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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 Victoria's) Regiment of Foot in 1881. The regiment's first title in 1881 was Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers), changed in 1920 to the Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's). Between the time of its formation and Irish independence, it was one of eight Irish regiments.

Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers)
Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's)

1881–1968

 United Kingdom

British Army

Light infantry
Line infantry (originally)

Anti-tank warfare
Artillery observer
Close-quarters combat
Cold-weather warfare
Counterinsurgency
Desert warfare
Internal security
Patrolling
Raiding
Reconnaissance
Trench warfare
Urban warfare

1–2 Regular battalions

Up to 3 Militia and Special Reserve battalions
1–2 Territorial and Volunteer battalions

Up to 10 Hostilities-only battalions

Gough Barracks, Armagh

The Old Fogs, The Rollickers

Faugh-a-Ballagh (Clear the way)

Quick: St Patrick's Day; Garry Owen; Barrosa

Emerald Green

In 1968, the Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's) was amalgamated with the other regiments of the North Irish Brigade, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the Royal Ulster Rifles, to become the Royal Irish Rangers.

Regimental museum[edit]

The Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum is located on the Mall in Armagh, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The exhibits include uniforms, medals, regalia and the two Victoria Crosses won by the regiment.[28]

From 87th Regiment of Foot: Monte Video, Talavera, Barrosa, Tarifa, Vittoria, Nivelle, Orthes, Toulouse, Peninsula, Ava

From 89th Regiment of Foot: Egypt, Java, Niagara, Ava, Sevastopol

Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt 1882 '84, Relief of Ladysmith, South Africa 1899-1902

The Great War (14 battalions): Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914, Armentières 1914, Hill 60, Ypres 1915 '17 '18, Gravenstafel, St. Julien, Frezenberg, Bellewaarde, Somme 1916 '18, Albert 1916, Guillemont, Ginchy, Le Transloy, Arras 1917, Scarpe 1917, Messines 1917 '18, Langemarck 1917, Cambrai 1917, St. Quentin, Rosières, Lys, Bailleul, Kemmel, Courtrai, France and Flanders 1914–18, Kosturino, Struma, Macedonia 1915-17, Suvla, Landing at Suvla, Scimitar Hill, Gallipoli 1915, Gaza, Jerusalem, Tell 'Asur, Megiddo, Nablus, Palestine 1917-18

The Second World War: Withdrawal to Escaut, St Omer-La Bassée, Bou Arada, Stuka Farm, Oued Zarga, Djebel bel Mahdi, Djebel Ang, Djebel Tanngoucha, Adrano, Centuripe, Salso Crossing, Simeto Crossing, Malleto, Termoli, Trigno, Sangro, Fossacesia, Cassino II, Liri Valley, , Monte Spaduro, Monte Grande, Argenta Gap, San Nicolo Canal, Leros, Malta 1940

Trasimene Line

The Regiment was awarded the following battle honours. Those shown in bold from the two World Wars were those selected to be emblazoned on the Kings's Colour:[13]

Private 1st Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers. 1915. Messines.[29]

Robert Morrow

Lieutenant 9th Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers. 1916. Hamel, Somme.[30]

Geoffrey Cather

Recipients of the Victoria Cross:

1881–1883: (1st Battalion) Gen. Sir (ex 87th (Royal Irish Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot)

Charles Hastings Doyle

1881–1887: (2nd Battalion only to 1883) Gen.

John Arthur Lambert

1887–1897: Gen.

Augustus Halifax Ferryman

1897: Gen.

Thomas Casey Lyons

1897–1899: Lt-Gen. Sir Alexander Hugh Cobbe

1899–1923: Maj-Gen. Thomas Rennie Stevenson

Colonels of the Regiment were:[13]


*1968 Regiment amalgamated with The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and The Royal Ulster Rifles to form The Royal Irish Rangers

Dublin.

Irish National War Memorial Gardens

Thiepval, France.

Ulster Tower Memorial

Messines, Belgium.

Island of Ireland Peace Park

Ypres, Belgium.

Menin Gate Memorial

Cape Helles, Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey

Helles Memorial

Corbally, M J P M (1979). Outline History of The Royal Irish Rangers (27th (inniskilling), 83rd and 87th). : Royal Irish Rangers.

Armagh

Doherty, Richard (1993). . Appletree press. ISBN 9780862813956. centuripe irish brigade.

Irish generals: Irish generals in the British Army in the Second World War

Harris, Major Henry E. D. (1968). The Irish Regiments in the First World War. Mercer Press Cork.  978-0853420729.

ISBN

Joslen, H. F. (2003) [1960]. Orders of Battle: Second World War, 1939–1945. Uckfield, East Sussex: Naval and Military Press.  978-1-84342-474-1.

ISBN

Irish Brigade: The Story of the 38th (Irish) Brigade in the 2nd World War

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