2nd Battalion, The Leinster Regiment were at Cork with 17th Brigade in 6th Division when war was declared in August 1914. They returned to England and moved Cambridge on the 18th of August then on to Newmarket. They proceeded to France on the 12th of September 1914 landing at St Nazaire. They marched at once across to the Aisne to reinforce the hard-pressed BEF. In mid October 1915 they transferred to 73rd Brigade, 24th Division. In 1916 they suffered in the German gas attack at Wulverghem and then moved to The Somme seeing action in The Battle of Delville Wood and The Battle of Guillemont. In 1917 they were in action at The Battle of Vimy Ridge in the Spring, The Battle of Messines in June and Third Battle of Ypres in October before moving south where they were in action during The Cambrai Operations when the Germans counter attacked. On the 1st of February 1918 the transferred to 47th Brigade in 16th (Irish) Division at Tincourt and absorbed troops from disbanded 7th Btn. On the 13th of April 1918 they absorbed troops from disbanded 6th Connaught Rangers and on the 23rd of April 1918, transferred to 88th Brigade in 29th Division. They were in action during the Advance in Flanders, including the The capture of Ploegsteert and Hill 63. After the Armistice 29th Division selected to occupy the Rhine bridgeheads in Germany and they crossed the Belgian-German border at Malmedy on the 4th of December 1918 and arrived in Cologne on the 9th. The 29th Division was demobilised in early 1919.
