Carrick hosts North Irish Horse commemoration of the Battle for the Hitler Line

One of the hardest fought battles in the history of a local Army regiment has been recalled in Carrickfergus with the The North Irish Horse commemoration of the Battle for the Adolf Hitler Line.
Danny Kinahan, Honorary Colonel of the North Irish Horse, Canadian Defence Attaché, Colonel R Radford CD, Councillor Audrey Wales MBE Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and Her Majestys Deputy Lord Lieutenant for the County of Antrim, Dr Norman Walker at the commemoration in Carrickfergus. Picture by Darren Kidd / Press Eye.Danny Kinahan, Honorary Colonel of the North Irish Horse, Canadian Defence Attaché, Colonel R Radford CD, Councillor Audrey Wales MBE Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and Her Majestys Deputy Lord Lieutenant for the County of Antrim, Dr Norman Walker at the commemoration in Carrickfergus. Picture by Darren Kidd / Press Eye.
Danny Kinahan, Honorary Colonel of the North Irish Horse, Canadian Defence Attaché, Colonel R Radford CD, Councillor Audrey Wales MBE Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and Her Majestys Deputy Lord Lieutenant for the County of Antrim, Dr Norman Walker at the commemoration in Carrickfergus. Picture by Darren Kidd / Press Eye.

Her Majesty’s Deputy Lord Lieutenant for the County of Antrim, Dr Norman Walker attended a poignant commemoration of the bloody battle, along with the Canadian Defence Attaché, Colonel R Radford CD.

They undertook an act of remembrance and wreath laying to recall how many members of what is now B (North Irish Horse) Squadron of The Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry died in action during the battle, on May 23, 1944.

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The North Irish Horse Regiment went into battle supporting Canadian infantry in Italy in 1943.

At the North Irish Horse commemoration of the Battle for the Hitler Line in Carrickfergus.  Picture by Darren Kidd / Press Eye.At the North Irish Horse commemoration of the Battle for the Hitler Line in Carrickfergus.  Picture by Darren Kidd / Press Eye.
At the North Irish Horse commemoration of the Battle for the Hitler Line in Carrickfergus. Picture by Darren Kidd / Press Eye.

The battle achieved its aim – but at a terrible cost - with over 1,000 Canadians killed or missing and 34 officers and men of the North Irish Horse Regiment killed, 36 injured and 25 tanks destroyed.

The Commemoration of the Battle for the Adolf Hitler Line took place at the Carrickfergus Cenotaph with an act of remembrance being followed by a parade to St Nicholas Church, Carrickfergus for a service of remembrance.