63-632: The Hallamshire Battalion was an infantry battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment , part of the British Army in existence from 1859. An invasion scare in 1859 led to the emergence of the Volunteer Movement , and Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVCs) began to be organised throughout Great Britain. On 30 September 1859 the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Yorkshire West Riding RVCs were formed at Sheffield , and on 22 December that year they were grouped into
126-748: A sidearm or ancillary weapons . Infantry with ranged or polearms often carried a sword or dagger for possible hand-to-hand combat. The pilum was a javelin the Roman legionaries threw just before drawing their primary weapon, the gladius (short sword), and closing with the enemy line. Modern infantrymen now treat the bayonet as a backup weapon, but may also have handguns as sidearms . They may also deploy anti-personnel mines, booby traps, incendiary, or explosive devices defensively before combat. Infantry have employed many different methods of protection from enemy attacks, including various kinds of armour and other gear, and tactical procedures. The most basic
189-672: A battalion as the Hallamshire RVC (officially the 2nd (Hallamshire) Yorkshire West Riding RVC from 24 February 1860). The title Hallamshire came from the ancient lordship of West Riding that comprised the parishes of Sheffield, Ecclesfield and Bradfield . In 1862 the Hallamshire Rifles were presented with Colours . In 1881 with the reorganisation of the British Army, during the Cardwell Reforms ,
252-628: A few exceptions like the Mongol Empire , infantry has been the largest component of most armies in history. In the Western world , from Classical Antiquity through the Middle Ages ( c. 8th century BC to 15th century AD), infantry are categorised as either heavy infantry or light infantry . Heavy infantry, such as Greek hoplites , Macedonian phalangites , and Roman legionaries , specialised in dense, solid formations driving into
315-512: A full suit of attack-proof armour would be too heavy to wear in combat. As firearms improved, armour for ranged defence had to be made thicker and heavier, which hindered mobility. With the introduction of the heavy arquebus designed to pierce standard steel armour, it was proven easier to make heavier firearms than heavier armour; armour transitioned to be only for close combat purposes. Pikemen armour tended to be just steel helmets and breastplates, and gunners had very little or no armour at all. By
378-417: A hundred meters wide and a dozen rows deep. Maintaining the advantages of heavy infantry meant maintaining formation; this became even more important when two forces with heavy infantry met in battle; the solidity of the formation became the deciding factor. Intense discipline and training became paramount. Empires formed around their military. The organization of military forces into regular military units
441-399: A problem. This can be avoided by having shield-armed soldiers stand close together, side-by-side, each protecting both themselves and their immediate comrades, presenting a solid shield wall to the enemy. The opponents for these first formations, the close-combat infantry of more tribal societies , or any military without regular infantry (so called " barbarians ") used arms that focused on
504-440: A return to body armour for infantry, though the extra weight is a notable burden. In modern times, infantrymen must also often carry protective measures against chemical and biological attack, including military gas masks , counter-agents, and protective suits. All of these protective measures add to the weight an infantryman must carry, and may decrease combat efficiency. Early crew-served weapons were siege weapons , like
567-463: Is personal armour . This includes shields , helmets and many types of armour – padded linen , leather, lamellar , mail , plate , and kevlar . Initially, armour was used to defend both from ranged and close combat; even a fairly light shield could help defend against most slings and javelins, though high-strength bows and crossbows might penetrate common armour at very close range. Infantry armour had to compromise between protection and coverage, as
630-744: Is first noted in Egyptian records of the Battle of Kadesh ( c. 1274 BC ). Soldiers were grouped into units of 50, which were in turn grouped into larger units of 250, then 1,000, and finally into units of up to 5,000 – the largest independent command. Several of these Egyptian "divisions" made up an army, but operated independently, both on the march and tactically, demonstrating sufficient military command and control organisation for basic battlefield manoeuvres. Similar hierarchical organizations have been noted in other ancient armies, typically with approximately 10 to 100 to 1,000 ratios (even where base 10
693-553: The 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division throughout the war, as it had in World War I. The battalion and most of the division first saw action as part of the ill-fated Norwegian Campaign in April 1940. The battalion arrived with most of the 146th Infantry Brigade, although they were poorly-trained and equipped for the task being assigned to them. They were ashore for twelve days, seeing limited action and losing their only casualties on
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#1732794134093756-628: The 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division . The battalion's initial role was to supply drafts of replacements to the 1/4th Battalion, which it did throughout most of 1915 and 1916. However, the introduction of conscription in early 1916 saw the battalion mobilised as an active service unit, and, after training, the battalion was sent to the Western Front in January 1917, landing at the French port of Le Havre soon after. The 3/4th (Hallamshire) Battalion
819-642: The Allied invasion of Italy , suffering very heavy casualties. The battalion, after helping in the liberation of Naples , later participated in the breaching the Volturno Line , and advanced up the spine of western Italy, fighting along the Bernhardt and Winter Lines , and in the First Battle of Monte Cassino in January 1944. In March 1944, the battalion, after nearly six months of continuous action,
882-1142: The Royal Dragoon Guards , Royal Lancers , and King's Royal Hussars . Similarly, motorised infantry have trucks and other unarmed vehicles for non-combat movement, but are still infantry since they leave their vehicles for any combat. Most modern infantry have vehicle transport, to the point where infantry being motorised is generally assumed, and the few exceptions might be identified as modern light infantry . Mechanised infantry go beyond motorised, having transport vehicles with combat abilities, armoured personnel carriers (APCs), providing at least some options for combat without leaving their vehicles. In modern infantry, some APCs have evolved to be infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), which are transport vehicles with more substantial combat abilities, approaching those of light tanks . Some well-equipped mechanised infantry can be designated as armoured infantry . Given that infantry forces typically also have some tanks, and given that most armoured forces have more mechanised infantry units than tank units in their organisation,
945-686: The Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) on 1 April 1967, was disbanded on 1 April 1971 to form D (Hallamshire) Company in 3rd Battalion, Yorkshire Volunteers . Infantry Infantry is a specialization of military personnel who engage in warfare combat . Infantry generally consists of light infantry , irregular infantry , heavy infantry , mountain infantry , motorized infantry , mechanized infantry , airborne infantry , air assault infantry , and naval infantry . Other types of infantry, such as line infantry and mounted infantry , were once commonplace but fell out of favor in
1008-442: The ballista , trebuchet , and battering ram . Modern versions include machine guns , anti-tank missiles , and infantry mortars . Beginning with the development the first regular military forces, close-combat regular infantry fought less as unorganised groups of individuals and more in coordinated units, maintaining a defined tactical formation during combat, for increased battlefield effectiveness; such infantry formations and
1071-662: The 1/4th Battalion. After months of training, in April 1915 the battalion was moved to the Western Front , where it remained for the rest of the war. The battalion was still part of the 3rd West Riding Brigade of the West Riding Division, which in May became the 148th (3rd West Riding) Brigade and 49th (West Riding) Division , respectively, and was sent to the Ypres Salient by June. Over the next six months
1134-469: The 1800s with the invention of more accurate and powerful weapons. In English, use of the term infantry began about the 1570s, describing soldiers who march and fight on foot. The word derives from Middle French infanterie , from older Italian (also Spanish) infanteria (foot soldiers too inexperienced for cavalry), from Latin īnfāns (without speech, newborn, foolish), from which English also gets infant . The individual-soldier term infantryman
1197-480: The 20 officers and 600 men who had started the advance. The war came to an end just under a month later, due to the Armistice with Germany . The 2/4th (Hallamshire) Battalion was formed at Sheffield on 21 September 1914, composed mainly of officers and men who, for various reasons, had chosen not to volunteer for Imperial Service. In March 1915 the battalion became part of the 187th (2/3rd West Riding) Brigade of
1260-527: The American all-purpose lightweight individual carrying equipment (ALICE). Infantrymen are defined by their primary arms – the personal weapons and body armour for their own individual use. The available technology, resources, history, and society can produce quite different weapons for each military and era, but common infantry weapons can be distinguished in a few basic categories. Infantrymen often carry secondary or back-up weapons, sometimes called
1323-524: The Hallamshires were involved in the attack on Fontenay-le-Pesnel ( Operation Martlet ) against the 26th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment, 12th SS Panzer Division . The attack was successful but at the expense of 123 members of the battalion killed or wounded. To this day, former members of the battalion at that time still celebrate the victory as the Fontenay Club. The battalion was involved in
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#17327941340931386-507: The Swiss, English, Aragonese and German, to men-at-arms who went into battle as well-armoured as knights, the latter of which at times also fought on foot. The creation of standing armies —permanently assembled for war or defence—saw increase in training and experience. The increased use of firearms and the need for drill to handle them efficiently. The introduction of national and mass armies saw an establishment of minimum requirements and
1449-443: The arms they used developed together, starting with the spear and the shield. A spear has decent attack abilities with the additional advantage keeping opponents at distance; this advantage can be increased by using longer spears, but this could allow the opponent to side-step the point of the spear and close for hand-to-hand combat where the longer spear is near useless. This can be avoided when each spearman stays side by side with
1512-563: The battalion lost 94 officers and men killed and 401 injured in the attritional war of the trenches . After a period of rest in Calais they moved to the Somme . On the first day of the Battle of the Somme , 1 July 1916, the battalion was part of the follow-up assault wave. During the next three months of the campaign the Hallamshires lost 27 officers and 750 soldiers killed and wounded. During
1575-604: The battalion served in the Nijmegen salient and participated in the liberation of Arnhem in April 1945, their final action of the war. Eleven months had seen the battalion suffer 158 officers and other ranks killed and 689 wounded or missing. The 6th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment was formed as a second-line TA duplicate of the Hallamshire Battalion in August 1939, containing a number of former members of
1638-582: The battalion went to France, and the following month experienced heavy fighting in the St Omer-La Bassée area. Taking part in the Dunkirk evacuation , the battalion returned to England in June 1940 and remained there on anti-invasion duties for the next two-and-a-half years. In early 1943 the battalion, now commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Kendrew , together with the rest of the 46th Division,
1701-593: The capture of the docks at Le Havre before the Germans could destroy the vital installations. Here they captured 1,005 prisoners, three Dornier flying boats and a submarine. In September, the Hallamshires crossed the Antwerp-Turnhout canal and for his part in a subsequent action, Corporal John William Harper was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his heroism. During the winter months,
1764-411: The carrying burden is spread across several infantrymen. In all, this can reach 25–45 kg (60–100 lb) for each soldier on the march. Such heavy infantry burdens have changed little over centuries of warfare; in the late Roman Republic, legionaries were nicknamed " Marius' mules " as their main activity seemed to be carrying the weight of their legion around on their backs, a practice that predates
1827-463: The distinction between mechanised infantry and armour forces has blurred. The first military forces in history were infantry. In antiquity , infantry were armed with early melee weapons such as a spear , axe , or sword , or an early ranged weapon like a javelin , sling , or bow , with a few infantrymen being expected to use both a melee and a ranged weapon. With the development of gunpowder , infantry began converting to primarily firearms . By
1890-455: The enemy to prepare for the main forces' battlefield attack, protecting them from flanking manoeuvers , and then afterwards either pursuing the fleeing enemy or covering their army's retreat. After the fall of Rome, the quality of heavy infantry declined, and warfare was dominated by heavy cavalry , such as knights , forming small elite units for decisive shock combat , supported by peasant infantry militias and assorted light infantry from
1953-442: The eponymous Gaius Marius . When combat is expected, infantry typically switch to "packing light", meaning reducing their equipment to weapons, ammunition, and other basic essentials, and leaving other items deemed unnecessary with their transport or baggage train , at camp or rally point, in temporary hidden caches, or even (in emergencies) simply discarding the items. Additional specialised equipment may be required, depending on
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2016-400: The existence of any organised military, likely started essentially as loose groups without any organisation or formation. But this changed sometime before recorded history ; the first ancient empires (2500–1500 BC) are shown to have some soldiers with standardised military equipment, and the training and discipline required for battlefield formations and manoeuvres: regular infantry . Though
2079-434: The expected duration of time operating away from their unit's base, plus any special mission-specific equipment. One of the most valuable pieces of gear is the entrenching tool —basically a folding spade —which can be employed not only to dig important defences, but also in a variety of other daily tasks, and even sometimes as a weapon. Infantry typically have shared equipment on top of this, like tents or heavy weapons, where
2142-889: The individual – weapons using personal strength and force, such as larger swinging swords, axes, and clubs. These take more room and individual freedom to swing and wield, necessitating a more loose organisation. While this may allow for a fierce running attack (an initial shock advantage) the tighter formation of the heavy spear and shield infantry gave them a local manpower advantage where several might be able to fight each opponent. Thus tight formations heightened advantages of heavy arms, and gave greater local numbers in melee. To also increase their staying power, multiple rows of heavy infantrymen were added. This also increased their shock combat effect; individual opponents saw themselves literally lined-up against several heavy infantryman each, with seemingly no chance of defeating all of them. Heavy infantry developed into huge solid block formations, up to
2205-422: The introduction of special troops (first of them the engineers going back to medieval times, but also different kinds of infantry adopted to specific terrain, bicycle, motorcycle, motorised and mechanised troops) culminating with the introduction of highly trained special forces during the first and second World War. Naval infantry, commonly known as marines , are primarily a category of infantry that form part of
2268-486: The journey home when one of their transports was sunk. The battalion spent the next two years "defending" Iceland and training as Alpine troops before returning to Scotland for garrison duties and to prepare for the invasion of North West Europe . The Hallamshires landed in France on D+3, 9 June 1944, three days after the initial invasion on D-Day , and moved into the front line four days later. Twelve days after landing
2331-725: The lower classes. Towards the end of Middle Ages, this began to change, where more professional and better trained light infantry could be effective against knights, such as the English longbowmen in the Hundred Years' War . By the start of the Renaissance , the infantry began to return to a larger role, with Swiss pikemen and German Landsknechts filling the role of heavy infantry again, using dense formations of pikes to drive off any cavalry. Dense formations are vulnerable to ranged weapons. Technological developments allowed
2394-417: The main enemy lines, using weight of numbers to achieve a decisive victory , and were usually equipped with heavier weapons and armour to fit their role. Light infantry, such as Greek peltasts , Balearic slingers , and Roman velites , using open formations and greater manoeuvrability, took on most other combat roles: scouting , screening the army on the march, skirmishing to delay, disrupt, or weaken
2457-447: The main force of the army, these forces were usually kept small due to their cost of training and upkeep, and might be supplemented by local short-term mass-conscript forces using the older irregular infantry weapons and tactics; this remained a common practice almost up to modern times. Before the adoption of the chariot to create the first mobile fighting forces c. 2000 BC , all armies were pure infantry. Even after, with
2520-487: The mid 17th century began replacement of the pike with the infantry square replacing the pike square. To maximise their firepower, musketeer infantry were trained to fight in wide lines facing the enemy, creating line infantry . These fulfilled the central battlefield role of earlier heavy infantry, using ranged weapons instead of melee weapons. To support these lines, smaller infantry formations using dispersed skirmish lines were created, called light infantry, fulfilling
2583-595: The mission or to the particular terrain or environment, including satchel charges , demolition tools, mines , or barbed wire , carried by the infantry or attached specialists. Historically, infantry have suffered high casualty rates from disease , exposure, exhaustion and privation — often in excess of the casualties suffered from enemy attacks. Better infantry equipment to support their health, energy, and protect from environmental factors greatly reduces these rates of loss, and increase their level of effective action. Health, energy, and morale are greatly influenced by how
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2646-657: The naval forces of states and perform roles on land and at sea, including amphibious operations , as well as other, naval roles. They also perform other tasks, including land warfare, separate from naval operations. Air force infantry and base defense forces are used primarily for ground-based defense of air bases and other air force facilities. They also have a number of other, specialist roles. These include, among others, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) defence and training other airmen in basic ground defense tactics. Infentory 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division The 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division
2709-662: The original Hallamshires, although the 6th Battalion did not include the 'Hallamshire' in its title. The battalion was created upon the doubling of the TA in March 1939 due to the increasing possibility of war with Germany. The battalion was part of the 138th Infantry Brigade of the 46th Infantry Division and, upon the declaration of war in September 1939, spent much of its early existence in England guarding vulnerable points. In April 1940
2772-400: The others in close formation, each covering the ones next to him, presenting a solid wall of spears to the enemy that they cannot get around. Similarly, a shield has decent defence abilities, but is literally hit-or-miss; an attack from an unexpected angle can bypass it completely. Larger shields can cover more, but are also heavier and less manoeuvrable, making unexpected attacks even more of
2835-560: The outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, most men of the battalion volunteered for Imperial Service (as, due to the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 , members of the Territorial Force were not liable for overseas service without their consent), with the men who, for various reasons, were unwilling or unable being posted to the 2/4th Battalion, with the original Hallamshire Battalion being redesignated
2898-458: The raising of large numbers of light infantry units armed with ranged weapons, without the years of training expected for traditional high-skilled archers and slingers. This started slowly, first with crossbowmen , then hand cannoneers and arquebusiers , each with increasing effectiveness, marking the beginning of early modern warfare , when firearms rendered the use of heavy infantry obsolete. The introduction of musketeers using bayonets in
2961-683: The rest of the war the Hallamshires suffered many more casualties including 288 in the first use of Mustard Gas at Nieuwpoort in July 1917. In the final Allied Advance to Victory, more commonly known as the Hundred Days Offensive , the Hallamshires were ordered on 13 October 1918 to reach the line of the river Selle which was supposedly undefended on the western bank. They advanced across open ground without artillery support to find strongly defended enemy positions. They achieved their objective but with only 4 officers and 240 men present of
3024-1041: The same multiple roles as earlier light infantry. Their arms were no lighter than line infantry; they were distinguished by their skirmish formation and flexible tactics. The modern rifleman infantry became the primary force for taking and holding ground on battlefields as an element of combined arms . As firepower continued to increase, use of infantry lines diminished, until all infantry became light infantry in practice. Modern classifications of infantry have since expanded to reflect modern equipment and tactics, such as motorised infantry , mechanised or armoured infantry , mountain infantry , marine infantry , and airborne infantry . Beyond main arms and armour, an infantryman's "military kit" generally includes combat boots , battledress or combat uniform , camping gear , heavy weather gear, survival gear , secondary weapons and ammunition , weapon service and repair kits, health and hygiene items, mess kit , rations , filled water canteen , and all other consumables each infantryman needs for
3087-723: The soldier is fed, so militaries issue standardised field rations that provide palatable meals and enough calories to keep a soldier well-fed and combat-ready. Communications gear has become a necessity, as it allows effective command of infantry units over greater distances, and communication with artillery and other support units. Modern infantry can have GPS , encrypted individual communications equipment, surveillance and night vision equipment, advanced intelligence and other high-tech mission-unique aids. Armies have sought to improve and standardise infantry gear to reduce fatigue for extended carrying, increase freedom of movement, accessibility, and compatibility with other carried gear, such as
3150-464: The time of Napoleonic warfare , infantry, cavalry and artillery formed a basic triad of ground forces, though infantry usually remained the most numerous. With armoured warfare , armoured fighting vehicles have replaced the horses of cavalry, and airpower has added a new dimension to ground combat, but infantry remains pivotal to all modern combined arms operations. The first warriors, adopting hunting weapons or improvised melee weapons, before
3213-445: The time of the musket, the dominance of firepower shifted militaries away from any close combat, and use of armour decreased, until infantry typically went without wearing any armour. Helmets were added back during World War I as artillery began to dominate the battlefield, to protect against their fragmentation and other blast effects beyond a direct hit. Modern developments in bullet-proof composite materials like kevlar have started
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#17327941340933276-531: The tribal host assembled from farmers and hunters with only passing acquaintance with warfare and masses of lightly armed and ill-trained militia put up as a last ditch effort. Kushite king Taharqa enjoyed military success in the Near East as a result of his efforts to strengthen the army through daily training in long-distance running. In medieval times the foot soldiers varied from peasant levies to semi-permanent companies of mercenaries, foremost among them
3339-579: The unit became a volunteer battalion for the York and Lancaster Regiment and was renamed the 1st (Hallamshire) Volunteer Battalion in February 1883. The Hallamshires (in common with other Volunteer units) raised a second "active service" battalion. They were awarded the battle honour South Africa 1900-1902 . In 1908 they were redesignated as the 4th ( Territorial ) Battalion . A year later it regained its title becoming 4th (Hallamshire) Battalion . Upon
3402-618: The war ended. All three battalions were disbanded after the war in 1919. The Territorial Force was reformed on 7 February 1920, and in 1921 was reorganised as the Territorial Army (TA) and the original Hallamshire Battalion was, in 1924, the number was dropped by order of King George V in recognition of their war service and the battalion was known as simply The Hallamshire Battalion , Yorks and Lancs. The Hallamshire Battalion saw action in World War II , and would serve with
3465-504: The war, returning home in 1946, when, after merging with the 6th Battalion, it was disbanded, only to be reformed in 1947. In 1950 the battalion was converted into a motorised infantry role. The 6th Battalion was sent to Austria after the war, where it remained until 1946 before returning to the United Kingdom the same year where it merged with the original Hallamshire Battalion. The Hallamshire (Territorial) Battalion, reformed in
3528-613: The weapon speciality; examples of infantry units that retained such names are the Royal Irish Fusiliers and the Grenadier Guards . Dragoons were created as mounted infantry , with horses for travel between battles; they were still considered infantry since they dismounted before combat. However, if light cavalry was lacking in an army, any available dragoons might be assigned their duties; this practice increased over time, and dragoons eventually received all
3591-452: The weapons and training as both infantry and cavalry, and could be classified as both. Conversely, starting about the mid-19th century, regular cavalry have been forced to spend more of their time dismounted in combat due to the ever-increasing effectiveness of enemy infantry firearms. Thus most cavalry transitioned to mounted infantry. As with grenadiers, the dragoon and cavalry designations can be retained long after their horses, such as in
3654-519: Was an infantry division of the British Army that saw active service on the Western Front during the First World War . During the First World War the division fought on the Western Front at Bullecourt in the Battle of Arras and Havrincourt in the Battle of Cambrai . During Operation Michael , in 1918, they were in the line near Arras and in the Second Battle of the Marne , in
3717-600: Was formed in March 1915, with the same initial role of the 2/4th Battalion, of supplying drafts of replacements to the 1/4th and 2/4th Battalions, and moved to Clipstone , Nottinghamshire . In April 1916 the battalion was redesignated as the 4th Reserve Battalion and in September absorbed the 5th Reserve Battalion as part of the West Riding Reserve Brigade . In October 1917 the battalion moved to Rugeley , Staffordshire , later Woodbridge, Suffolk and finally Southend-on-Sea , Essex , where they were when
3780-510: Was not coined until 1837. In modern usage, foot soldiers of any era are now considered infantry and infantrymen. From the mid-18th century until 1881, the British Army named its infantry as numbered regiments "of Foot" to distinguish them from cavalry and dragoon regiments (see List of Regiments of Foot ). Infantry equipped with special weapons were often named after that weapon, such as grenadiers for their grenades , or fusiliers for their fusils . These names can persist long after
3843-399: Was not common), similar to modern sections (squads) , companies , and regiments . The training of the infantry has differed drastically over time and from place to place. The cost of maintaining an army in fighting order and the seasonal nature of warfare precluded large permanent armies. The antiquity saw everything from the well-trained and motivated citizen armies of Greece and Rome,
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#17327941340933906-551: Was sent to French North Africa where it became part of the British First Army and fought in the Tunisian Campaign , notable in the final stages of the Battle of Kasserine Pass in late February, until the campaign ended in mid-May, with the battalion capturing thousands of Axis soldiers. After spending three months resting, refitting and training, the battalion then, in early September 1943, took part in
3969-788: Was withdrawn to Egypt and later Palestine to rest and refit, after suffering very heavy losses. Returning to Italy in July the battalion fought on the Gothic Line , before, in December 1944, being sent to Greece and returning again to Italy in April 1945. However, the battalion took no part in Operation Grapeshot , the final offensive of the Italian Campaign, and instead moved into Austria for occupation duties in May. The Hallamshire Battalion remained in Germany after
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