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Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was an Irish line infantry regiment of the British Army 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.

Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

1881–1968

1 Regular battalion at amalgamation (10 during the Great War)

The Skins

Nec Aspera Terrant (By difficulties undaunted) (Latin)

Blue facings

Quick – The Sprig of Shillelagh & Rory O'More
Slow – Eileen Alannah

Waterloo Day, 18 June
Somme Day, 1 July

Grey

It saw service in the Second Boer War, the First World War and the Second World War. In 1968 it was amalgamated with the other regiments in the North Irish Brigade, the Royal Ulster Rifles, and the Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's) into the Royal Irish Rangers.

History[edit]

1881 – 1914[edit]

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.[1][2] 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.[3][4]


The regimental district comprised the City of Londonderry and the counties of Donegal, Londonderry, Tyrone and Fermanagh in Ireland, with its garrison depot located at St Lucia Barracks in Omagh.[5] The local militia regiments also became part of the new regiment:[5][2]

Regimental museum[edit]

The Inniskillings Museum (for the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards) is based at Enniskillen Castle[37]

The Regimental Chapel[edit]

The Regimental chapel is in St Macartin's Cathedral, Enniskillen.[41]

Thiepval, France.

Ulster Tower Memorial

Dublin.

Irish National War Memorial Gardens

Messines, Belgium.

Island of Ireland Peace Park

Ypres, Belgium.

Menin Gate Memorial

Enniskillen, Northern Ireland

County Fermanagh War Memorial

Captain , 1st Battalion. 1/2 July 1915, Gallipoli.

Gerald Robert O'Sullivan

Sergeant , 1st Battalion. 1/2 July 1915, Gallipoli.

James Somers

Captain , (attached to 4th Trench Mortar Battery) 1 July 1916, Thiepval.

Eric Norman Frankland Bell

Lieutenant Colonel (Norfolk Regiment) CMG DSO, commanding 1st Battalion, 20 November 1917, Marcoing, Cambrai.

John Sherwood-Kelly

Second Lieutenant , 9th Battalion, 6 December 1917, Hindenburg Line, Cambrai.

James Samuel Emerson

Private , 6th Battalion, 27 December 1917, Kereina Peak, Palestine.

James Duffy

Lance Corporal , 2nd Battalion, 29 September 1918, Terhand, Belgium.

Ernest Seaman

Private , 1st Battalion, 25 October 1918, Ingoyghem, Belgium.

Norman Harvey

Recipients of the Victoria Cross:[42]

1881–1884: (1st Battalion) Gen. (ex 27th Foot)

Randal Rumley

1881: (2nd Battalion) Gen. Sir , KCB (ex 108th Foot)

Edward Harris Greathed

1881–1886: (2nd Battalion) Gen. Hon. Sir , KCB, CIE

Arthur Edward Hardinge

1886–1898: (2nd Battalion) Lt-Gen. Sir , KCB

James Talbot Airey

1884–1891: (1st Battalion) No appointment

1891–1893: (1st Battalion) Lt-Gen. , CB

John Neptune Sargent

1898–1902: Lt-Gen. William Roberts, CB

1902–1911: Gen.

Nathaniel Stevenson

1911–1923: Gen. Sir , GCB, GCMG, CVO, DSO

Archibald James Murray

1923–1941: Lt-Gen. Sir , GBE, KCB, KCMG

Travers Edwards Clarke

1941–1947: F.M. , GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE

Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck

1947–1960: Brig. Eric Edward James Moore, DSO

1960–1966: Maj-Gen. Denis Grattan Moore, CB

1966–1968: Maj-Gen. , CB, CBE, DSO

Ewing Henry Wrigley Grimshaw

1968 Regiment amalgamated with and The Royal Irish Fusiliers to form the Royal Irish Rangers

The Royal Ulster Rifles

Colonels of the Regiment were:[5]

List of British Army regiments (1881)

Regimental Museum (Enniskillen)

The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, by Gerry McNeilly

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

Department of the Taoiseach: Irish Soldiers in the First World War