Friends of Islington Museum

Category: Finsbury Rifles

  • Away from the Western Front: 1st – 31st July 1918

      Return to the Suez Canal EEF divisions followed the standard Army pattern of being rotated through periods of front-line duty, rest -which could include the much resented road building -and training.   When the 1/11 London Finsbury Rifles moved out of the front line at the end of June they were…

  • Away from the Western Front 1st – 30th June 1918

    The EEF’s strong training system had been a key part of its success under General Allenby. The Imperial School of Instruction at Zeitoun in Cairo  ran  two types of courses: technical courses for battalion specialists such as Lewis gunners  and leadership & battlefield skills for junior officers & NCOs. After…

  • Away from the Western Front: 1st -31st May 1918

    The EEF spent much of the summer of 1918 training the troops who had arrived from India to replace those sent to the Western Front. Although  the 54th (East Anglian) Division stayed in Palestine,there were skills to be maintained and new techniques to be learned. The battalion padre, Captain the Rev…

  • Away from the Western Front: 1st – 30th April, 1918.

    Training, road-building and enemy fire…   In March 1918 the Germans launched a major offensive in France and Flanders. This had an immediate effect on the Southern Palestine campaign . The War Office ordered General Allenby to send 2 infantry divisions to France as soon as possible although they acknowledged this would  ‘entail…

  • Away from the Western Front : 13th-31st March, 1918

    Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught reviews the troops   Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught toured bases of the EEF in Egypt and Southern Palestine during March 1918. A career soldier for over 40 years, the Duke’s visit was calculated to raise morale amongst all the troops . L/Cpl Jock  Christie should have…

  • Away from the Western Front: 9th – 12th March 1918.

    Operations in the Jordan Valley Mule drawn limber 1/11th London Regiment. El Kubri, December 1917. © IWM (Q 57790) At this stage in the campaign it was increasingly hard to replace transport animals and their equipment. During the action at Mejdel Taba, artillery fire killed and wounded some of the brigade mules (the…

  • Away from the Western Front : 25th February – 9th March 1918.

    Victoria Cross awarded !         The award of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the British Armed Forces  to Lance-Corporal Jock Christie was a great morale booster for the battalion, 162 Brigade and the 54th East Anglian Division. In later life Jock Christie preferred not to…

  • Away from the Western Front : 25th January 1918 – 25th February 1918

    Visiting Jerusalem    After fierce fighting  over the previous weeks, Jerusalem had been captured by the Allied Forces on 9th December 1917 . This  tremendous boost for Allied morale and public opinion   was a massive blow for the Ottoman Empire which had now  lost control of three holy sites in spite of German military support. The painting above…

  • Away from the Western Front : 27th December 1917 – 24th January 1918

    Football, Salvage and Training   Football was a popular form of recreation in the army and was often used as a morale booster.. The battalion diary mentions several organised games like the one between the officers and sergeants on New Year’s Eve. Of course, leather footballs would have been low on the list…

  • Away from the Western Front : 25th – 26th December 1917.

    Merry Christmas ?   The battalion’s arrangements for Christmas 1917 were a far cry from the warmth and hilarity of the seasonal celebrations of the year before. Not only was it the rainy season when temperatures could be more like those back in London but festive meals were impossible to…