed a 1st and 2nd Battalion in 1939, just before the outbreak of World War II (a 3rd Bn was also formed later).
World War II
Mobilisation The TA was mobilised on 1 September 1939 and war was declared on 3 September. Both THR battalions mobilised in 3rd London Infantry Brigade, which was temporarily in 1st London Division until the new duplicate 2nd London Division was formed in October.Joslen, p. 233.
During World War II the 'Greenjackets' (the King's Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC) and the Rifle Brigade, including their affiliated TA battalions) specialised in providing motorised infantry battalions to armoured brigades and armoured division support groups. The THR battalions were converted into motor battalions in 1940.Hastings, p. 1.
10th Rifle Brigade (Tower Hamlets Rifles) The 2nd Bn THR was assigned to 26th Armoured Bde when that was formed on 16 October 1940. It became 10th Bn Rifle Brigade (Tower Hamlets Rifles) (10th RB) on 15 January 1941 (when 1st THR also became 9th Rifle Brigade).Joslen, pp. 17–8, 176.
26th Armoured Bde joined 6th Armoured Division on 9 November, and the battalion remained with this formation for the rest of its service. At the time, the division was training in Southern Command, moving to Eastern Command in February 1941, and did not form part of the field force. Then in April 1942 it came under direct War Office control as it prepared to proceed on overseas service. It was assigned to V Corps as part of First Army for the planned Allied landings in North Africa (Operation Torch).
Tunisia Operation Torch The bulk of 26th Armoured Bde sailed from the UK on 9 November, the day after the initial landings began, but an armoured regimental group called 'Blade Force' had been sent on ahead in one of the first follow-up convoys, and this arrived at Algiers on 12 November. Blade Force was based on the tanks of 17th/21st Lancers and included B Company of 10th RB along with detachments of armoured cars (B Squadron, Derbyshire Yeomanry), artillery, engineers and transport, all under the command of Colonel Richard Hull. The force was intended to drive rapidly eastwards across Algeria to capture the city of Tunis by Coup de main (the Run for Tunis). Once they had been unloaded, the wheeled vehicles set out for the Tunisian frontier on 15 November while the tracked vehicles followed by train to the assembly area at Souk Ahras. The road convoy covered in 48 hours in driving rain, and on 18 November B Company was ordered to take up defensive positions at El Kef on the railway, where French troops were already in position and willing to fight the Germans. The company moved on to Souk Ahras and then Testour, where it was bombed by German Stukas on 21 November, and a detachment went on to Slouguia. Here the French made contact with German forces, confirming that they had reached Tunis first: Blade Force would be unable to carry out its coup de main against an open city.Hastings, pp. 161, 209–11.Playfair & Molony, Vol IV, pp. 166, 169, 173–4.
One 24 November Blade Force attempted to find a way into Tunis by a northerly route via Mateur. The Derbyshire Yeomanry reported the enemy in occupation of a farm on high ground at a junction on the Mateur road. B Company's carrier platoon reported the ground to the right of the road to be suitable for tanks, so soon after 11.00 the 17th/21st Lancers attacked, with B Company following to mop up. One platoon ran into heavy opposition but the reserve platoon and reserve tanks came up and the position was cleared by 13.00, with over 100 prisoners taken. B Company had lost two killed and six wounded in its first action. It was now only from Tunis, providing a flank guard to the main advance. For several days it remained in this position, being bombed and machine-gunned from the air at regular intervals. However, the Axis build-up by sea and air at Tunis was faster than that by the Allied forces advancing from Algeria, and on 1 December a superior force of German tanks and infantry with air support began moving on the British positions and threatening the Tebourba Gap. B Company was ordered to withdraw to Tebourba, during which No 8 Platoon was practically cut off and attacked from the air: most of the platoon could not be extricated. The carrier platoon withdrew across country but lost three vehicles. The force reorganised at Tebourba, where any hope of seizing Tunis was given up.Hastings, pp. 211–3.Playfair & Molony, Vol IV, pp. 176, 180–1, Map 22.
Bou Arada B Company took no further part in operations until 21 December when it went back in the line at 'Banana Ridge' when the enemy threatened the Allied positions at Medjez el-Bab. On 27 December it was able to withdraw and rejoin 10th RB at El Aroussa, having lost two officers and 45 riflemen since landing. The rest of 10th Rifle Brigade commanded by Lt-Col Adrian Gore had landed at Bône on 7 December, and bivouacked outside the town to escape the nightly bombing raids. The vehicles arrived on 19 December, except D Company's carriers, which had been on a ship of the convoy that was sunk. The battalion then made a two-day journey to Testour, and deployed first at Sidi Ayed on 24 December, then at Bou Arada on 2 January 1943. Here it began patrolling and laying night ambushes, frequently skirmishing with the enemy. On 10 January the Germans ambushed a Yeomanry troop at dawn as they took up their observation post on 'Two Tree Hill, and then began to take over a neighbouring ridge that dominated Bou Arada. The Germans were turned off the ridge by A Company of the 10th RB and a tank squadron of 17th/21st Lancers. Next day D Company riding the tanks of a squadron of 17th/21st Lancers attacked Two Tree Hill, to find the Germans holding strong positions hidden on the reverse slope. After this attack was driven off there were three more by forces of varying sizes, but the Germans continued in possession of the hill until they withdrew in April. Argoub el Hanach (Point 315) was a similar feature to Two Tree Hill, and B and C Companies occupied it on 17–18 January Before they were fully established they saw a heavy column from 10th Panzer Division drive past them to attack Bou Araba as part of Operation Eilbote I ('Courier I'). Cut off from the rest of the battalion, the two companies played little part in the action, in which the German thrust at Bou Arada was thrown back, but they did lay some mines across the panzers' line of retreat. Next day the whole of 10th RB took up position on Argoub el Hanach, and came under heavy shellfire while the action swirled around in the valley below for the next three weeks.Hastings, pp. 213–7.Playfair & Molony, Vol IV, pp. 278–9, Map 28.
Kasserine On 19 February the Axis launched a major attack on the US forces at Kasserine Pass, south of 26th Armoured Bde's positions, and made rapid progress. Brigadier C.A.L. Dunphie of 26th Armoured Bde in reserve was anxious to help, but was only allowed to send a small force under Lt-Col Gore. 'Gore Force' consisted of C Company 10th RB, C Squadron 2nd Lothians and Border Horse (7 Valentine tanks and 4 Crusader tanks), F Battery, Royal Horse Artillery (Honourable Artillery Company), and a Troop of 93rd (Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery. At 10.00 on 20 February Gore Force moved down to help the assorted US units of 'Stark Force' in the pass, but the defences collapsed at about 13.00, and Gore Force had to leapfrog slowly back towards Thala, losing all its tanks in the process. It rejoined 26th Armoured Bde in the evening. Next day Axis forces began advancing over the heathland towards Thala: the low ridges facing them were held by the tanks of 17th/21st Lancers and the rest of 2nd Lothians & Border Horse, supported by C Company 10th RB, F Bty RHA and 450th Bty from 71st (West Riding) Field Regiment, RA, later joined by the rest of 10th RB. 10th Panzer Division slowly pushed this force back from ridge to ridge towards Thala. At dusk the remaining tanks of 17th/21st Lancers fell back through 10th RB to 'harbour' for the night. However, they were followed in by Germans tanks and a confused battle erupted, clarified when a German tank was set on fire, and the remainder were eliminated by its light. On 22 February the brigade unsuccessfully tried to dislodge the Germans from 'Leicester Ridge' which they had captured, but by 23 February the attack had petered out, and C Company re-occupied Leicester Ridge and later followed up towards Kasserine Pass. On 28 February the battalion was rushed to Medjez el-Bab in anticipation of another Axis attack that did not come, and 10th RB returned to the Argoub.Hastings, pp. 217–9.Playfair & Molony, Vol IV, pp. 289–91, 296–300, Map 29.
Fondouk Pass