A 16th DLI Chronology

In late 1945 in Austria, the Battalion produced its own magazine, Geordie, which, under the editorship of Major L E Stringer, ran for five issues through to the disbanding of the Battalion in February 1946. A series of four articles were published in Geordie under the heading, The 16th DLI in Retrospect 1940-46.

Special thanks to Alex ‘Jock’ Gray for loaning me his copies of these now extremely rare magazines, from which I have transcribed this very evocative short history of the Battalion--click on the links below. I have added some photographs and other illustrations to the right of each page, written the odd abbreviation in full and also included footnotes as appropriate, but otherwise the articles are exactly as written in late 1945.

The First Six Months: Scotland Part One: July to December 1940

Scotland Part Two

Training in Norfolk and Kent Part One: January to March 1942

Norfolk and Kent Part Two: March to December 1942

Overseas North Africa Part One: December 1942 to January 1943

North Africa Part Two: January to March 1943 (Sedjenane)

16th DLI CSMs 1942-43 (Photo Enlargements)

North Africa Part Three: March 1943 to August 1943 (Sidi Barka)

Italy, Greece and Austria Part One: August to September 1943 (Salerno)

Part Two: September to November 1943 (Vietri Defile, Volturno Crossing)

Part Three: November 1943 to January 1944 (Camino)

Part Four: February to September 1944 (Gothic Line)

Part Five: September 1944 to July 1945 (Greece, VE Day, Austria)

Part Six: July 1945 to February 1946 (Austria to Disbandment)

A Sketch Map of the Battalion’s Travels 1940-46

Alex Gray, standing, with fellow despatch rider Tommy Broughton in Italy in 1943-44. Pte Gray was called up into the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment in January 1940 (5950448) and trained as a Signaller. Transferred to the 16th DLI in July 1940, he was with the Battalion through to its disbandment in Austria in 1946. Courtesy Alex Gray.