The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was an Irish

line infantry Line infantry was the type of infantry that formed the bulk of most European land armies from the mid-17th century to the mid-19th century. Maurice of Nassau and Gustavus Adolphus are generally regarded as its pioneers, while Henri de la Tour d ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

in existence from 1881 until 1968. The regiment was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot and the 108th Regiment of Foot. Illustrated London News Arthur Cadwgan Michael illustration of an Ottoman attack on Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers positions near Achi Baba 1915

Illustrated London News Arthur Cadwgan Michael illustration of an Ottoman attack on Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers positions near Achi Baba 1915

It saw service in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

, the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In 1968 it was amalgamated with the other regiments in the North Irish Brigade, the

Royal Ulster Rifles The Royal Irish Rifles (became the Royal Ulster Rifles from 1 January 1921) was an light infantry rifle regiment of the British Army, first created in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 83rd (County of Dublin) Regiment of Foot and the 86th (Royal ...

, and the Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's) into the Royal Irish Rangers.

History

1881 – 1914

On 1 July 1881 the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot and the 108th Regiment of Foot were redesignated as the 1st and 2nd Battalions, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, respectively.Frederick, pp. 259–60. In 1903 the Regiment was granted a grey hackle for their fusilier raccoon-skin hats to commemorate the original grey uniforms of the Inniskilling Regiment. The regimental district comprised the City of Londonderry and the

counties A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

of Donegal, Londonderry, Tyrone and

Fermanagh Historically, Fermanagh (), as opposed to the modern County Fermanagh, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Fermanagh. ''Fir Manach'' originally referred to a distinct kin group of alleged Laigin or ...

in Ireland, with its garrison depot located at St Lucia Barracks in

Omagh Omagh (; from , meaning 'the virgin plain') is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers River Drumragh, Drumragh and Camowen River, Camowen meet to form the River Strule, Strule. Northern Ireland's c ...

. The local

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

regiments also became part of the new regiment: * Fermanagh Light Infantry Militia – became 3rd Battalion * Londonderry Light Infantry – became 4th Battalion, then converted to artillery * Royal Tyrone Fusiliers – became 5th, then 4th Battalion * Prince of Wales's Own Donegal Militia – became 6th, then 5th Battalion Militarily, the whole of Ireland was administered as a separate command within the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

with Command Headquarters at Parkgate (

Phoenix Park The Phoenix Park () is a large urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its perimeter wall encloses of recreational space. It includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since ...

)

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, directly under the

War Office The War Office has referred to several British government organisations throughout history, all relating to the army. It was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, at ...

in London. Under the Childers system, one regular battalion of each regiment was to be at a "home" station, while the other was abroad. Every few years, there was to be an exchange of battalions. In the period from the regiment's formation to the outbreak of the

, the two regular battalions were stationed as follows:

Second Boer War

In October 1899 war broke out between the United Kingdom and the Boer Republics in what is now South Africa. The 1st Battalion landed at

Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...

, where they became part of the 5th (Irish) Brigade. The battalion was involved in a series of military reverses at the hands of the Boers, which became known as the " Black Week", culminating in defeat at the Battle of Colenso.Corbally (1979), pp. 34–36 The unit subsequently took part in the Tugela Campaign before helping relieve Ladysmith in early 1900. The regiment lent its name to "Inniskilling Hill", which was taken by the 5th brigade on 24/25 February 1900. The war ended with the

Treaty of Vereeniging The Treaty of Vereeniging was a peace treaty, signed on 31 May 1902, that ended the Second Boer War between the South African Republic and the Orange Free State on the one side, and the United Kingdom on the other. This settlement provided ...

in June 1902, and the 1st Battalion stayed in South Africa until January 1903, when 434 officers and men left Cape Town for home. The 2nd Battalion arrived in South Africa from India only in the late stages of the war and saw little action. Following the war in South Africa, the system of rotating battalions between home and foreign stations resumed as follows: In 1908, the Volunteers and Militia were reorganised nationally, with the former becoming the

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry in ...

and the latter the

Special Reserve The Special Reserve was established on 1 April 1908 with the function of maintaining a reservoir of manpower for the British Army and training replacement drafts in times of war. Its formation was part of the military reforms implemented by Ri ...

. There were no Territorial units in Ireland; the three militia battalions were reorganised with the 4th (Royal Tyrone Militia) becoming the 3rd (Reserve) Bn, the 3rd (Fermanagh Militia) becoming the 4th (Extra Reserve) Bn, and the 5th (Donegal Militia) being disbanded.

First World War

Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Battle of Cambrai 20-11-1917 IWM Q 3187

Regular Army

The 1st Battalion, which had been serving in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, returned home in January 1915. It was landed at Cape Helles on the

Gallipoli The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east. Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...

peninsula as part of the 87th Brigade in the 29th Division in April 1915. It was evacuated from Gallipoli to

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

in January 1916 and then landed at

Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...

in March 1916 for service on the Western Front.James, p. 71. The 2nd Battalion landed at

Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...

as part of the 12th Brigade in the 4th Division in August 1914 for service on the Western Front and was heavily involved at the

Battle of Le Cateau The Battle of Le Cateau was fought on the Western Front during the First World War on 26 August 1914. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and the French Fifth Army had retreated after their defeats at the Battle of Charleroi (21–23 A ...

in August 1914.

Special Reserve

The 3rd and 4th Battalions fulfilled their role of training reinforcement drafts for the 1st and 2nd Bns. Both were stationed in Northern Ireland until April 1918 when they moved to

Oswestry Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the England–Wales border, Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5 road (Great Britain), A5, A483 road, A483 and A495 road, A495 ro ...

in the Welsh Borders and were amalgamated, at the same time absorbing the 12th (Reserve) Bn (originally formed from the depot companies of the 9th, 10th and 11th Bns).

New Armies

The 5th (Service) Battalion and 6th (Service) Battalion landed at

Suvla Bay View of Suvla from Battleship Hill Suvla () is a bay on the Aegean coast of the Gallipoli peninsula in European Turkey, south of the Gulf of Saros. On 6 August 1915, it was the site for the Landing at Suvla Bay by the British IX Corps as ...

at Gallipoli as part of the 31st Brigade in the 10th (Irish) Division in August 1915, but it was moved to

Salonika Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...

in September 1915 for service on the

Macedonian front The Macedonian front, also known as the Salonica front (after Thessaloniki), was a military theatre of World War I formed as a result of an attempt by the Allied Powers to aid Serbia, in the autumn of 1915, against the combined attack of Germa ...

. It was moved to France in May 1918 for service on the Western Front. The 7th (Service) Battalion and 8th (Service) Battalion landed in France as part of the 49th Brigade in the 16th (Irish) Division in February 1916 for service on the Western Front. The 9th (Service) Battalion (County Tyrone), the 10th (Service) Battalion (Derry), and the 11th (Service) Battalion (Donegal and Fermanagh) landed in France as part of the 109th Brigade in the

36th (Ulster) Division The 36th (Ulster) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, part of Lord Kitchener's New Army, formed in September 1914. Originally called the ''Ulster Division'', it was made up of mainly members of the Ulster Volunteers, who f ...

in October 1915 for service on the Western Front. During the

Easter Rising The Easter Rising (), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the aim of establishing an ind ...

of 1916 in Dublin, the 12th (Reserve) Battalion fought against Irish rebels who were fighting to end

British rule in Ireland British colonial rule in Ireland built upon the 12th-century Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland on behalf of the English king and eventually spanned several centuries that involved British control of parts, or the entirety, of the island of Irel ...

and to establish the

Irish Republic The Irish Republic ( or ) was a Revolutionary republic, revolutionary state that Irish Declaration of Independence, declared its independence from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in January 1919. The Republic claimed jurisdict ...

. Two Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers were killed and seven more wounded. 13th (Garrison) Battalion was formed in France in June 1918 from No 7 Garrison Guard Battalion, composed of 'B1' medical category men. After rigorous training it dropped the 'Garrison' designation in July, and then served as a frontline battalion in 40th Division during the final advance to victory.

Inter War

After the war, the Childers system was resumed, with the 1st Battalion moving to India for foreign service, and the 2nd Battalion based on

Salisbury Plain Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in southern England covering . It is part of a system of chalk downlands throughout eastern and southern England formed by the rocks of the Chalk Group and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, but st ...

for home service. With the independence of the

Irish Free State The Irish Free State (6 December 192229 December 1937), also known by its Irish-language, Irish name ( , ), was a State (polity), state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-ye ...

in 1922, all the Irish line infantry regiments of the British army regiments were to be disbanded. However, this decision was later amended to exclude four battalions. After a successful campaign by the Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's), the Army agreed that the disbandment would not be of the most junior regiment but of the two most junior battalions. These were the 2nd Battalion,

Royal Irish Fusiliers The Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's) was an Irish line infantry (later changed to light infantry) regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of the 87th (Prince of Wales's Irish) Regiment of Foot and the 89th (Princess ...

, the old 89th Foot, and the 2nd Battalion, Inniskillings, the old 108th Foot. The Inniskillings moved from India to

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

in 1922, returning to Shorncliffe, England in 1925. They were stationed in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

from 1927 to 1933, before moving to

Aldershot Aldershot ( ) is a town in the Rushmoor district, Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme north-east corner of the county, south-west of London. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Farnborough/Aldershot built-up are ...

. They resumed foreign service in 1934, moving to Shanghai and then Singapore two years later.Corbally (1979), pp. 43–44 In 1937 there was an expansion of the army, and the 2nd Battalion was re-raised at Omagh, moving to Catterick in the following year. The 2nd Battalion of the Royal Irish Fusiliers was also reformed, and the arrangement of 1922 ended. The 1st Inniskillings moved to

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

Madras Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...

in 1938. The two battalions were in these locations when the Second World War broke out in 1939.

Second World War

In addition to the 1st and 2nd Battalions, both part of the

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a ...

, the regiment raised three other battalions (5th, 6th and 70th) to fight in the

The 1st Battalion was a Regular Army unit stationed in

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

on the outbreak of war. It spent the entire war there, fighting in the early stages of the

Burma campaign The Burma campaign was a series of battles fought in the British colony of British rule in Burma, Burma as part of the South-East Asian theatre of World War II. It primarily involved forces of the Allies of World War II, Allies (mainly from ...

. In 1942 the battalion was flown to Burma to help stem the Japanese advance, and in 1943 took part in the operations in the

Arakan Arakan ( or ; , ), formerly anglicised as Aracan, is the historical geographical name for the northeastern coastal region of the Bay of Bengal, covering present-day Bangladesh and Myanmar. The region was called "Arakan" for centuries. It is ...

peninsular with the 48th Indian Infantry Brigade, part of the 14th Indian Infantry Division. The British Army in France 1939 O246

The 2nd Battalion, a Regular Army unit, was serving in the 13th Infantry Brigade, alongside 2nd Wiltshire Regiment and 2nd Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), part of 5th Infantry Division. It was sent to France in late 1939 after war was declared. The battalion, as part of the BEF, was among those that were evacuated from Dunkirk after desperate fighting as the rearguard to the retreating BEF. The battalion was reduced to 215 persons, all ranks. After re-fitting, the 2nd Battalion, with the rest of 5th Division, left England in 1942 for the East Indies. They traveled to Madagascar, where they fought the Vichy French in a brief campaign in Madagascar to ensure that the Japanese did not occupy the island to interdict Allied shipping. They continued to British India,

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

and

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

. They deployed for Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, followed by that of

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, now serving with the

British Eighth Army The Eighth Army was a field army of the British Army during the Second World War. It was formed as the Western Army on 10 September 1941, in Egypt, before being renamed the Army of the Nile and then the Eighth Army on 26 September. It was cr ...

in both.Corbally (1979), pp. 47–52 In July 1944, while resting in

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

after seeing severe fighting at Anzio, the 2nd Battalion absorbed many personnel of the 6th Battalion and transferred to 38th (Irish) Infantry Brigade, of the 78th ''Battleaxe'' Infantry Division. It remained with this formation for the rest of the war. With absorbing the men of the 6th Battalion, the 2nd Battalion was at a new War Establishment strength of 43 officers and 900 other ranks. The battalion would see service in the battles around the

Gothic Line The Gothic Line (; ) was a German and Italian defensive line of the Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence along the summits of the northern part of the Apennine Mountains du ...

in August–September 1944, and later in the final offensive in Italy in April 1945. The 5th Battalion was a hostilities-only unit raised in 1940. It never served overseas and remained in the United Kingdom for the war. It served as a home defence formation assigned to the 144th Brigade in the 48th (South Midland) Infantry Division, and briefly to the 199th (Manchester) Brigade in the 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division. In 1944, the battalion became a training formation. It was also tasked with providing drafts for overseas fighting formations. In this capacity, it was assigned to the 45th Infantry Brigade and was initially part of the 80th Infantry (Reserve) Division and later part of the 38th Infantry (Reserve) Division. The 6th Battalion was a war-service battalion created in October 1940. In early 1942 the battalion was assigned to the 210th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home), serving alongside 1st Battalion,

and 2nd Battalion, London Irish Rifles.Joslen (2003), p. 373 The brigade was under command of

Brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

The O'Donovan and was later redesignated 38th (Irish) Infantry Brigade, which was part of the 6th Armoured Division. During the fighting in Italy, the 6th Battalion would serve in the same theatre as the 2nd Battalion. The 6th Battalion fought in the

Tunisian Campaign The Tunisian campaign (also known as the battle of Tunisia) was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces from 17 November 1942 to 13 May 1943. Th ...

in North Africa in 1942–1943 with the rest of the 6th Armoured Division, part of the British First Army, and the 2nd Battalion took part in the landings in Sicily and then

. In February 1943 the 6th Skins, Irish Brigade included, was exchanged for 1st Guards Brigade and joined the 78th ''Battleaxe'' Division, considered to be one of the best divisions of the British Army during the Second World War. It remained with them until disbandment in 1944. The 6th Battalion fought in Sicily and Italy, most notably at Centuripe in Sicily, where its unexpected assault on the hilltop town took the Germans by surprise and earned the 78th Division great praise in their first battle with the

. In Italy the battalion fought at the terrible

Battle of Monte Cassino The Battle of Monte Cassino, also known as the Battle for Rome, was a series of four military assaults by the Allies of World War II, Allies against Nazi Germany, German forces in Kingdom of Italy, Italy during the Italian Campaign (World War ...

and in the pursuit north of Rome, but it was disbanded after the battles at Lake Trasimene in June 1944 due to a shortage of manpower. Its place in the Irish Brigade was taken by the 2nd Inniskillings, from the 5th Infantry Division, which absorbed many of the personnel of 6th Inniskillings, with the rest of the men going elsewhere in the Irish Brigade. The 70th (Young Soldiers) Battalion was raised during the war for those young soldiers who had volunteered and had not yet reached the age to be conscripted. The battalion never saw active service abroad. It was disbanded in 1943, due to the British government lowering the age of consent for conscription.

Post War

After the war, the 1st Battalion returned to India from

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

. After a stay in Hong Kong, the regiment fought in the

Malayan Emergency The Malayan Emergency, also known as the Anti–British National Liberation War, was a guerrilla warfare, guerrilla war fought in Federation of Malaya, Malaya between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Arm ...

against pro-independence and communist guerrillas known as the

Malayan National Liberation Army The Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) was a Communist guerrilla army that fought for Malayan independence from the British Empire during the Malayan Emergency (1948–1960) and later fought against the Malaysian government in the Commun ...

. In 1948 both regular battalions were amalgamated as the 1st Battalion, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. In 1949, after a brief spell at home, the battalion went to the West Indies. It returned to the United Kingdom in April 1951. In 1952 it was presented with the Freedom of Enniskillen, the town of its founding. Later that year it went abroad to the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...

Zone and afterwards to

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

, where it helped to suppress the

Mau Mau Uprising The Mau Mau rebellion (1952–1960), also known as the Mau Mau uprising, Mau Mau revolt, or Kenya Emergency, was a war in the British Kenya Colony (1920–1963) between the Kenya Land and Freedom Army (KLFA), also known as the Mau Mau, and the ...

. In the latter country, it received the Freedom of Nairobi in perpetuity, the first and so far only time that a British regiment has been so honoured by a colonial city. For a short time, from April 1952, the 2nd Battalion was reformed and saw service in Egypt and Cyprus, where it was in action against EOKA insurgents. The 1st Battalion returned to England in 1955. After two years at the School of Infantry, it went to Germany, being stationed in Berlin and Wuppertal. In 1960 half of the battalion was back in

with a detachment in

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

. In 1961 the battalion flew into

Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...

when the sheikdom was threatened by Iraq. The battalion returned to England in 1962, stationed at Gravesend. In April 1968 the 1st Battalion had its final operational deployment, when Tactical Headquarters and B Company were ordered at short notice to

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

to reinforce the Bermuda Regiment in aiding the Bermuda Police Force, with trouble brewing on the island due to a tense political situation. Following a peaceful election, the detachment returned to Worcester in preparation, with the remainder of the battalion, for the final regimental chapter. At midnight on 30 June 1968, following a nostalgic ceremony, the regimental flag was lowered for the last time.Corbally (1979), p. 61

Amalgamation

On 1 July 1968, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, the

and the

became the Royal Irish Rangers (27th Inniskilling, 83rd and 87th). The date of 1 July was chosen as it marked the fifty-second anniversary of the first day of the Battle of the Somme, in which battalions of all three merging regiments fought.

Regimental museum

The Inniskillings Museum (for the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards) is based at

Enniskillen Castle Enniskillen Castle is situated in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It was originally built in the 16th century and now contains the Fermanagh County Museum and a museum for the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards and Royal In ...

Battle honours

''Borne on the Regimental Colours (including the combined honours of the 27th and 108th Foot)'':Corbally (1979), p. 5 * Martinique 1762 ¶ * Havannah ¶ * St Lucia 1778–96 ¶ * Maida † * Busaco † *

Badajoz Badajoz is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portugal, Portuguese Portugal–Spain border, border, on the left bank of the river ...

† *

Salamanca Salamanca () is a Municipality of Spain, municipality and city in Spain, capital of the Province of Salamanca, province of the same name, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is located in the Campo Charro comarca, in the ...

† * Vitoria † * Pyrenees † * Nivelle † * Orthes † *

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

Peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

† * Waterloo † * South Africa 1835, 1846–47♦ *

Central India Central India refers to a geographical region of India that generally includes the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. The Central Zonal Council, established by the Government of India, includes these states as well as Uttar Prades ...

‡ *

Relief of Ladysmith The Relief of Ladysmith consisted of multiple efforts to relieve the city of Ladysmith by General Sir Redvers Buller during the Second Boer War. Buller and the Natal Field Force attempted to relieve the city through multiple offensive actions ...

* South Africa 1899–1902 † Awarded to 27th Foot
‡ Awarded to 108th Foot
¶ Awarded in 1909 for services of the 27th FootNorman (1911), pp. 104, 109, 351–353
♦ Awarded in 1882 for services of 27th Foot ''Borne on the Queen's Colour (10 selected honours each for the First and Second World Wars)'': * Le Cateau *

Somme 1916 __NOTOC__ Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places *Somme (department), a department of France *Somme, Queensland, Australia *Canal de la Somme, a canal in France *Somme (river), a river in France Arts, entertainment, and media *Somme (book), ''Somm ...

, '18 *

Ypres, 1917 The Third Battle of Ypres (; ; ), also known as the Battle of Passchendaele ( ), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by the Allies against the German Empire. The battle took place on the Western Front, from July to November 1917, f ...

, '18 * St Quentin *

Hindenburg Line The Hindenburg Line (, Siegfried Position) was a German Defense line, defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front in France during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to ...

* France & Flanders * Macedonia, 1915–17 * Landing at Helles * Gallipoli, 1915–16 * Palestine, 1917–18 * North-West Europe 1940 * Djebel Tanngoucha * North Africa, 1942–43 * Centuripe * Sicily, 1943 * Garigliano Crossing * Cassino II * Italy, 1943–45 * Yenangyaung, 1942 * Burma, 1942–43

The Regimental Chapel

The Regimental chapel is in St Macartin's Cathedral, Enniskillen.

Great War memorials

* Ulster Tower Memorial, Thiepval, France. * Irish National War Memorial Gardens, Dublin. * Island of Ireland Peace Park, Messines, Belgium. * Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium. * County Fermanagh War Memorial, Enniskillen, Northern Ireland

Victoria Cross

Recipients of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

:Corbally (1979), pp. 67–68 * Captain Gerald Robert O'Sullivan, 1st Battalion. 1/2 July 1915,

. * Sergeant James Somers, 1st Battalion. 1/2 July 1915,

. * Captain Eric Norman Frankland Bell, (attached to 4th Trench Mortar Battery) 1 July 1916, Thiepval. * Lieutenant Colonel John Sherwood-Kelly ( Norfolk Regiment) CMG DSO, commanding 1st Battalion, 20 November 1917, Marcoing,

Cambrai Cambrai (, ; ; ), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord department and in the Hauts-de-France region of France on the Scheldt river, which is known locally as the Escaut river. A sub-pref ...

. * Second Lieutenant James Samuel Emerson, 9th Battalion, 6 December 1917,

. * Private James Duffy, 6th Battalion, 27 December 1917, Kereina Peak, Palestine. * Lance Corporal Ernest Seaman, 2nd Battalion, 29 September 1918, Terhand, Belgium. * Private Norman Harvey, 1st Battalion, 25 October 1918, Ingoyghem, Belgium.

Regimental Colonels

Colonels of the Regiment were: *1881–1884: (1st Battalion) Gen. Randal Rumley (ex 27th Foot) *1881: (2nd Battalion) Gen. Sir Edward Harris Greathed, KCB (ex 108th Foot) *1881–1886: (2nd Battalion) Gen. Hon. Sir Arthur Edward Hardinge, KCB, CIE *1886–1898: (2nd Battalion) Lt-Gen. Sir James Talbot Airey, KCB *1884–1891: (1st Battalion) ''No appointment'' *1891–1893: (1st Battalion) Lt-Gen. John Neptune Sargent, CB *1898–1902: Lt-Gen. William Roberts, CB *1902–1911: Gen. Nathaniel Stevenson *1911–1923: Gen. Sir Archibald James Murray, GCB, GCMG, CVO, DSO *1923–1941: Lt-Gen. Sir Travers Edwards Clarke, GBE, KCB, KCMG *1941–1947: F.M. Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE *1947–1960: Brig. Eric Edward James Moore, DSO *1960–1966: Maj-Gen. Denis Grattan Moore, CB *1966–1968: Maj-Gen. Ewing Henry Wrigley Grimshaw, CB, CBE, DSO *''1968 Regiment amalgamated with The Royal Ulster Rifles and The Royal Irish Fusiliers to form the Royal Irish Rangers''

References

Citations

Sources

* * * J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-007-3. * * Brig E.A. James, ''British Regiments 1914–18'', London: Samson Books, 1978, ISBN 0-906304-03-2/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2001, ISBN 978-1-84342-197-9. * * *

External links

Regimental Museum (Enniskillen)

Irish Brigade: The Story of the 38th (Irish) Brigade in the Second World War

{{Authority control Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Fusilier regiments of the British Army Fusilier regiments Military units and formations established in 1881 Irish regiments of the British Army Ireland in World War I History of Ireland (1801–1923) Enniskillen Regiments of the British Army in World War I Regiments of the British Army in World War II Military units and formations disestablished in 1968 Defunct Irish regiments of the British Army 1881 establishments in the United Kingdom 1968 disestablishments in the United Kingdom R