A Very Warm Welcome to my New Website :

Hello and a very warm welcome to our new website. This website is not just about Living History, it is also a website about the history of the Royal Ulster Rifles, and other Irish Regiments which we portary such as the Irish Guards and the London Irish Rifles. We are a small group based in East Anglia, and our main theme is the Royal Ulster Rifles in North-West Europe - 1944 to 1945. We are the only group in the UK representing these fine Irish Regiments. Irish regiments have always had a reputation for being fierce in battle. They have won many great Battle Honours, and the sacrifice made by those who served in Irish Regiments during two World Wars was huge. It is so important to us as a group that we spend time educating the younger generation about the bravery and courage these men showed, and also that many of them lost their lives. It is also very important to us that we keep the fine traditions of these Irish Regiments alive.

My own Irish heritage is very important to me. I was born in Ballina, County Mayo on the rugged west coast of Ireland and in the ancient province of Connaught. My own Irish Military heritage involves my relatives serving in the Connaught Rangers,the Sligo Artillery the Highland Light Infantry, the Leinsters, the Royal Artillery and the Australian 9th Infantry Division.The living history scene is vast, and covers all periods of military history. Yet i had noticed that the contribution made by Irishmen during World War Two was not being represented. I wanted to portray my own countrymen and being Irish chose to represent the Royal Ulster Rifles. A very worthy Irish Regiment with a glorious history.

In 2005, i met up with Andrew who had a keen interest in the Royal Ulster Rifles. Andrews Grandfather John had served with the 2nd Battalion at Dunkirk and returned to Normandy with them in 1944, where he fought all the way to Germany and survived the war. At present the group consists of myself, Andrew, Ed, Chris, Luke and David, who comes all the way over from County Sligo to join us for events. David also has a fascinating Irish Military background, which hopefully i will be writing about later on this site. We are always looking for new members, so if you would like to help us keep the memory alive of the famous Irish Regiments, just drop us a line through the ' contact us ' page, we would love to hear from you.

Although teaching the younger generation is very important to us, raising funds for worthy causes is also something else that we very much value. Last year in 2009 we managed to raise funds for the East Anglia Children's Hospice at the various events we attended and this year we hope to support the benevolent fund of the Royal Ulster Rifles. Finally this website will also include pictures and descriptions of uniforms, weapons and kit along with a comprehensive history of the Royal Ulster Rifles, from its early founding to the end of World War Two. I hope you enjoy it. Best wishes Steve

General Sir John Hackett would state ' The door of the world was opened to him by the English Crown ' The first Victoria Cross ever issued would be awarded to an Irishman, Charles Lucas, Royal Navy during the war in the Baltic in 1854. The first Victoria Cross won by the British Army was awarded to Sergeant Luke O' Connor, of the 23rd Regiment of Foot, from County Roscommon for his action during the Battale of Alma, in the Crimean War in 1854. And almost 60 years later another Irishman Lieutenant Maurice Dease from County Westmeath, would be the first recipient of the same award during the Great War. Ever since the 18th Century Irishmen have formed the backbone of recruitment to the British Army until Irish Independence. And even though Ireland remained neutral during World War Two, thousands of Irish flocked to the cause, either deserting from the Irish Army, of volunteering to fight against Nazi Germany. At one point during the 19th century 42 percent of soldiers in the British Army were Irish born, which meant there were more Irish Soldiers in the British Army than English. Levels would remain high, although recruitment steadily dropped from the period of the Irish Famine until 1900, but the Irish would remain over represented compared to the size of the population.

At the turn of the 20th Century numbers of Irish Volunteers reduced, as the criticism by nationalists of recruitment to the army grew. Over 28,000 Irishmen served in the army during the Second Boer War, but by 1910 recruitment levels had fallen to 9 percent and for the first time were below Ireland's share of the UK population. Numbers that enlisted for the Great War 1914-1918 vary, but it is estimated that as many as 200,000 Irishmen volunteered, not including those who fought for the United States and countries of the Commonwealth. Some historians put the figure as high as half a million. During World War Two it is estimated that as many as 70,000 Irishmen from the Irish Free State volunteered for the British armed forces. It is also worth remembering that during the Great War one third of Britain's Field Marshals came from Ireland and of the ten Field Marshals during World War Two, half had Irish origins. The importance of the Irish in the British Army was summed up by Rudyard Kipling in his poem about the Irish Guards:

' For Where there are Irish there's bound to be fighting, and when

there's no fighting it's Ireland no more. '

British 3rd Infantry Div Insignia

The Regiment of the Infantry of the Line that became to be known as the Royal Ulster Rifles dates back to the reign of King George III. In 1793 there was some expansion of the Armed Forces to meet the commitments of the war with France. As part of that expansion there were raised two new Regiments of Foot, the 83rd and 86th. At about the same time the Antrim, Down and Louth Regiments of Militia were raised. All were eventually to become part of the Royal irish Rifles, which in 1921 became the Royal Ulster Rifles.

The 83rd was raised in Dublin by Colonel William Fitch and soon saw active service in the West Indies. Thereafter they remained in garrison in Jamiaca for seven years, losing many casualties from yellow fever. The 86th Regiment was originally raised in Shropshire by General Cornelius Cuyler and was known as ' Cuyler's Shropshire Volunteers ' However there was some difficulty in recruiting sufficient numbers and on the regiment's move to Ireland they

changed their recruiting area to Leinster and became known as the ' Irish Giants ' The 86th first saw service as Marines and were involved in several actions against the French. A detachment of six companies accompanied an expedition to Egypt and carried out an epeic march in June 1801. This was from Suez to Cairo, an indirect distance of 90 miles in three days under a blazing sun. There were no provisions and no water sources until 12 miles before Cairo, while the water they carried became putrid, with maggots in it. The men wore the heavy scarlet uniform coat, as there was no sensible tropical kit issued but the detachment completed the march with only 17 stragglers, eight of whom died.

The campaign resulted in the defeat of the French in Egypt. By Royal Authority the emblem of the Sphinx superscripted ' Egypt ' was added to the crest of the 86th. Meanwhile the 83rd had returned to Ireland and raised a 2nd Battalion to meet the expansion of the Army required by the Napoleonic Wars. In 1805 the 1st/83rd landed at Cape Town and swiftly overcame the resistance of the small Dutch force, then remained as garrison of the Cape of Good Hope until 1818. The 2nd/83rd joined the Peninsular Expeditionary Army in Portugal in 1809. They had before them five years of stiff campaigning with long marches up and down the length of Spain and Portugal and eventually across the French Frontier, gaining 12 Battle Honours. One of their earliest battles but certainly their bloodiest was ' Talavera ' The Battalion suffered in casualties over half their strength, including the Colonel killed and many taken prisoner, not to be released for five years. Sergeant Major Swinburne was commissioned in the field for gallant conduct. He eventually retired as a Lieutenant Colonel some 44 years later, much honoured by the Regiment. ' Salamanca ' ' Vittoria ' ' Pyrenees ' ' Nivelles ' ' Orthez ' and finally ' Toulouse ' were the further honours won by the 2nd/83rd.

Uniform of the 86th in the 1840s

In 1810 the 86th had formed part of the task force sent from India to capture the French Island of Bourbon. In the face of heavy fire from musket and cannon the redoubt covering the breach was taken with the bayonet. The halyards of the flag staff had been shot away but Corporal Hall climbed the flagstaff and fixed to it the King's Colour of the 86th. Even the French were impressed by his gallanry and cheered lustily. The island was soon taken, Bourbon being awarded as a battle honour, in addition to ' India ' in recognition of the 86th's services in the Maharatta War. Further honours were awarded by Royal Authority as are indicated in the words of the song ' Their Colours shall be royal blue, and they'll wear the harp and crown, and be called the Bourbon Heroes ot the Royal County Down. Both regiments spent the years from 1819 to 1857 in garrison mainly in England but also in Ceylon, Canada and again in India or the ' Shiny ' as the Irish liked to call it. An order of the time describes the 83rd as ' A Regiment of 950 efficient soldiers ,strong and stalwart in forms perfect in discipline, and influenced in no ordinary degree by an ardent esprit de corps ' It is also recorded that in 1832, the motto ' Quis Separabit ' was adopted by the 86th and that they marched to the tune ' The Kinnegar Slashers ' and later to ' St Patrick's Day ' whereas the 83rd's march since their early days had been ' Garry Owen '

The Storming of Badajoz

The outbreak of the Indian Mutiny in 1857 found both Regiments in India. At first they had to fight desperately to hold their own, but by the end of the year reinforcements had arrived and various mobile forces were formed to attack and round up the mutineers. These forces fought many actions all over Rajputana and Central India, the most notable of which was the storming of the Fortress at Jhansi. The artillery made a breach in the wall but before an attack could be launched a relieving force under the undoubtable rebel leader Tantia Topee arrived on the scene.

They were at once attacked by a detachment of the 86th and led by Lieutenant Cochrane. He had three horses killed under him but routed the rebels and captured their artillery. The siege was now pressed with redoubled energy. The assault force was to surmount the wall with ladders, a hazardous operation when the enemy poured down a terrible fire with rockets and red hot cannon balls. There was a bitter struggle with many casualties, but the breach stormers under under Lieutenant Jerome took the enemy in the flanks and they retired to the fort. The fight went on for a day and a night until an entry was made into the Ranee's Palace where the County Downs engaged her bodyguard in hand to hand fighting, until the whole city was occupied and the Ranee fled.

For this action the Victoria Cross was awarded to Lieutenants Cochrane and Jerome and Privates Byrne and Pearson all of the 86th Regiment. The next main event in the Regimemt's history was the formation in 1881 of the Royal Irish Rifles. The 1st Battalion was formed from the 83rd, the 2nd Battalion from the 86th, and the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Battalions from the North Down, the Antrim, the South Down and the Louth regiments of the Militia respectively.

Music for the Wesbite can be turned of here. Website designed by Steve ' Mad Paddy '