The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (often referred to as the Royal Fusiliers or, simply, the Fusiliers) is an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

, part of the Queen's Division. Currently, the regiment has two

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions ...

s: the 1st battalion, part of the Regular Army, is an

armoured infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry units equipped with armored personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat (see also mechanized force). As defined by the United States Army, mechanized infantry is d ...

battalion based in

Tidworth Tidworth is a garrison, garrison town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in south-east Wiltshire, England, on the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain. Lying on both sides of the A338 road, A338 about north of the A303 road, A303 primary ro ...

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

, and the 5th battalion, part of the

Army Reserve A military reserve force is a military organization whose members have military and civilian occupations. They are not normally kept under arms, and their main role is to be available when their military requires additional manpower. Reserve ...

, recruits in the traditional fusilier recruiting areas across

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was largely unaffected by the infantry reforms that were announced in December 2004, but under the

Army 2020 Army 2020, was the name given to the restructuring of the British Army, in light of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review. Background The British Government gave an indication of its proposals for the future structure of the Army in ea ...

reduction in the size of the Army, its second battalion was merged into the first in 2014.

History

Royal Regiment of Fusiliers march in Rochdale

The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was formed on 23 April 1968 as part of the reforms of the British Army that saw the creation of ' large infantry regiments', by the amalgamation of the four English

Fusilier Fusilier is a name given to various kinds of soldiers; its meaning depends on the historical context. While fusilier is derived from the 17th-century French word ''fusil'' – meaning a type of flintlock musket – the term has been used in con ...

regiments: * Royal Northumberland Fusiliers * Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers *

Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. It was known as the 7th Regiment of Foot until the Childers Reforms of 1881. The regiment served in many wars ...

* Lancashire Fusiliers The 3rd battalion of the regiment saw active service in

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

during the

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

in 1991. All battalions were also deployed to

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is #Descriptions, variously described as ...

Operation Banner Operation Banner was the operational name for the British Armed Forces' operation in Northern Ireland from 1969 to 2007, as part of the Troubles. It was the longest continuous deployment in British military history. The British Army was initial ...

multiple times. In 2003, the 1 Fusiliers battlegroup was at the forefront of the coalition

invasion of Iraq The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...

, ultimately occupying the city of

Basra Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is han ...

. Over the next decade, the regiment carried out multiple operational tours of

1 RRF engage Iraqi Army positions with their 81mm Mortars

Chinook Lands with Royalm Marines Onboard in Afghanistan MOD 45149638

In 2006, elements of the second battalion were deployed to

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...

to support the

International Security Assistance Force The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by United Nations Security Council United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386, Resolution 1386 pursua ...

. Deployed to the town of Now Zad in

Helmand Province Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering area. The province contains 13 ...

, they rapidly found themselves fighting off a sustained

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...

attack that lasted for 107 days - the longest siege of British troops since

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. Over the following years, elements of the regiment deployed on several occasions to Afghanistan and saw heavy fighting. Most recently, the entire first battalion deployed to

Nahri Saraj District Grishk District ( ps, ګرشک ولسوالۍ) (population 114,200), also called Nahri Saraj District (), is a district in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. Its principal municipality is Grishk (population 48,546). Grishk Dam is located i ...

in Helmand in 2013, where they took part in mounted and dismounted infantry operations. The regiment received a reserve battalion, the 5th battalion, through the redesignation of the

Tyne-Tees Regiment The Tyne-Tees Regiment was a regiment of the British Territorial Army. The regiment was part of 15 (North East) Brigade and was the Territorial unit of infantry in the area stretching from Scarborough in North Yorkshire, to Alnwick in Northumbe ...

, on 1 April 2006. In September 2014, the second battalion was amalgamated with the first under

, forming just one regular battalion - an armoured infantry battalion under 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade.

Structure

Cold War

During the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...

, the regiment saw a massive expansion, expanding from three regular battalions to six battalions in just a few years. Below is a list of those units raised within the regiment during the era: Regulars * Regimental Headquarters, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, at the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...

* 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (Regular) * 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (Regular) * 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (Regular) – disbanded following

Options for Change Options for Change was a restructuring of the British Armed Forces in summer 1990 after the end of the Cold War. Until this point, UK military strategy had been almost entirely focused on defending Western Europe against the Soviet Armed Forces, ...

in 1992 * 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (Regular) – disbanded one year after formation, in 1969 TAVR (all disbanded in 1967) * 4th/5th Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers * 4th/5th/6th Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, disbanded in 1971 * 7th Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers * 7th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers * The City of London Battalion, Royal Fusiliers *

5th (Bury) Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers Fifth is the Ordinal number (linguistics), ordinal form of the number 5, five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth ...

Volunteers (from 1967) * The Fusilier Volunteers, redesignated as 5th (V) Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in 1968, redesignated again in 1992 following Options for Change as 5th (Warwickshire) Battalion, disbanded in 1999 * 6th (Volunteer) Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, redesignated in 1992 following Options for Change as 6th (Northumberland) Battalion * 8th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Queen's Fusiliers (City of London), formed in 1988 as joint TA unit with

Queen's Regiment The Queen's Regiment (QUEENS) was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1966 through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the Home Counties Brigade. Then, until 1971 the regiment remained one of the largest regiments in the ar ...

, headquarters at the TA Centre at St. John's Hill, Clapham Junction. On

Transition To War Transition to war (TTW) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military term referring to a period of international tension during which government and society move to an open (but not necessarily declared) war footing. The period after t ...

, would have provided guards & security for 50 Missile Regiment Royal Artillery, equipped with the nuclear-tipped Lance. Redesignated as The London Regiment in 1993 following Options for Change Bands (with battalion assignment after, if needed) *

Duke of Kent's Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...

– amalgamated with St George's Band RRF to form Normandy Band of the Queen's Division following Options for Change in 1992 * Saint George's Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers – amalgamated with Duke of Kent's Band RRF to form Normandy Band of the Queen's Division following Options for Change in 1992 * Warwickshire Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (5 RRF) * Northumbria Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (6 RRF)

First battalion

The first battalion is an armoured infantry battalion based in

Tidworth Camp Tidworth Camp is a military installation at Tidworth in Wiltshire, England. It forms part of the Tidworth, Netheravon and Bulford (TidNBul) Garrison. History The Camp was established when the War Office acquired a 19th-century mansion – Te ...

. Equipped with the

Warrior IFV The Warrior tracked vehicle family is a series of British armoured vehicles, originally developed to replace FV430 series armoured vehicles. The Warrior started life as the MCV-80, "Mechanised Combat Vehicle for the 1980s". One of the requirement ...

, the battalion is part of the army's 3rd Division and is held at high readiness as part of the army's armoured war-fighting reserve. In 2016, the battalion was the army's Lead Armoured Battlegroup and was held at extremely high readiness in case it was required to deploy anywhere in the world at short notice. The battalion is highly experienced with multiple deployments in the last two decades to

Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and Pars pro toto#Geography, often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of Southern Europe, south and southeast Euro ...

and

. Many soldiers from the second battalion with more experience joined the first battalion on the merger, increasing the operational experience within the ranks. More recently, the first battalion deployed around the world on exercise in places as diverse as

Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by th ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

, the

Baltic States The Baltic states, et, Balti riigid or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term, which currently is used to group three countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

. The first battalion also regularly works in support of the civil powers in the UK. In 2013, large elements of the battalion were deployed to

Wraysbury Wraysbury is a village and civil parish in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in England. It is under the western approach path of London Heathrow airport. It is located on the east bank of the River Thames, roughly midway between Winds ...

and the surrounding area to support the

flood relief Flood control methods are used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters."Flood Control", MSN Encarta, 2008 (see below: Further reading). Flood relief methods are used to reduce the effects of flood waters or high water levels ...

efforts. The battalion won the Army Boxing Championships in 2016, beating the second battalion of the Parachute Regiment in the final.

Fifth battalion

The Fifth battalion is a

Reserve Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US ...

battalion with its Regimental Headquarters in the northeast of

. As a battalion within the

3rd (United Kingdom) Division The 3rd (United Kingdom) Division is a regular army division of the British Army. It was created in 1809 by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, as part of the Anglo-Portuguese Army, for service in the Peninsular War, and was known as th ...

, the fifth battalion specialises in

operations and has deployed all over the world on operations and on exercise both as a formed unit and as individual augmentees to the first battalion. The fifth battalion is now paired with the first battalion and continues to support them in operations and on exercise. Fifth Fusiliers maintains subunits at the following locations: * RHQ -

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

* A Company -

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

* C (City of London) Company -

Balham Balham () is an area in south London, England, mostly within the London Borough of Wandsworth with small parts within the neighbouring London Borough of Lambeth. The area has been settled since Saxon times and appears in the Domesday Book as B ...

and Blackheath * Anti-Tank Platoon - Blackheath * W (Gallipoli) Company - Bury * X Company -

and

Hexham Hexham ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, on the south bank of the River Tyne, formed by the confluence of the North Tyne and the South Tyne at Warden nearby, and close to Hadrian's Wall. Hexham was the administra ...

* Z Company -

Alnwick Alnwick ( ) is a market town in Northumberland, England, of which it is the traditional county town. The population at the 2011 Census was 8,116. The town is on the south bank of the River Aln, south of Berwick-upon-Tweed and the Scottish bor ...

and

Cramlington Cramlington is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, 6 miles (9 kilometres) north of Newcastle upon Tyne, and 10 miles (16 kilometres) north of its city centre. The name suggests a probable founding by the Danes or Anglo-Saxons. T ...

* Recce Platoon -

Hackle

As a Fusilier regiment, the Fusiliers wear a

hackle The hackle is a clipped plume or short spray of coloured feathers that is attached to a military headdress, with different colours being associated with particular regiments. In the British Army and the armies of some Commonwealth countries, ...

– the red-over-white hackle of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. This distinction was originally a white plume which His Majesty's Fifth Regiment of Foot had taken from the headdress of fallen French troops at St. Lucia in December 1778. In 1829,

King George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten ye ...

ordered the white plume to be worn by all infantry regiments, and in order not to take away from the Fifth (Northumberland) Regiment of Foot's peculiar distinction and reflecting that they had won it in battle (according to legend the original plumes were stained red with the blood of their foes), their plume was differentiated by being made "half red and half white, the red uppermost, instead of the plain white feather worn by the rest of the army per the 1829 order, as a peculiar mark of honour."

Victoria Crosses

The combined

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...

es of the Fusiliers and its ancestor regiments total fifty five. Of particular note are the first and last Victoria Crosses of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

- won by Lt Dease and Pte Godley at

Mons Mons (; German and nl, Bergen, ; Walloon and pcd, Mont) is a city and municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the province of Hainaut, Belgium. Mons was made into a fortified city by Count Baldwin IV of Hainaut in the 12th century. T ...

in 1914 and Sgt Pearse in

North Russia Russian North (russian: Русский Север) is an ethnocultural region situated in the northwestern part of Russia. It spans the regions of Arkhangelsk Oblast, the Republic of Karelia, Komi Republic, Vologda Oblast and Nenets Autonomous O ...

in 1919 - and the famous "Six VCs Before Breakfast" won at

Gallipoli The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles s ...

on 25 April 1915.

Mascot

The regiment's traditional mascot is an Indian Blackbuck Antelope called Bobby, inherited from the Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers. However, Indian Blackbuck Antelopes are now protected under animal welfare rules and the Regiment has not been allowed one for several years. As a substitute, the Regiment uses an

Otterhound The Otterhound is a British dog breed. It is a scent hound and is currently recognised by the Kennel Club as a Vulnerable Native Breed with around 600 animals worldwide.

called George, who holds the rank of Fusilier and attends all the major parades in which the Regiment is involved.

Roses

To mark certain Regimental Days, the Fusiliers wear

roses A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be e ...

in their headdress and bedeck the Battalion Colours with garlands. The tradition comes from their victory at the

Battle of Minden The Battle of Minden was a major engagement during the Seven Years' War, fought on 1 August 1759. An Anglo-German army under the overall command of Prussian Field Marshal Ferdinand of Brunswick defeated a French army commanded by Marshal of Fr ...

, where, according to legend, soldiers marched at dawn to battle through rose fields and so went into action with the roses adorning their headdress. On

St Georges Day Saint George's Day is the feast day of Saint George, celebrated by Christian churches, countries, and cities of which he is the patron saint, including Bulgaria, England, Georgia, Portugal, Romania, Cáceres, Alcoy, Aragon and Catalonia. Sain ...

, they wear red and white roses. On

Minden Day {{Unreferenced, date=January 2017 Minden Day is a regimental anniversary celebrated on 1 August by certain units of the British Army. It commemorates the participation of the forerunners of the regiments in the Batt ...

, they wear red and yellow roses. New Fusilier Officers also must eat a rose at their first Minden Dinner on joining the Regiment. Soldier with 1RRF During Exercise Southern Warrior MOD 45156953

Soldier with 1RRF During Exercise Southern Warrior MOD 45156953

Colours

The Queen’s Colour of each battalion of the regiment is identical except for the battalion numeral. The field of this Colour is blue which is the same as the facing colour of the Regiment. The Regimental title is in gold in a crimson circle within a Union Wreath of roses, thistles and shamrocks. The Regimental title is in gold in a crimson circle within a Union Wreath of roses, thistles and shamrocks.

St George Saint George ( Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...

within the

Garter A garter is an article of clothing comprising a narrow band of fabric fastened about the leg to keep up stockings. In the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, they were tied just below the knee, where the leg is most slender, to keep the stocking f ...

, which is the centre badge, is on a crimson ground within the circle. The whole is ensigned with St Edward’s Crown. Forty battle honours, 20 in respect of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

and 20 in respect of

, are borne on scrolls in gold in three groups of six honours on each horizontal arm of St George’s Cross and one group of four honours on the lower vertical arm of the Cross. Honours are emblazoned in chronological order by theatres across the horizontal arm of the Cross and vertically on the lower arm of the Cross. The fringe is of crimson and gold alternate strands. Honorary distinction badges of the four former regiments are borne in each canton of the Colour: * The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers - The United red and white rose slipped ensigned with the

Royal Crest The royal arms of England are the arms first adopted in a fixed form at the start of the age of heraldry (circa 1200) as personal arms by the Plantagenet kings who ruled England from 1154. In the popular mind they have come to symbolise the ...

, in the upper canton nearer the pike. * Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers - On a mount vert an

Antelope The term antelope is used to refer to many species of even-toed ruminant that are indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelope comprise a wastebasket taxon defined as any of numerous Old World grazing and browsing hoofed mamm ...

statant argent, attired, tufted, ducally gorged and rope reflexed over the back, in the upper canton further from the pike. Soldiers with 1st Royal Regiment of Fusiliers MOD 45156526

Soldiers with 1st Royal Regiment of Fusiliers MOD 45156526

Royal Fusiliers The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. It was known as the 7th Regiment of Foot until the Childers Reforms of 1881. The regiment served in many wars ...

- On a mount vert the

White Horse of Hanover White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, in the lower canton nearer the pike. * Lancashire Fusiliers - The red rose of Lancaster with two petals uppermost, in the lower canton further from the pike and The Sphinx, superscribed on a scroll ‘

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...

’, immediately below the tie of the large laurel wreath bearing the Battle Honour scrolls. Finally, thirty-eight battle honours, which were borne on the Regimental Colours of the four former regiments, are emblazoned on gold scrolls placed on the branches of a large laurel wreath outside the Union Wreath. The Drummer’s Colour (or Wilhelmstahl Colour) is of gosling green silk edged with gold, embroidered with St George and the Dragon in the centre, with red scrolls edged with gold, above and below. The motto of the Northumberland Fusiliers ‘QUO FATA VOCANT’ is, on the upper scroll, and the word ‘NORTHUMBERLAND’ between V REGT, also in gold, on the lower scroll. A wreath of green laurel with red berries and the ‘slipped’ red and white rose surmounted by a crown in the four corners, makes up the design. This unusual third colour is traditionally carried by the youngest drummer on the annual St George's Day parade.

Band

A volunteer regimental band is sported by the

5th Battalion Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a contagious rash that ...

, based at the St George's Army Reserve Centre. Officially known as the Band and

Corps of Drums A Corps of Drums, also sometimes known as a Fife and Drum Corps, Fifes and Drums or simply Drums is a unit of several national armies. Drummers were originally established in European armies to act as signallers. The major historical distin ...

, it consists of 30 servicemen who marching in the

full dress uniform Full dress uniform, also known as a ceremonial dress uniform or parade dress uniform, is the most formal type of uniforms used by military, police, fire and other public uniformed services for official parades, ceremonies, and receptions, ...

of the regiment and performs by permission of the Commanding Officer of Fifth Fusiliers. The

corps of drums A Corps of Drums, also sometimes known as a Fife and Drum Corps, Fifes and Drums or simply Drums is a unit of several national armies. Drummers were originally established in European armies to act as signallers. The major historical distin ...

have a role in the band, leading parades and performing their

black light A blacklight, also called a UV-A light, Wood's lamp, or ultraviolet light, is a lamp that emits long-wave (UV-A) ultraviolet light and very little visible light. One type of lamp has a violet filter material, either on the bulb or in a sepa ...

show. Until the

Strategic Defence Review The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) was a British policy document produced in July 1998 by the Labour Government that had gained power a year previously. Then Secretary of State for Defence, George Robertson, set out the initial defence policy of ...

of 1998 the Regiment had two Territorial Army bands: the Northumberland Band of the 6th Battalion and the Warwickshire Band of the 5th Battalion. After the review, the Northumberland Band became the Northumbria Band of the Tyne-Tees Regiment while the Warwickshire Band was removed from the TA establishment and continued as a civilian band. In 2006, it was renamed to the Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The Lancashire Association Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers is also a volunteer band of the regiment.The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
/ref>

Previous active duty bands

In April 1968, each of the four regular battalions inherited a battalion band. In November 1969, the 4th battalion band was merged into the other three bands. The regiment chose to form two full size bands in 1984; one being titled as "The Duke of Kent's Band" and the other as "The St George's" Band.

Lineage of the regiment

Battle honours

The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers carries the combined

battle honour A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military t ...

s of its four antecedent regiments, as well as two honours obtained during the years of the regiment's own existence. There are a total of 40 representative honours each emblazoned on the Queen's Colour and Regimental Colour. *Combined

Battle Honours A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military t ...

of The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers *Combined

The Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, previously titled the 6th Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. The regiment saw service in many conflicts and wars, including the Second Boer War ...

*Combined

The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. It was known as the 7th Regiment of Foot until the Childers Reforms of 1881. The regiment served in many wars ...

*Combined

The Lancashire Fusiliers The Lancashire Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that saw distinguished service through many years and wars, including the Second Boer War, the First and Second World Wars, and had many different titles throughout its 28 ...

*Wadi al Batin,

Gulf 1991 A gulf is a large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all geographic areas so named. The term gulf was traditionally used for large highly-indented navigable bodies ...

, * Al Basrah, Iraq 2003

Regimental Colonels

Regimental Colonels have been: *1968–1974: Gen. Sir Kenneth Thomas Darling, GBE, KCB, DSO *1974–1977: Lt-Gen. Sir George Harris Lea, KCB, DSO, MBE *1977–1982: Lt-Gen. Sir Alexander James Wilson, KBE, MC *1982–1986: Maj-Gen. David Milner Woodford, CBE *1986–1996: Maj-Gen. Jeremy Calcott Reilly, DSO *1996–2001: Brig. David Arnold Kellett Biggart, OBE *2001–2007: Brig. Roy Maddox Wilde, CBE *2007–2012: Brig. Trevor J. Minter OBE DL *2012–2015: Brig. David J. Paterson, OBE *2015–2020: Maj-Gen. Paul Anthony Edward Nanson, CBE *2020-: Brig. J Swift OBE

Order of Seniority Within the Line of Battle

Alliances

* - HMS ''Diamond'' * - HMS ''Northumberland'' * Ensign of the Royal Air Force

RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

- No. 13 Squadron RAF * -

The Royal Canadian Regiment , colors = , identification_symbol_2 = Maple Leaf (2nd Bn pipes and drums) , identification_symbol_2_label = Tartan , identification_symbol_4 = The RCR , identification_symbol_4_label = Abbreviation , mar ...

* -

The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment) The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. It is part of the 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. Organization The sub-units of the Lorne Scots are situated in ...

* -

31 Combat Engineer Regiment (The Elgins) 31 Combat Engineer Regiment (31 CER or "The Elgin's"), is currently a combat engineer regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces, supporting 31 Canadian Brigade Group of the 4th Canadian Division (formerly Land Force Central Area). It consists of two ...

* -

The Royal Westminster Regiment The Royal Westminster Regiment (commonly referred to as the Westies) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. It is currently part of the 3rd Canadian Division's 39 Canadian Brigade Group and is based in New Westminster, Brit ...

* - Les Fusiliers du S^t-Laurent * - The Royal Victoria Regiment * - The Hauraki Regiment * The Worshipful Company of Mercers * The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers * The Worshipful Company of Fletchers

References

External links

*
The Royal Regiment of FusiliersRoyal Regiment of Fusiliers Regimental ShopThe Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Regimental HandbookFusiliers AssociationFifth Foot reenactment group
{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Regiment Of Fusiliers Infantry regiments of the British Army Fusilier regiments of the British Army Fusilier regiments Military units and formations established in 1968 Military units and formations of the United Kingdom in the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) 1968 establishments in the United Kingdom