Price: £22.00
The Isle of Wight Rifles were formed in an age of patriotism and duty to meet a threat of invasion more imagined than actual, and then reformed to meet a very real danger to the nation. When they finally saw action it was as part of a last desperate gamble in an already compromised campaign. From their ill-conceived first action to the deadly attrition due to climate, disease and a determined foe defending their homeland, they endured that bye-word for failure – Gallipoli.
In Egypt they manned Suze Canal defences, and from there as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, they took part in the bloody battles for Gaza. Seasoned veterans by now, their deadly raid on a strongly held redoubt was hailed as one of the finest operations of its type of the campaign.
They trudged and fought their way through Palestine to Lebanon, captured villages and stormed hills. Eventually they were rewarded with victory and peace, but instead of coming home they spent a year garrisoning one of the hottest outposts of Empire in Africa. They were the men of the 8th Battalion Hampshire Regiment, Princess Beatrice’s Isle of Wight Rifles, and this is their story.
Hardback book, 343 Pages including many photos, with list of soldiers of the battalion.
1 in stock
