The Inniskillings in Italy: The Garigliano River Memorial

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) and History Hub Ulster welcome you to a talk by Nigel Henderson.

During the Second World War, 371 men from the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers died during the Sicily and Italy Campaign and are buried or commemorated in Italy, with 305 of the fatalities belonging to 2nd Battalion.

This battalion took part in the Battle of Garigliano in January 1944 and a stone memorial cross naming 53 officers and other ranks who died between 17th January and 3rd February 1944 was erected near the location where the battalion crossed the River Garigliano. This is , probably, the only battlefield memorial dedicated to a specific regiment.

This talk will cover the history of the memorial from its erection, through repairs and restoration, to its transfer to the Inniskillings Museum in Enniskillen. The talk will include biographies on some of the men named on the memorial and will refer to men who died in the relevant period but are not recorded on the memorial.