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1st Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards)
1st Battalion Green Howards proceeded to France in autumn 1939 with the British Expeditionary Force. They were brought back to England in early 1940 and sailed to Norway as part of an urgent taskforce to try and hold back the German invasion. They were in action at Otta, where for 24 hours the 1st Green Howards held back seven German Battalions in the face of Stuka dive bombers and heavy artillery. At the fall of Norway they returned to England and were then sent to India in 1942. They returned to action in Europe during the landings in Sicily, and suffered heavy losses in Italy. After a short stretch of rest and recuperation in Palestine, they sailed to Marseilles in France and were in action at the River Elbe and Buchen as the Allies pressed into Germany in spring 1945.
Training
 Two Yorkshire and England cricketers, Second Lieutenant Norman W D Yardley (left) and Captain Hedley Verity discussing tactics during an exercise at Omagh, Northern Ireland, while serving with the 1st Battalion, Green Howards (Princess Alexandra of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment). IWM (H 11730)
Training
3rd Apr 1940 Visit
4th Apr 1940 Visit
5th Apr 1940 Visit 
9th Apr 1940 Reorganisation
10th Apr 1940 Orders
11th Apr 1940 Stand Fast
13th Apr 1940 Orders
15th Apr 1940 Orders
18th Apr 1940 Troops
21st Apr 1940 On the Move
22nd Apr 1940 On the Move
25th Apr 1940 On the Move
26th Apr 1940 In Action
26th Apr 1940 Orders
27th Apr 1940 Under Fire
28th Apr 1940 Air Attacks
30th Apr 1940 Evacuation
1st May 1940 Train Detrailed
21st May 1942 On the Move
4th August 1943 Support
5th August 1943 Advance
6th August 1943 Conference
6th August 1943 Advance Stalled
7th August 1943 Advance
7th August 1943 In Action
7th August 1943 On the Move
2nd Sep 1943 Planning
24th Apr 1944 Mortars
25th Apr 1944 Mortars
26th Apr 1944 Shelling
22nd May 1944 Holding the Line
 D Company, 1st Battalion,Green Howards occupy a captured German communications trench during the offensive at Anzio, Italy, 22nd May 1944. IWM (NA 15297)
22nd May 1944 Holding the Line
If you can provide any additional information, especially on actions and locations at specific dates, please add it here.
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Want to know more about 1st Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards)? There are:1350 items tagged 1st Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Pte. Phillip Rafferty 1st Btn. Green Howards (Yorkshire Regiment) (d.11th Aug 1943) Phillip Rafferty was my maternal great-grandfather#s brother. His niece, my grandmother, has always wanted to visit his grave in Sicily. Due to circumstances, she has been unable to visit and has asked me as her granddaughter to visit, to represent the family as no one from his immediate or extended family has ever been able to do so in the past. I plan to visit the Catania War Cemetery in October 2020 with my mother. Phillip had three children and his wife was pregnant with his youngest daughter. Sadly, he never got to meet her. He served in the 1st Battalion, Green Howards (Yorkshire Regiment). He tragically died in action on Wednesday, 11th of August 1943.
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Pte. William Reeves 1st Btn. Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) A post card from William Reeves dated 3rd of June 1943 stating "Bill's new address, 1 Green Howards, Central Mediterranean Force"
was sent to his brother, Gunner Lenard Reeves, who was serving in 208th Coastal Battery R A, Home Forces.
This is particularly poignant to me as Uncle Bill (my dads' elder brother) was badly injured soon after this photo was taken at, I believe to be, Cape Cod. He was blown up by a German grenade and as he lay injured from his wounds (Left arm and leg partially destroyed) the German soldier demanded his watch which is visible in the picture.
In true army style he told the German to "eff off" and was shot again, but in his belly to create more wounds. He was evacuated to Worcester Royal Infirmary and obviously received a war pension as he was permanently disabled.
I did ask him if he should have given the German soldier his watch. He said "No, he would have shot and killed me".
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Pte. Philip George Bradley 1st Btn. B Coy. Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) (d.5th Oct 1943) Philip Bradley served with B Coy, 1st Battalion, Green Howards and was Killed on 5th of October 1943 aged 20. He is buried at Potenza, Italy.
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Joseph William Austin 1st Battalion Green Howards (Yorkshire Regiment) (d.28th April 1940) Joseph Austin was the youngest son of the Austin family. Billy was never forgotten by his family especially his sister Clara who was the dearest friend of our family. A window in his memory is located in St Cuthbert's Church, Church Lane Ormesby, near Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire. He is buried in Nord-Sel Church Yard in Norway.
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Pte. Jackson Walkington 1st Battalion Green Howards (d.7th August 1943) Jackson Walkington served with the 1st Battalion, Green Howards. I found out that the Green Howards were sent into Sicily as a mopping up process
during the Second World War. After a hard few days of battling where the locals were pointing out were the enemy was hiding, my uncle unfortunately was killed, he was one of the many dead.
He had joined the army with three of his best friends but none made it back home.
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Capt. John Richard Booth MiD. 1st Battalion Green Howards John Booth, known as Dick was my father-in-law. He served in the Far East and Italy. He was a prisoner of war in both, escaping in Italy.
He was Mentioned in Despatches.
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L/Sgt. James William Robertson 1st Btn. Green Howards (d.1st May 1945) James Robertson is my Great Grandfather and I found out whilst researching him, that he served with the 1st Green Howards (Yorkshire Regiment) and lost his life on the 1st of May 1945.
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Pte. Stanley Harker 1st Battalion Green Howards My Great Uncle, Stanley Harker, enlisted in the 1st Battalion, Green Howards 29th of July 1930. He was captured in Norway and spent time as a POW in Stalag XXB, Stalag V11B and Stalag 344.
G. Uncle Stanley passed away 1948 aged 37, nobody in the family knows anything about him and I hope to see this rectified.
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Pte. John Robert Hammond 1st Btn. Green Howards (d.1st May 1940) John Hammond is buried in the Overdalen Churchyard in Norway.
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Pte. George Reavley MacFarlane 1st Btn. Green Howards (d.20th October 1943) George MacFarlane was killed in action and is buried at Sangro River War Cemetery.
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