John Thomas Handley

Fusilier John Handley served with the 6th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers which formed part of 38th (Irish) Brigade.

The Battalion landed in Algeria in November 1942 and between 1942 and 1944 saw action in Tunisia, Sicily and Italy. The Battalion was disbanded in 1944.

John was killed in Tunisia on 13 January 1943 during the first attack on Two Tree Hill; he had initially been reported 'missing believed killed'. John was one of 144 men in the Brigade who were killed in January 1943; over 1,000 died during the Tunisian and Italian campaigns.

John is buried in Medjez-el-Bab War Cemetery, Tunisia (grave ref 2.H.18).

'The Battle of Bou Arada. A forward observation post held by the Germans was known as "Two Tree" Hill as on its highest point two trees grew. It was important to take the hill as it had advantageous position commanding all the approaches for many miles around. On the evening of 10 January a patrol of German tanks, about fifteen strong, approached and reached the outskirts of Bou Arada but were driven back. Observation revealed that a strong force of infantry and tanks was seven miles north of Bou Arada making the place a focal point for an attack by the Allied forces. The attack was launched by the French who were commanding strong points and bridges approaching the town. The French were supported by troops of the 6th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers (38th Infantry Brigade, 6th Armoured Division). Very heavy losses were suffered by the Inniskilling Fusiliers; in one company only five soldiers returned alive. 13 January 1943.' (www.iwm.org.uk)

CWGC History of Medjez-el-Bab War Cemetery: The Cemetery is about 60km west of Tunis. 'In May 1943, the war in North Africa came to an end in Tunisia with the defeat of the Axis powers by a combined Allied force. The campaign began on 8 November 1942, when Commonwealth and American troops made a series of landings in Algeria and Morocco. The Germans responded immediately by sending a force from Sicily to northern Tunisia, which checked the Allied advance east in early December. In the south, the Axis forces defeated at El Alamein withdrew into Tunisia along the coast through Libya, pursued by the Allied Eighth Army. By mid April 1943, the combined Axis force was hemmed into a small corner of north-eastern Tunisia and the Allies were grouped for their final offensive. Medjez-el-Bab was at the limit of the Allied advance in December 1942 and remained on the front line until the decisive Allied advances of April and May 1943.' (www.cwgc.org)

Sources: www.wartimeni.com, www.irishbrigade.co.uk/roll-honour, www.facebook.com/inniskillngsmuseum

CWGC Additional information: Husband of Fanny Handley, of Old Basford, Nottingham.

CWGC headstone personal inscription: 'We shall meet again to be parted no more then undivided by a foreign shore'

Casualty Lists: Expeditionary Forces, North Africa (cont). Missing believed killed. 6th Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Six names including Handley TJ.
Casualty Lists: Expeditionary Forces, North Africa (cont). Previously reported missing believed killed 13 January 1943 now reported killed in action. 6th Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. 6981851 Handley Fus. JT. List 1047 13.1.43

Nottingham Evening Post, 18 February 1943. Report with photograph. ‘Local War Casualties. The death of Fus. JT Handley, Royal Inniskillings, of 28, Wicklow-street, Old Basford, was reported yesterday.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)