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7th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
In October 1940 the battalion was redesignated the 7th Battalion, Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was formed in October 1940 by the redesignation of the 50th (Holding) Battalion, which had been formed on the 3rd of June 1940. In February 1941, they joined 167th (London) Infantry Brigade, serving alongside the 8th and 9th Battalions, Royal Fusiliers in 56th (London) Infantry Division.
In late August 1942, the division was sent to the Persia and Iraq Command In April 1943 the battalion made a 3,000-mile road move from Iraq to Tunisia and made a successful attack at Enfidaville. 7th Ox and Bucks took part in the landings at Salerno in September 1943 and then the Anzio landings in February 1944 sustaining heavy casualties on both occassions, with only 60 men remaining after the fighting at Anzio.
In late March, 56 Division was transferred to Egypt to rest. The 7th Ox and Bucks were reinforced by large numbers of anti-aircraft gunners of the Royal Artillery whose original roles were now redundant. The battalion returned to Italy in July and fwere in action around the Gothic Line near Gemmano, again sustaining heavy losses. On 23 September 1944 the 7th Ox and Bucks was reduced to a small cadre, placed in 'suspended animation' and transferred to the non-operational 168th Brigade, where the remaining men were used as replacements for the 2/5th, 2/6th and 2/7th battalions of the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey), 169th (Queen's) Brigade, 56th Division. The battalion was finally disbanded on the 1st of January 1945.
12th Sep 1943 Line Reinforced
13th Sep 1943 Stand to
14th Sep 1943 Stand to
15th September 1943 Attacks Made
17th of September 1943 Shelling
12th Oct 1943 Crossing Attempted
14th Oct 1943 Recce Patrol
15th Oct 1943 Patrol
16th Oct 1943 River Crossing
17th Oct 1943 Advance
29th Oct 1943 Attack Made
30th Oct 1943 Advance
30th Oct 1943 Progress Made
31st Oct 1943 Mines
2nd Nov 1943 New Positions
4th Nov 1943 Quiet
2nd Dec 1943 In Action
16th Dec 1943 Reliefs Complete
17th Dec 1943 Patrols
18th Dec 1943 Patrols
19th Dec 1943 Aircraft shot down
20th Dec 1943 Shelling
13th Sep 1944 On the Move
If you can provide any additional information, especially on actions and locations at specific dates, please add it here.
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Those known to have served with 7th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Cushing Charles. Pte.
- Evans David Daniel. Pte. (d.9th May 1943)
- Foreland George Arthur. Pte.
- Hodgetts J A.
- Lewis Reginald. Pte.
- Miller Charles Edward. Pte.
- Sheard Robert. Cpl
- Smith Mark. Cpl. (d.16th Sep 1944)
- Thomas Benjamin Islwwyn. Pte (d.29th September 1944)
- West Arthur. Pte. (d.23rd January 1944)
- Williams John Ernest. Pte
- Williams Walter Reginald. Cpl.
- Wyeth James. Pte.
The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please
Add a Name to this List
Records of 7th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry from other sources.
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Want to know more about 7th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry? There are:1341 items tagged 7th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Pte. Charles Edward Miller Somerset Light Infantry My father Charles Miller was initially in the Somerset Light Infantry before being transferred to the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry.
I believe he was in North Africa before going to Italy. He was wounded in the Monte Cassino Campaign on the 22nd of January 1944.
He was transferred to the 7th Battalion of the Oxford and Bucks LI with a draft of 36 other soldiers from an unrecorded battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry on 5th October 1943. He was medically discharged from the Ox and Bucks on 22nd of October 1944.
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Pte. Reginald Lewis 7th Btn. Ox and Bucks Light Infantry Reginald Lewis transferred into 7th Ox and Bucks from Somerset Light Infantry, 6 months service after joining as a volunteer, he had been exempt as a farmer.
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Pte. George Arthur Foreland 7th Btn. Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry My father, George Arthur Foreland, saw active service during the Italian Offensive in 1944 and 1945. He was posted to the 4th Battalion Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry in February 1944 aged 18. At the beginning of September 1944 he was transferred to the 7th Battalion Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry.
As a Lance Corporal he transferred to the 2/7th (Southwark) Battalion of the Queen's Royal Regiment, part of the 169th Brigade, 56th Division.
In June 1945 he transferred to the 5th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment. He was discharged in October 1947 with the rank of sergeant.
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Cpl. Mark Smith 7th Btn. Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry (d.16th Sep 1944) This is a true copy of the letter my mother received when she made inquiries with regard to my father Mark Smith's death:
From. Major R. Close Brooks DSO. now, 2/7 The Queens Royal Regiment, C.M.F. 3 Mar. 45
Dear Mrs. Smith.
5381068 Cpl Smith M.
The War Office have written to say that you would like to hear further details of your husband's death. As the Oxford & Bucks are now disbanded, it has been difficult to trace any men who were present at the time.
However, 969873 Pte. Dore C. now of this unit states that Lt. Pollard and 8 men including Cpl. Smith and himself went out on patrol. In case of ambush Pte Dore and another were ordered to remain well behind.
As the patrol approached a house, German machine guns suddenly opened up from all sides and the patrol was overrun.
Two days later the ground was captured and your husband's body and those of two others were found. Much later Lt. Pollard and Pte. Brookes were reported Prisoners of War.
Your husband died doing his duty during the battle for the Gothic Line in the area North of Montefiore and Gemmano, and West of Mondaino, on the Adriatic side.
You will have the details of the grave already and later you will be sent a photograph of it.
I offer you my deepest sympathy in your great loss.
Yours sincerely,
R. Close Brooks Major
Late 7th Oxf & Bucks Light Infantry
My Mother's name was Clementine Molly Smith
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Cpl Robert Sheard 7th Btn Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry      My grandad Robert Sheard, served in the 2nd World War, I think with the 7th Battalion of the Ox & Bucks but cannot be sure. He has only talked once about his time serving in the war about 10 or 11 years ago for a project my son was doing at primary school, and this is where all my information has come from.
I am unsure where he served for certain and have no idea of the dates but he did mention Palestine. I am sure he was in Egypt and somewhere in the Suez canal area as I have photos of him there dated 1942.
He definitely served in Italy as he was captured in Rimini in 1944 and was shocked when I realised he'd been a prisoner of war. He was taken to Stalag VII-A located at Moosburg an der Isar in Bavaria, a journey that took 3 days in the back of a cattle cart. He was liberated by General Patton on his way to Berlin in April 1945. He was demobbed soon after and home either just before or after his 25th birthday in June 1945, but I have a photo of him in an army uniform in 1946 with CPL Berry, Bateson and Smallman taken in Plymouth.
If anyone has information, photos or stories in connection with my grandad or the 7th Ox & Bucks can please get in touch. I would really like to know more about his time serving in the army, particularly the people he served with before, during and after the war.
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Pte. Charles "Mick" Cushing 7th Battalion. Ox & Bucks Light Infantry I never knew my father, Charles Cushing. I only have his service record which indicates he joined up in 1931 then served in India and Burma. During WW2 in India then France. He was possibly Court Marshalled and reduced to the ranks in March 1943. He was back up to Corporal but due to injuries and malaria he again lost rank due to hospitalization (in Scotland) many times. He was demobbed on the 29th of Oct 1949 to the reserve, his Military Conduct was Exemplary.
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