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- 2nd Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry during the Second World War -


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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

2nd Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry



   2nd Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, served with 10th Brigade, 4th Division and proceeded to France with the British Expeditionary Force in autumn 1939. In the spring of 1940 they were heavily engaged in the rearguard action during the retreat to Dunkirk, notably during defence of the River Escaut. Those evacuated from the beaches went on to see action in 1942 in North Africa, then Italy including the attacks on Monte Cassino, the Battle of Incontro Monastery and the Gothic Line. They moved to Greece in 1944.

 

3rd Mar 1940 Cold Night  location map

4th Mar 1940 Quiet

5th Mar 1940 Raid

1st April 1940 Watrelos

6th April 1940 Wattrelos  location map

7th April 1940 Wattrelos  location map

8th April Wattrelos  location map

9th April 1940  194Wattrelos  location map

10th April 1940 Wattrelos  location map

11th April 1940 Wattrelos  location map

11th April 1940  Wattrelos message  location map

12th April 1940 Wattrelos  location map

13th April 1940  Wattrelos  location map

14th April 1940 Wattrelos  location map

16th April 1940  Wattrelos  location map

18th April 1940  Wattrelos  location map

15th April 1940  Wattrelos  location map

17th April 1940  Wattrelos  location map

19th April 1940  Wattrelos  location map

20th April 1940  Wattrelos  location map

21st April 1940  Wattrelos  location map

22nd April 1940  Wattrelos  location map

28th April 1940  Wattrelos  location map

29th April 1940  Wattrelos  location map

29th April 1940  Wattrelos Roll of Officers  location map

28th Jun 1944 In Action

29th Jun 1944 Advance

8th Aug 1944 Shelling


If you can provide any additional information, especially on actions and locations at specific dates, please add it here.



Those known to have served with

2nd Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry

during the Second World War 1939-1945.

  • Ashton Alfred George. P Sgt Maj
  • Barnes Raymond Charles Edward. Pte. (d.13th May 1944)
  • Brain Gordon Leonard. Pte.
  • Burnett Ernest Roy. Pte.
  • Coles Edward John. Pte.
  • Ellery William Harold. Pte.
  • Foster Sydney Ronald. L/Cpl. (d.23rd Nov 1940)
  • Froud William Frederick George. L/Cpl. (d.1st Jun 1940 )
  • Green Frederick Charles. Cpl (d.24th April 1943)
  • Hawke Cyril Vivian. Sgt.
  • Heal Albert George. Pte. (d.12th May 1944)
  • Hook Sidney. Pte.
  • Howlett Nelson Robert John . A/Cpl. (d.27th May 1940)
  • Kempster William. L/Cpl
  • Knight MC. James Murless. Maj
  • Linehan Patrick Edward. Pte.
  • Miell Ronald William Henry. Pte.
  • Monk MID. William. Cpl.
  • Peachey Fredrick William. Pte. (d.6th Jun 1944)
  • Riddle Leonard William George. Sgt. (d.25th May-4th June 1940)

The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

Records of 2nd Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry from other sources.



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Want to know more about 2nd Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry?


There are:1346 items tagged 2nd Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry 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.


Sgt. Cyril Vivian Hawke 2nd Btn. Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry

Cyril Hawke was called up in October 1941 on his 18th birthday. He trained in Bodmin and Northern Ireland. Serving with C Company 2nd Btn, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry he went overseas to North Africa in 1942, stayed until end of campaign in May 1943. He then went to Italy landing at Salerno in autumn 1943 and fought through Naples, Cassino, Rome and ended up in Northern Italy by the end of 1944. He was sent to Greece in December 1944 and then transferred to the 1st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment (reason not known) and served in Greece until end of the war. He arrived home in 1945 and re-equipped to go to the Far East but whilst sailing through the Med the war in the Far East ended and they were taken to Libya to carry out garrison duties in Benghazi. Later he went to Palestine for garrison duties there. He was discharged in Canterbury on 5th of June 1947.

Keith Hawke



Pte. Gordon Leonard Brain 2nd Btn. Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry

Len Brain became a prisoner of war at Monte Casino. He gave his Red Cross parcel of chocolate to German child sheltering at the Munich hospital in Christmas 1944. The next day the child and her mother died in Boxing Day air raid on Munich. He was liberated by USA soldiers.




L/Cpl. William Frederick George Froud 2nd Btn. Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry (d.1st Jun 1940 )

William Froud was my grandfather. He died at Dunkirk when my mother was young.

Stef Bloffwitch



Pte. William Harold "Chips" Ellery 2nd Btn. Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry

My father, William Ellery, joined the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry on the 15th of January 1940. He served in the 2nd Battalion. Dad was posted to North Africa then to the Italian Campaign as a driver/mechanic carrying ammunition and personnel to the front. He was released from service in May 1946.




P Sgt Maj Alfred George Ashton 2nd Btn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry

Alfred is my husband's father and we are enjoying discovering all of his military exploits. Trying now to find movements of DCLI 2nd Battalion

Lynda Ashton



Pte. Albert George Heal 2nd Btn. Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry (d.12th May 1944)

Albert Heal is buried in Cassino War Cemetery.

Alan Overment



Maj James Murless Knight MC. 2nd Btn. Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry

James Knight was awarded the Military Cross as a result of his actions at Incontro Monestry in Italy.

Peregrine Knight



Pte. Fredrick William Peachey 2nd Btn. Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry (d.6th Jun 1944)

Fredrick Peachey is one of my relations. I discovered his memorial in Italy on the web, while compiling my family tree In the words of his parents "Time does not heal whilst memory lives."

Christopher Peachey



Pte. Ernest Roy Burnett 2nd Btn. Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry

L to R. Back row Cpl Smith, Ptes Paver, Young, Kleeman, Healy, Leadbetter and Sgt Bray. Front row. Sgt. Saunders, Ptes Liddicott,
Fillingham, Lt. Briscoe (S. African), Ptes Burnett,  Lamming, Dyke.

Ernest Burnett served with 16th Platoon, C Coy. 2nd Btn. Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry.

Margaret Alexander



Sgt. Leonard William George Riddle 2nd Btn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (d.25th May-4th June 1940)

Leonard Riddle was killed in action during the retreat to Dunkirk and was fighting along side a man called Arthur Bowers who survived and witnessed Leonard getting killed by a German sniper, shot in the head.

Leonard's brother, Howard George Aubrey Riddle, was a blacksmith 3rd class on HMS Repulse and was killed when the ship was torpedoed on 10th Dec 1941. Their father, George Aubrey Riddle, survived the First and Second World Wars with just the end of his pipe being shot off whilst laying telephone lines in the trenches at Ypres during WW1.

Robert Eddy









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