CSM. Reginald John Shilleto
British Army 1st Btn. Duke of Wellington Regiment (West Riding)
from:York
(d.6th May 1943)
In World War II, the 1st Battalion West Riding Regiment was immediately sent to France as part of the British 3rd Infantry Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division of 1st Corps of the BEF. During the retreat to Dunkirk, the 'Dukes' forming part of the rearguard. The 'Dukes' fought in North Africa, fighting with distinction in a number of actions and gaining several Battle Honours, as part of the 3rd Brigade. They fought at the Battle of Medjez Plain, as well as the Battle of Banana Ridge and the Battle of Djebel bou Aoukaz. The 'Bou' was a ridge dominating the Medjez el Bab to Tunis road. The feature had been reached, on 27th of April 1943, by elements of the Scots Guards after first taking 'Pt 171', another hill before the Bou. However they were too weak in numbers to hold it from being retaken by a strong German counter-attack, on 30 April.
On the evening of 5 May, the Dukes attacked, from the 5th Grenadier Guards positions at Pt 171, with support on the right from the King's Shropshire Light Infantry (KLSI), from ground held by the Gordon's. By nightfall the Dukes and the KSLI had control of the Bou, apart from the actual peak (Pt 226). A heavy counterattack by the Germans against the KSLI, at midnight, was fought off with considerable casualties to the KSLI. The Germans then switched their attention to the 'Dukes' on the Bou, engaging them with mortar and machine guns, plus snipers from their positions on the peak. By midday the Dukes had taken the peak and removed the last German forces, at a cost of 31 killed and 83 wounded.
