1st Ranger Battalion

After its entry into World War II on the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbour, (December 7, 1941), troops heading to Europe were stationed in Northern Ireland. The army’s 1st Ranger Battalion — an elite, special-operations, infantry unit — was formed on May 27th, 1942, and 600 soldiers, mostly from the 34th Division, were chosen from 1,500 volunteers by Captain (and then Major) William Darby (WP); Darby is shown in the third board. The unit was activated on June 19th, 1942, at the Sunnylands Camp in Carrickfergus (Wartime NI). The Rangers trained with British commandos at Achnacarry, Scotland, before seeing action (WWII Rangers) – the commando monument there was featured in a Red Hand Commando mural in Rathcoole.

These informational boards are on the side of the Sunnylands shops. There is also a memorial stone (Atlas Obscura) at the junction of Sunnylands Avenue and North Road, where the gates to the camp were located.