THE ROYAL IRISH FUSILIERS

87TH REGIMENT OF FOOT: Monte Video, Talavera, Barrosa, Tarifa, Vittoria, Nivelle, Orthes, Toulouse, Peninsula, Ava

89Th REGIMENT OF FOOT: Egypt, Java, Niagara, Ava, Sevatsopol.

combined battle honours of the 87th Regiment and 89th Regiment plus: Tel- el- Kebir, Egypt 1882-84, Relief of Ladysmith, 1899-1902

THE GREAT WAR ( 14 battalions ) Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914, Armentieres 1914, Hill 60,

Ypres 1915-17-18, Gravenstafel, St Julien, Frezenberg,Bellewaarde, Somme 1916-18, Albert 1916, Guillemont, Ginchy, Le Transloy, Arras1917,Scarpe 1917, Messines 1917-18, Langemark 1917, Cambrai 1917, St Quentin, Rosieres, Lys, Bailleul, Kemmel, Courtrai,

France and Flanders 1914-18, Kosturino, Struma, Macedonia 1915-17, Suvla, Landings at Suvla, Scimitar Hill, Gallipoli 1915, Giaza, Jerusalem, Tell' Asur, Megiddo, Nablus, Palestine 1917-18.

THE SECOND WORLD WAR: Withdrwal to Escaunt, St Omer-La-Bassee, 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, Trasimene Line, Monte Spaduro, Monte Grande, Argenta Gap, San Nicolo Canal, Leros, Malta 1940.

The Royal Irish Fusiliers regimental number is 87, the first Regimento be given this number was raised in 1759 and served until 1763. It was the Highland Corps- 87th

( Highland ) Regiment of Foot, known informally as ' Keith's Highlanders ' , after the Clan name of its founder. Another regiment given the number 87 served from 1779 to 1783. The third 87th Regiment was raised by Colonel Sir John Doyle in Ireland in 1793. It was called the Prince of Wale's Irish Regiment of Foot, and on arrival in their barracks at Portsmouth , England in 1794 the men were described by an English Newspaper as ' Brave , hearty boys, mostly armed with Shelalehs ( meaning " Shileleaghs " the Irish long cudgel, traditionally made from a branch of the blackthorn tree ). Most of the regiment was taken at Bergen-Op-Zoom in 1795 and a new regiment was raised in England and then sent to the West Indies . The troops then returned to England and went to The Cape in South Africa in 1810, saw five years service on the island of Mauritius and then went to India in 1815.

A 2nd Battalion of the 87th was raised in Ireland by Sir Charles Doyle in 1804. This Charles was the son......

of the Regiment's original Commanding Officer, Colonel Sir John Doyle. Both Battalions of the Regiment went to Portugal in 1809 and took part in the Peninsular war. It took part in the BATTLE OF OPORTO, and at Talavera and fought a defensive action at Cadiz.

The Regiments casualties at Talavera were 40%. The 2nd Battalion of the 87th

gained great honour for its valiant action at the BATTLE OF BARROSA ( right )

when under the command of Hugh Gough. It is probable the Hugh Gough was

of the Gough family from Clonmel, County Tipperary whose later generations

also became famed for their gallantry. This family has the distinction of being

the only one whose members include 3 men who were awarded the Victoria

Cross .Wellington's commitment to the army he led was total and this he

expected from his officers, even discouraging them from going on leave.

He would have been pleased with the commitment and enthusiasm of Gough

and his 87th at Barrosa in 1811 where he became a hero of the peninsular

War. Gough with his usual bravery was severely wounded at Talavera, but

escaped with another Officer Captain Oates, an equally brave and wounded

Connaught Ranger. In February 1810 Gough and his battalion joined an

Anglo Portuguese force at Cadiz that was blockaded by the French. Barrosa

was the key to the route into Cadiz and there on the 5th March 1811, Major

Gough led a memorable charge of the 2/87th. Shouting ' Faugh-a-Ballagh '

Irish for ' clear the way ' The 2/87th smashed into the 2nd Battalion of the French

8th Regiment and in a terrible bayonet fight killed or wounded over half their

fighting strength. In the centre of the bloody struggle the eagle of the 8th was

desperately defended by the French Colour party and the Irish cut towards it.

Sergeant Patrick Masterson , a Roscommon man, snatched the pole bearing

the eagle from the French and held onto it throughout the melee shouting

" Be Jebers boys, i have the cuckoo !" For his valour masterson was made an

ensign and members of his family long served in the Faughs. Hugh Gough

was given the Brevet rank of Lieutenant Colonel for his leadership at Barossa.

The prized eagle was sent home and presented to the Prince Regent amidst

public acclaim for the 2/87th Foot and endless newspaper acounts appeared about Gough and his men.Gough furthered his military reputation as a fighting Irish Field Commander in late December 1811 when the beseiging French broke through the fortress wall at the port of Tarifa. He volunteered to hold to breach with his regiment, and during the night the defenders attempted to repair the damage . On the morning of the 31st when the French came up again they met the 87th's deadly fire, while above the din could be heard the lively drums and fifes playing " Garryowen " ( which is featured on this website ) requested by Gough. He and his troops repulsed them after a short fierce fight and the French melted away to the 87th's playing " St Patricks Day "

The 2nd Battalion of the 87th was disbanded in 1817. The 1st battalion saw service in Nepal, South of the Himalayas from 1815 to 1816 then fought against the Pindarees and then took part in the First Burmese War from 1825 to 1826, subsequently returning to England in 1827. In That year the Regiment was first named The Prince of Wales's Own Irish Fusiliers and this name was then shortened to the Royal Irish Fusiliers.The second regiment which became part of The Royal Irish Fusiliers began as the 89th Regiment. There were three regiments which bore the regimental number 89, but only the third had Irish connections. The first was the 89th ( Highland ) Regiment of Foot, which served from 1759 to 1765 in India, where it fought at Buxar in 1764 and put down a mutiny. The second was called the 89th Worcester Volunteer regiment of Foot, raised as its name suggests in the town of Kidderminster in the English County of Worcestershire. It served in the West Indies until its disbandment in 1783. In 1793 the third 89th Regiment was raised in Ireland by Major General William Crosbie. Very shortly after its inception this regiment went to war in The Netherlands where it sustained heavy casualties at Boxtel. In 1794 the 89th went to Ireland. In 1798 when the Irish began their struggle for freedom from british rule, the 98th fought the rebels at the Battle of Vinegar Hill. The regiment then saw service in Egypt and after the Egyptian campaign were sent to Holland, but became shipwrecked on the way.The few survivors became prisoners of war but later returned to England and formed the core of a reconstituted regiment which saw service in Buenos Aires, The Cape in South Africa, Ceylon, India and Java, it took part in the capture of the island of Java in 1811 and was granted honours for this action.

In 1803 a 2nd Battalion of the 89th regiment was raised in Ireland, which went to serve in Gibralter before being sent to Nova Scotia in Canada. There this Battalion took part in hard fought battles from 1813 to 1814 and garrisoned Fort George and Mississaga. The battle honour ' Niagara ' was gained by this Irish battalion during its Canadian Service, before it returned to Europe and went to fight in India, Burma, The West Indies, Canada again, Gibralter, The Crimea and Africa. In 1833, the 89th Regiment was presented with colours by the Princess Victoria and was in 1866 given the title " Princess Victoria's Regiment " by Queen Victoria, to commemorate this event.

In 1881 the Irishmen of the 2nd Battalion with the rest of the 89th Princess Victoria's Regiment were merged with the 87th regiment to become the Royal Irish Fusiliers. This regiment took part in campaigns in the Sudan, Egypt and South Africa. The Irishmen of the 2nd Battalion ( formerly the 87th Regiment ) gained a decisive victory over the Boers at Talana Hill, South Africa in 1899 and also took part in the Battle of Colenso.

During the First World War, the Royal Irish Fusiliers, 1st and 2nd Battalions were joined by the 3rd and 4th Reserve Battalions and augmented by 7 extra Service Battalions and 3 Garrison Battalions- making a total regimental strength of 14 battalions altogether.

From 1914-1918 the Royal Irish Fusiliers fought in France, Flanders, Gallipoli, Macedonia, Egypt and Palestine. The 1st Battalion landed in France at Boulogne at the commencement of World War 1. From 1914 to 1918 the 7th and 8th Battalions of the Royal Irish Fusiliers were stationed at Tipperary Town Barracks, County Tipperary, where they formed part of the Headquarters (49th ) Brigade of the 16th Irish Division. The Division had its Headquarters in Tipperary Town Barracks throughout the Great war.

  Below, men of the Royal Irish Fusiliers in the

  Trenches during the Gallipoli Campaign

The Regiment had been authorized to raise a second regular battalion before the outbreak of war and it also had two reserve battalions. A further three wartime raised battalions would serve sd Home defence and training units. The ist battalion joined the BEF in France as part of the 25th Inf Bde of 50th

( Northumbrian ) Division. It spent the Phoney war building defences and even helping French farmers. Ordered forward into Belgium when the German Blitzkrieg was unleashed on 10th May 1940, it met other British units retreating, so rapid was the German advance. Rearguard actions during the retreat to Dunkirk included heavy fighting on the La Basee Canal. Reorganised in England it was later sent to North Africa as part of the 38th Irish Brigade.

The 2nd Battalion was based on Malta in 1939 initially as part of 231st, later 232nd Infantry Brigade. It remained there until spring 1943, taking part in the long defence of that vital island under waves of German and Italian air attacks. In June 1943, as part of the 234th Infantry Brigade, the Battalion began a journey via Egypt, Syria and Palestine which ended in the ill-fated expedition to the island of Leros in the Dodecanese in September. In November the Germans landed and within a week all british resistance was at an end; the 2nd Battalion was virtually wiped out in heavy fighting, the Commanding officer LtCol Maurice French was killed and apart from a few groups who managed to escape by boat the survivors were taken prisoner. the regiment's 6th battalion was redesignated as the new 2nd battalion in June 1944.

During the war the battalions of the Royal irish Fusiliers suffered 540 all ranks killed.

38TH IRISH INFANTRY BRIGADE: No complete Irish divisions were formed during ww2 and the only Irish Infantry formation was the 38th Irish Infantry Brigade, formed

in January 1942 and initially attached to the 1st Division. Its order of battle upon formation was as follows; The 6th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers,

1st Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion London Irish Rifles.

On formation therefore the Brigade contained one pre -war Regular battalion ( 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers ), one wartime raised service battalion ( 6th Inniskillings ) and one wartime battalion raised from a Territorial unit ( 2nd London Irish Rifles ). In August /September 1944 the 6th battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers would be replaced in the Brigade by that regiment's 2nd Battalion. During the was the brigade had three Commanders; Brig Morgan J.W.O' Donovan ( 1942 )- the chieftain of his clan, who used the traditional title

' The O'Donovan ' ; Brig Nelson Russell ( 1942 - 44 ); and Brig Pat Scott ( 1944-47 ). All three had been commissioned as young subalterns in the Royal Irish Fusiliers , and O'Donovan and Russell had both served with distinction in World War One, each being awarded the Military Cross.In November 1942 the advance parties of the 38th Brigade landed in Algiers during operation ' Torch '

the Anglo- American landings in French North Africa.The Brigade was then the Infantry element of

6th Armd Division, serving the first Army. During the fighting in Tunisia it was transferred in March

1943 to become one of the three brigades of 78th Division and would remain with this formation

until the end of the war.Between November 1942 and May 1945 the 38th Irish brigade saw extensive

active service in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. During its months in Tunisia it fought in numerous

actions including Two Tree Hill, Bou Arada, Djebel bel- Mahdi and Djebel Tannougeha. In July 1943

it took part in the Sicily Landings and played a prominent part in the capture of Centuripe in August.

Landing in Italy in September. It saw a great deal of hard fighting thereafter during Eighth Army's

stubborn resisted adcvance up the peninsula, including the battles of Termoli ( October 1943 )

San Salvo, and the Garigliano crossings ( January 1944 ) It particularly distinguished itself at

Cassino ( march-April 1944 ), Spaduro, during the advance into the Liri Valley ( Operation Diadem )

May 1944 and in the fighting for the Argenta Gap ( April 1945 ). One officer of the Brigade whose

career was particularly notable was LtCol ' Bala ' Bredin, DSO.MC commissioned into the Royal

Ulster Rifles, and a qualified paratrooper, he served at Cassino/Monte Cassino as second in command of 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers and

in March 1944 was posted to take over command of the 6th Inniskiilings. Wounded during the advance of May 1944 he recovered to take command of the 2nd London Irish Rifles. He thus held three senior command in all of the Brigade's battalions. Following the German

Surrender the 38th Bde formed part of the army of occupation in Austria. It dwindled steadily as the wartime battalions were disbanded and the men demobilized and shipped home. It was finally disbanded in 1947. During its campaigns the Brigade lost 900 men all ranks.Garrison duty for the Regiment after the war included a spell of guard mounting at British HQ at Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna. Photographs of this ceremony show 1st Btn soldiers in neatly pressed-battle-dress bearing the 78th Divisional sign above a green cloth shamrock on each sleeve. The regimental cap badge with green cloth shamrock on each sleeve. The regimental cap badge with green plume was worn on the knaki caubeen. The two battalions were amalgamated once agin after the war and the round round of peacetime garrison duties resumed.In germany in July 1963, after a three year tour of duty in Tripoli and Libya, new colours were presented by field Marshall Sir Gerarld Templer at celle.Once more in July 1968 the Royal Irish Fusiliers joined company with the other two Ulster regiments , the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the Royal Ulster Rifles to form the the new corps the Royal Irish Rangers

(27th (Inniskilling) 83rd and 87th.