The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Raised in 1674 as one of three 'English' units in the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade, it accompanied

William III William III or William the Third may refer to: Kings * William III of Sicily (c. 1186–c. 1198) * William III of England and Ireland or William III of Orange or William II of Scotland (1650–1702) * William III of the Netherlands and Luxembourg ...

to England in the November 1688

Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...

and became part of the English establishment in 1689. In 1751, it became the 5th Regiment of Foot, with the regional title 'Northumberland' added in 1782; in 1836, it was designated a

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 language, French word ''fusil'' – meaning a type of flintlock musket – the term has ...

unit and became the 5th (Northumberland Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot. After the 1881

Childers Reforms The Childers Reforms of 1881 reorganised the infantry regiments of the British Army. The reforms were done by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers during 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell Reforms. The reorganisation was ...

, it adopted the title Northumberland Fusiliers, then Royal Northumberland Fusiliers on 3 June 1935. In 1968, it was amalgamated with the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment), the

Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a c ...

and Lancashire Fusiliers to form the present Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

History

Formation to end of 17th century

Jan van Huchtenburg - De slag aan de Boyne

Although briefly designated as 'Irish' when raised in January 1675, the regiment was listed as one of three 'English' units in the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade, a mercenary formation whose origins went back to 1586. During the 1672-1678

Franco-Dutch War The Franco-Dutch War, also known as the Dutch War (french: Guerre de Hollande; nl, Hollandse Oorlog), was fought between France and the Dutch Republic, supported by its allies the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Brandenburg-Prussia and Denmark-Nor ...

, it took part in the unsuccessful Siege of Maastricht and the battles of

Cassel Cassel may refer to: People * Cassel (surname) Places ;France * Cassel, Nord, a town and commune in northern France ** Battle of Cassel (1071) ** Battle of Cassel (1328) ** Battle of Cassel (1677) ;Germany * Cassel, Germany, a city in Hesse renam ...

and Saint-Denis. It accompanied

to England in the November 1688

, before transferring onto the English establishment in 1689. Like most regiments, until 1751, when it was designated the 5th Regiment of Foot, it was named after the current colonel. Founded by Daniel O'Brien, 3rd Viscount Clare, it began life as Viscount Clare's Regiment, then Sir John Fenwick's, followed by Patrick Westley in 1676. When transferred onto the English establishment, it was commanded by

Thomas Tollemache Thomas Tollemache, also spelt Talmash or Tolmach, (c. 16511694) was an Kingdom of England, English soldier and Member of Parliament. Beginning his military career in 1673, in 1686 he resigned his commission in protest at the introduction of C ...

who was replaced in May 1689 by Edward Lloyd. Posted to Ireland for the 1689-1691 Williamite War, it fought at the Battle of the Boyne, the Second Siege of Athlone and the 1691 Siege of Limerick. Following the October 1691 Treaty of Limerick, it was sent to Flanders for the duration on the Nine Years War. Lloyd died in 1694 and replaced as Colonel by Thomas Fairfax; during the 1695 Siege of Namur, it formed part of Vaudémont's screening force. When the war ended with the 1697 Treaty of Ryswick, it avoided disbandment by being made part of the Irish garrison.

The 18th century

German print of the 1727 Gibraltar Siege

The regiment remained in Ireland for the first part of the War of the Spanish Succession, before being sent to Portugal in 1707 as part of the army under the

Earl of Galway Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Old Norse, Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "Germanic ch ...

. Its first serious action was the May 1709 Battle of La Gudina; a disastrous defeat, where the Allies lost over 4,000 prisoners, the regiment took part in a rearguard action that enabled the rest of the army to withdraw. This ended offensive operations and when the war ended in 1713, the regiment was posted to

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

, where it spent the next 15 years. It was part of the garrison during the 1727 Anglo-Spanish War, when the Spanish besieged Gibraltar for over four months. Soldier of 5th regiment 1742

On 1 July 1751, a royal warrant provided that in future regiments would not be known by their colonels' names, but by their "number or rank" and it became the 5th Regiment of Foot. During the Seven Years' War, it was engaged in the 1758 Raid on Cherbourg, the 1760 Battle of Warburg and Kirch Denkern in 1761, where they captured an entire French regiment. It also took part in the 1762 Battle of Wilhelmsthal, before returning to Ireland after the

1763 Treaty of Paris The Treaty of Paris, also known as the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763 by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement, after Great Britain and Prussia's victory over France and Spain during the S ...

. Due to the increasing tensions that later resulted in the American Revolutionary War, the regiment was shipped to Boston, Massachusetts in May 1774. Elements of the unit were involved in the Battle of Lexington and Concord in April 1775 and the

Battle of Bunker Hill The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peripherally involved in ...

in June. After being evacuated to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1776 the 5th took part in the expedition to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, including the battles of

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

and White Plains, and capture of Fort Washington and Fort Lee, New Jersey. They subsequently joined Howe's 1777 campaign against Philadelphia; at Brandywine Creek, they broke the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

's centre and captured five cannon. Despite this success, in 1778 the British army withdrew and the regiment was involved in fighting at Monmouth Court House. Battleoflongisland

In November 1778, they left New York for last time and were transported to the

French West Indies The French West Indies or French Antilles (french: Antilles françaises, ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Antiy fwansez) are the parts of France located in the Antilles islands of the Caribbean: * The two overseas departments of: ** Guadeloupe, ...

, where on 13 December 1778, they landed on

Saint Lucia Saint Lucia ( acf, Sent Lisi, french: Sainte-Lucie) is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. The island was previously called Iouanalao and later Hewanorra, names given by the native Arawaks and Caribs, two Amerindian ...

. The 5th was engaged with a small force of French and captured a four-cannon battery. On 18 December 1778, a force of 9,000 French troops landed on St. Lucia. The small British force of 1,400 men occupied a hill located on the neck of a peninsula. The French were fairly raw soldiers trained to fight in the classic European style of linear battles. The French advanced on the British force several times. The British, veterans of colonial fighting, inflicted a stinging defeat on the French. The French lost 400 killed and 1100 wounded to the British losses of ten killed and 130 wounded, which included two officers from the 5th Foot. After two years in the West Indies, the 5th Foot was sent to Ireland in December 1780. They were still in Ireland when hostilities between Great Britain, France, Spain, the Netherlands, and the former Colonies officially ended in 1783. On 1 August 1782, all those regiments of the line that did not have a special title were given a county designation. The primary purpose was to improve recruiting, but no links were actually formed with the counties after which the regiments were named. The 5th became the "5th (Northumberland) Regiment of Foot": the county being chosen as a compliment to the colonel, Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland.

19th century

The regiment embarked for Portugal in July 1808 for service in the Peninsular War. The regiment fought in the

Battle of Roliça In the Battle of Roliça (17 August 1808) an Anglo-Portuguese army under Sir Arthur Wellesley defeated an outnumbered Imperial French division under General of Division Henri François Delaborde, near the village of Roliça in Portugal. The ...

and the Battle of Vimeiro in August 1808, the Battle of Corunna in January 1809 and the Battle of Bussaco in September 1810. It earned the nicknames the "Old and Bold", "The Fighting Fifth" and also "Lord Wellington's Bodyguard". It formed part of a small force which beat off an overwhelming body of the enemy at El Boden in 1811, a performance which Wellington notified to the Army as ''a memorable example of what can be done by steadiness, discipline, and confidence''. The regiment was in the 3rd Division, 2nd Brigade under command of Major General

Charles Colville General Sir Charles Colville (7 August 1770 – 27 March 1843) was a British Army officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He was an ensign in 1781. He served in the West Indies from 1791 to 1797 and while serving there was promoted to li ...

, consisting of the 1st/5th Regiment of Foot, 2nd/ 83rd Regiment of Foot, 2nd/ 87th Regiment of Foot and the 94th Regiment of Foot. The regiment went on to fight at the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo in January 1812, the Battle of Badajoz in April 1812 and the Battle of Salamanca in July 1812 as well as the Battle of Vitoria in June 1813. It then pursued the French Army into France and saw action at the Battle of Nivelle in November 1813, the Battle of Orthez in February 1814 and the Battle of Toulouse in April 1814. The 1st Battalion served on the Canadian frontier in 1814, during the War of 1812. It then returned to Europe but arrived too late to take part in the battle of Waterloo, though it did serve in the army of occupation in France. On 4 May 1836, the 5th became a

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 language, French word ''fusil'' – meaning a type of flintlock musket – the term has ...

regiment and was redesignated as the 5th (Northumberland Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot:

The King has been pleased to command, that the 5th, or Northumberland, Regiment of Foot shall in future be equipped as a Fusilier Regiment, and be styled the 5th Regiment of Foot, or Northumberland Fusiliers.

The regiment, which was increased to two battalions in 1857, saw active service in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the Second Anglo-Afghan War in 1880. The regiment was not fundamentally affected by the

Cardwell Reforms The Cardwell Reforms were a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell between 1868 and 1874 with the support of Liberal prime minister William Ewart Gladstone. Gladstone paid little attention ...

of the 1870s, which gave it a depot at Fenham Barracks in Newcastle upon Tyne from 1873, or by the

Childers reforms The Childers Reforms of 1881 reorganised the infantry regiments of the British Army. The reforms were done by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers during 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell Reforms. The reorganisation was ...

of 1881 – as it already possessed two battalions, there was no need for it to amalgamate with another regiment. At the same time the existing militia and rifle volunteer units of the district became battalions of the regiment. Accordingly, on 1 July 1881 the Northumberland Fusiliers was formed as the county regiment of Northumberland, (including the Counties of the towns of Newcastle upon Tyne and Berwick-upon-Tweed) with the following battalions: Regular battalions * 1st Battalion (formerly 1st Battalion, 5th Foot) * 2nd Battalion (formerly 2nd Battalion, 5th Foot) Militia battalion * 3rd (Militia) Battalion (formerly Northumberland Light Infantry Militia) Volunteer battalions * 1st Northumberland (Northumberland and Berwick-on-Tweed) Rifle Volunteer Corps: renamed as 1st Volunteer Battalion in 1883 * 2nd Northumberland Rifle Volunteer Corps: renamed as 2nd Volunteer Battalion in 1883 * 1st Newcastle upon Tyne Rifle Volunteer Corps: renamed as 3rd Volunteer Battalion in 1883

The Second Boer War

The 1st Battalion formed part of the 9th Brigade together with the 2nd Northamptonshire Regiment, 2nd Yorkshire Light Infantry, and part of the 1st Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. While the 2nd Battalion sailed as corps troops, and was then brigaded with the 1st Royal Scots, and 1st Sherwood Foresters, under General Sir William Gatacre. The battalions fought in the following battles: Battle of Belmont, Battle of Graspan,

Battle of Modder River The Battle of Modder River ( af, Slag van die Twee Riviere, lit=Battle of the two rivers) was an engagement in the Boer War, fought at Modder River, on 28 November 1899. A British column under Lord Methuen, that was attempting to relieve the ...

, Battle of Magersfontein,

Battle of Stormberg The Battle of Stormberg was the first British defeat of Black Week, in which three successive British forces were defeated by Boer irregulars in the Second Boer War. Background When the British first drew up a plan of campaign against the Boer r ...

, Battle of Reddersberg, Battle of Sanna's Post and the

Battle of Nooitgedacht In the Battle of Nooitgedacht on 13 December 1900, Boer commandos led by Generals Koos de la Rey and Christiaan Beyers combined to deal a defeat to a British brigade under the command of Major General R. A. P. Clements during the Second Boer War ...

Reorganisations 1900–1908

With the continuation of the war in South Africa, a number of regiments containing large centres of population formed additional regular battalions. The Northumberland Fusiliers formed 3rd and 4th regular Battalions in February 1900, when the militia battalion was relabeled as the 5th battalion. The 3rd was stationed in South Africa, and in 1902 some of the men were in

Antigua Antigua ( ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Bar ...

to guard the Boer prisoners of war placed there. The 4th formed part of the garrison in Ireland. Both were disbanded in 1907. The 5th (militia) battalion (known as the 3rd battalion until February 1900) was embodied in December 1899, and from February 1900 to July 1901 was stationed at Malta. In 1908 a reorganisation of reserve forces was carried out under the

Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 The Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 ('' 7 Edw. 7, c.9'') was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the auxiliary forces of the British Army by transferring existing Volunteer and Yeomanry units into a new Territori ...

. The militia were transferred to a new "Special Reserve" while the Volunteer Force was reorganised to become the Territorial Force. The "Volunteer Battalion" designation was discarded, and territorial battalions were numbered on after those of the regular army and special reserve. The new organisation was thus: * 1st Battalion * 2nd Battalion * 3rd Battalion (Special Reserve) * 4th Battalion (T.F.) (HQ at Hencotes in

Hexham Hexham ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, 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, Northumberland, Warden nearby, and ...

, from bulk of 1st Volunteer Battalion) * 5th Battalion (T.F.) (HQ at Church Street in Walker (since demolished), redesignation of 2nd Volunteer Battalion) * 6th (City) Battalion (T.F.) (HQ at Northumberland Road in Newcastle, redesignation of 3rd Volunteer Battalion) * 7th Battalion (T.F.) (HQ at Fenkle Street in

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 ...

, from part of 1st Volunteer Battalion) * 8th (Cyclist) Battalion (HQ at Hutton Terrace in Newcastle, formed 1908, redesignated Northern Cyclist Battalion in 1910 and transferred to the Army Cyclist Corps in 1915)

First World War

Northumberland Fusiliers at Thiepval Sept 1916 IWM Q 1349

During the First World War, the Northumberland Fusiliers expanded to 52 battalions and 29 of them served overseas. It was the second largest infantry regiment of the British Army during the war, surpassed only by the 88 battalions of the

London Regiment London Regiment may refer to two infantry regiments in the British Army: * London Regiment (1908–1938) The London Regiment was an infantry regiment in the British Army, part of the Territorial Force (renamed the Territorial Army in 1921). The ...

. The increase in strength was done partly by forming duplicates of existing T.F. battalions, and partly by the creation of new "

Service Service may refer to: Activities * Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty * Civil service, the body of employees of a government * Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a pu ...

" battalions. An example of the first instance was the 4th Battalion which was renumbered as the 1/4th in August 1914 on forming a duplicate 2/4th Battalion. A 3/4th Battalion followed in June 1915. Among the Service Battalions were the Tyneside Scottish (20th - 23rd Battalions) and the Tyneside Irish (24th - 27th Battalions), while the 17th (Service) Battalion was formed by staff of the North Eastern Railway, and was involved in railway construction. They earned 67 battle honours and won five Victoria Crosses, but at the cost of over 16,000 dead. The battalions mostly saw action on the

Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers *Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...

, but also in

Macedonia Macedonia most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a traditional geographic reg ...

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 ...

, Egypt and Italy. In June 1935 George V celebrated his silver jubilee. This opportunity was taken of granting royal status to four regiments, principally in recognition of their service in the previous war.

''On the occasion of His Majesty's Birthday and in commemoration of the completion of the twenty-fifth year of his reign, the King has been graciously pleased... to approve that the following regiments shall in future enjoy the distinction "Royal" and shall henceforth be designated:—'' * ''
5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards The 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army formed in 1922 by the amalgamation of the 5th Dragoon Guards (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) and the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons. It served in the Second World W ...
'' * ''The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)'' * ''The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers'' * ''The Royal Norfolk Regiment''

In 1936, the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was one of four line infantry regiments selected for conversion to specialised Divisional (Machine Gun) or Divisional (Support) Battalions. The other regiments selected were the Cheshire Regiment, the Manchester Regiment and the Middlesex Regiment.

Second World War

The regiment expanded to ten battalions during the Second World War. Although most of them served as divisional machine gun or support battalions, some of them formed motorcycle, searchlight, tank, reconnaissance, ordinary infantry and even deception units. They saw action with the BEF in North-West Europe in 1940 and the

21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established in ...

in 1944–45, North Africa 1940–43,

Italy 1943–45 Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

the fall of Singapore The Fall of Singapore, also known as the Battle of Singapore,; ta, சிங்கப்பூரின் வீழ்ச்சி; ja, シンガポールの戦い took place in the South–East Asian theatre of the Pacific War. The Empire of ...

and the defence of the United Kingdom.

Korean War

The 1st Battalion was attached to the 29th Independent Infantry Brigade, which had been sent to Korea to reinforce the Allied effort there. When it arrived in Korea in December 1950, the Brigade comprised: * 1st Battalion, the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers * 1st Battalion, the

Gloucestershire Regiment The Gloucestershire Regiment, commonly referred to as the Glosters, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 until 1994. It traced its origins to Colonel Gibson's Regiment of Foot, which was raised in 1694 and later became the ...

* 1st Battalion, the Royal Ulster Rifles *

8th King's Royal Irish Hussars The 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1693. It saw service for three centuries including the First and Second World Wars. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in forces ...

* C Squadron, 7th Royal Tank Regiment, with specialised armour * 45 Field Regiment RA * 11 LAA Battery RA * 170 Mortar Battery RA * plus supporting units. In April 1951 the battalion was involved in the Battle of the Imjin River, as the brigade stood in the path of the Chinese Spring Offensive. In July 1951, it was re-organized as 29th British Infantry Brigade and absorbed into the

1st Commonwealth Division The 1st Commonwealth Division was the military unit that commanded Commonwealth land forces in the Korean War. The division was a part of the multinational British Commonwealth Forces Korea, with infantry units of the British Army, Canadian Arm ...

Regimental museum

The

Fusiliers Museum of Northumberland The Fusiliers Museum of Northumberland, formerly the Northumberland Fusiliers Museum, is a museum located within the Abbot's Tower of Alnwick Castle in Alnwick, Northumberland, England. History The museum was first established at Fenham Barra ...

is based in Alnwick Castle.

Badges and dress distinctions

The 5th Regiment of Foot was one of the 'Six Old Corps' entitled to use their 'ancient badge' (St George killing the Dragon) on Regimental Colours, drums and other devices rather than the typical GR cipher as used by normal Regiments of the Line, a distinction first officially recorded in 1747."In the centre of their Colours St. George killing the Dragon, being their ancient Badge; and in the three corners of their Second Colour the Rose and Crown. On their Grenadier Caps St. George as on the Colours" Regulation for the Uniform Cloathing of the Marching Regiments of Foot, their Colours, Drums, Bells of Arms and Camp Colours, 1747. Reproduced in: In the centre of their colours was an image of St. George killing the dragon, this being their ancient badge, and in the three corners of their second colour, the rose and crown. The regiment wore a distinctively-coloured hackle or plume on the fusilier cap and later on the beret. The hackle was red over white, and was authorised in June 1829. This replaced the white feather plume the regiment had adopted following the Battle of St Lucia in 1778, supposedly taken from the headgear of fallen French troops. The 5th Foot was the only line regiment, since the introduction of the shako in 1800, to wear the white plume (other regiments having white over red) although the right to wear it was only officially granted in 1824. In 1829 a new model of shako was introduced and all infantry regiments were to wear a white plume, with the 5th Foot given a unique plume of red over white.Bowling, p. 46 This became a red over white 'ball tuft' in 1835 and later became a hackle in the same colours.

Victoria Cross

The following members of the regiment were recipients of the Victoria Cross. * James Bulmer Johnson *

Patrick McHale Patrick McHale Victoria Cross, VC ( ga, Pádraig Mac Céile; 1826 – 26 October 1866) was born in Killala, County Mayo and was an Ireland, Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the fa ...

* Peter McManus * Ernest Sykes * Thomas Bryan *

Robert Henry Cain Major (United Kingdom), Major Robert Henry Cain Victoria Cross, VC Efficiency Decoration, TD (2 January 1909 – 2 May 1974) was a Isle of Man, Manx recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that c ...

(Attached Staffordshire Regiment) *

James Joseph Bernard Jackman Captain James Joseph Bernard Jackman Victoria Cross, VC (19 March 1916 – 26 November 1941) was an Irish people, Irish posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of an enemy th ...

* Wilfred Wood *

John Scott Youll John Scott Youll Victoria Cross, VC (6 June 1897 – 27 October 1918) was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth ...

George Cross

Only one member of the regiment was the recipient of the

George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been ...

: *

Derek Godfrey Kinne Derek Godfrey Kinne, GC (11 January 1931 – 6 February 2018) was a British Army soldier who awarded the George Cross for the valour he showed in withstanding torture at the hands of the Chinese Communist forces during the Korean War. Kinne was ...

Amalgamation

On 23 April 1968, following the publication of the following notice in the ''

London Gazette London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

'': The regiment was amalgamated into the new Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

Battle honours

Early wars
By 1881 the 5th foot had been awarded the following battle honours: Second Boer War
The regiment received two battle honours for the conflict: "Modder River" and "South Africa, 1899–1902". First World War
The regiment was awarded the following 67 battle honours: * Mons * Le Cateau * Retreat from Mons * Marne 1914 * Aisne 1914 '18 * La Bassée 1914 * Messines 1914 '17 '18 * Armentières 1914 * Ypres 1914 '15 '17 '18 * Nonne Bosschen * Gravenstafel * St. Julien * Frezenburg * Bellewaarde * Loos * Somme 1916 '18 * Albert 1916 '18 * Bazentin * Delville Wood * Pozières * Flers-Courcelette * Morval * Thiepval * Le Transloy * Ancre Heights * Ancre 1916 * Arras 1917 '18 * Scarpe 1917 '18 * Arleux * Pilckem * Langemarck 1917 * Menin Road * Polygon Wood * Broodseinde * Passchendaele * Cambrai 1917 '18 * St. Quentin * Bapaume 1918 * Rosieres * Lys * Estaires * Hazebrouck * Bailleuil * Kemmel * Béthune * Scherpenberg * Drocourt Quéant * Hindenburg Line * Epéhy * Canal du Nord * St. Quentin Canal * Beaurevoir * Courtrai * Selle * Valenciennes * Sambre * France and Flanders 1914–18 * Piave * Vittorio Veneto * Italy 1917–18 * Struma * Macedonia 1915–18 * Suvla * Landing at Suvla * Scimitar Hill * Gallipoli 1915 * Egypt 1916–17 Those shown in bold print were selected to be borne on the king's colours. Second World War
They were awarded twenty-nine battle honours: * Defence of Escaut * Arras Counter Attack * St. Omer-La Bassée * Dunkirk 1940 * Odon * Caen * Cagny * Falaise * Nederrijn * Rhineland * North-West Europe 1940 '44-45 * Sidi Barrani * Defence of Tobruk * Tobruk 1941 * Belhamed * Cauldron * Ruweisat Ridge * El Alamein * Advance on Tripoli * Medenine * North Africa 1940-43 * Salerno * Volturno Crossing * Monte Camino * Garigliano Crossing * Cassino II * Italy 1943-45 * Singapore Island Those shown in bold print were selected to be borne on the king's colours. Korean War
In August 1958, the Regiment was awarded the following battle honours: * Imjin * Seoul * Kowang-San * Korea 1950-51. Those shown in bold print were selected to be borne on the regimental colours.

Colonels —with early names for the regiment

Colonels have included:

Named after Colonel

English regiment of the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade * 1674 Colonel Daniel, Viscount Clare * 1675 Major-General Sir John Fenwick; resigned after quarrelling with William * 1676 Colonel Henry Wisely; drowned at sea * 1680 Colonel Thomas Monck; died 1687 * 1687 Lieutenant-General

English establishment * 1688 Lieutenant-General

; transferred to Coldstream Guards, May 1689 * 1689 Colonel Edward Lloyd * 1690 Major-General Thomas Fairfax * 1704 Lieutenant-General Thomas Pearce * 1732 Lieutenant-General Sir John Cope KB * 1737 Lieutenant-General

Alexander Irwin Lieutenant-General Alexander Irvine or Irwin (died 1752) was a British Army officer. On 1 October 1689 he entered the Army as an ensign in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Foot.Charles Dalton, ''English Army Lists and Commission Registe ...

e —Irvine's or Irwin's or Irwine's Foot

5th Regiment of Foot

* 1752 Colonel Charles Whitefoord * 1754 Major-General Lord George Bentinck * 1759 Field Marshal Studholme Hodgson * 1768 General Hugh, Earl Percy KG

5th (Northumberland) Regiment of Foot

* 1784 Lieutenant-General Hon. Edward Stopford —Stopford's Foot * 1794 Field Marshal

Sir Alured Clarke Sir Alured Clarke (24 November 1744 – 16 September 1832) was a British Army officer. He took charge of all British troops in Georgia in May 1780 and was then deployed to Philadelphia to supervise the evacuation of British prisoners of ...

GCB —Clarke's Foot * 1801 Lieutenant-General Richard England —England's Foot * 1812 Lieutenant-General William Wynyard —Wynyard's Foot * 1819 General Sir Henry Johnson GCB —Johnson's Foot

5th (Northumberland Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot

*1835 General

Sir Charles Colville General Sir Charles Colville (7 August 1770 – 27 March 1843) was a British Army officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He was an ensign in 1781. He served in the West Indies from 1791 to 1797 and while serving there was promoted to li ...

GCB GCH *1843 Lieutenant-General Sir Jasper Nicolls KCB *1849 General Sir John Grey KCB *1856 Lieutenant-General

William Lovelace Walton General William Lovelace Walton (1788 – 11 January 1865) was a British Army officer who served as colonel of the 5th (Northumberland Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot. Military career Walton was commissioned as an ensign in the Coldstream Guards on ...

*1865 Major-General

William Longworth Dames Lieutenant-General (United Kingdom), Lieutenant-General William Longworth Dames (2 March 1806 – 20 February 1868) was a British Army officer who served as colonel of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 5th (Northumberland Fusiliers) Regiment of ...

*1868 Major-General

Edward Rowley Hill General Edward Rowley Hill (1795–1878) was a British Army officer who served as colonel of the 5th (Northumberland Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot. Military career Hill was commissioned into the 43rd Regiment of Foot on 23 February 1813. Promoted ...

Northumberland Fusiliers

* 1878 General

William Lygon Pakenham, 4th Earl of Longford General William Lygon Pakenham, 4th Earl of Longford (31 January 1819 – 19 April 1887), styled The Honourable William Pakenham before 1860, was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Conservative politician. Early life and education Pakenham was the se ...

* 1887 General Joseph Henry Laye * 1895 Lieutenant-General Frederick Arthur Willis * 1899 Lieutenant-General Sir George Bryan Milman * 1915 Major-General Sir Percival Spearman Wilkinson

Royal Northumberland Fusiliers

* 1935 Major-General William Norman Herbert * 1947 Major-General Harold de Riemer Morgan * 1953 Field Marshal Sir Francis Wogan Festing * 1965 Major-General Roger Ellis Tudor St John

In popular culture

In the beginning of the

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

story '' A Study in Scarlet'', Sir Arthur Conan Doyle states that

Dr. John Watson John H. Watson, known as Dr. Watson, is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Along with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson first appeared in the novel ''A Study in Scarlet'' (1887). The last work by Doyle fe ...

served with the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers as an assistant surgeon.

Notes

References

Sources

* * * * * * * *

External links

The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers

*

North East Medals

Anglo-Boer War

Britain's Small Wars
Fifth Foot reenactment group
{{British Infantry Regiments World War I Infantry regiments of the British Army Fusilier regiments of the British Army Fusilier regiments 1674 establishments in England Northumberland Fusiliers Military units and formations of the United Kingdom in the Korean War Military units and formations of the Second Boer War Regiments of the British Army in World War I Regiments of the British Army in World War II Military units and formations established in 1674 Military units and formations disestablished in 1968