Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
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| Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1688 - 1968 |
| Branch | British Army |
| Type | Infantry Regiment |
| Nickname | "The Skins" |
| Motto | Motto: Nec Aspera Terrent (By Difficulties Undaunted). |
In 1688 the inhabitants of Inniskillen, Ireland, organized a town militia, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, to fight against James II. The millitia fought with such success that it was later incorporated into the army of William III as the "Inniskilling Regiment" with its first Colonel being Zachariah Tiffin.
After the Irish War came to an end the regiment was stationed around the world in roughly half a century; from the West Indies, Minorca and to Spain. In 1745 it participated in the Battle of Falkirk and in 1746 the Battle of Culloden.
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[edit] Origins and early history
[edit] 27th Regiment of Foot
In 1751 the "Inniskilling Regiment" was renamed the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot due to new military standards. The former name of "Inniskillen" stuck however and even in official correspondence the regiment was known as the "Twenty-seventh Inniskillings".
During the Seven Years' War (1756-63) the Regiment fought against the French in North America and the West Indies. In 1778 it returned to North America to take part in the War of Independence, but as the result of the alliance formed by the French with the American colonists, it again found itself involved in numerous expeditions against the French West Indian possessions.
Its travels during the next few years included the Low Countries and Egypt where it formed part of Sir Ralph Abercromby's force that fought the Battle of Alexandria against the French in 1801, while the Second Battalion, which had been raised in 1800 formed part of the garrison of that city after its capture.
The regiment participated in the Battle of Waterloo as the only Irish regiment at the time. It was at this battle the regiment earned its most famed honours when Duke of Wellington commented that the regiment had been a vital part of the centre.
Between 1837 and 1847 it was engaged in several of the numerous native wars in South Africa that occurred during those years. From 1854 and 1868 it served in India taking part in the suppression of the Indian Mutiny and helping to preserve law and order in North-west India.
[edit] 1881
In 1881 the "Twenty-Seventh" became the 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
The 108th Regiment of Foot (Madras Infantry) formed the 2nd Battalion of the regiment.
In the years following the regiment saw action in the British colonies in Africa and fought in the Pathan uprising and the Second Boer War.
[edit] First World War
In 1914 the Great War broke out and the 2nd Battalion was first to see action in the Battle of Le Cateau. The 1st Battalion participated in the landings at Cape Helles on the Gallipoli peninsula in April 1915 with the 29th Division. There were also 9 New Army battalions raised seeing service on the western front and Gallipoli, Macedonia and Palestine.
There were 12 battalions raised by this regiment during the First World War and 8 Victoria Crosses were won during it.
Between the first and second world war the 1st Battalion was stationed in India, Iraq, Shanghai and Singapore. The 2nd Battalion was disbanded in 1922 but raised again in 1937 at Catterick.
[edit] Second World War
During the second world war the 2nd Battalion, as part of the BEF was among those that were evacuated from Dunkirk. In 1942 the 1st Battalion was flown to Burma to help stem the Japanese advance and in 1943 took part in the operations in the Arakan peninsula. After re-fitting, the 2nd Battalion as part of the Fifth Division, it left England in 1942 on a journey that was to include Syria, Persia, India and Madagascar, and eventually arrived in the Mediterranean in time to take part in the invasion of Sicily followed by that of Italy.
During the Italian Campaign the 6th Battalion would serve in the same theatre as the 2nd but with the 38th (Irish) Infantry Brigade. The 6th Battalion had fought in the Tunisian Campaign in North Africa and had also taken part in the landings on Sicily.
During the Second World War the regiment raised 8 battalions to fight in the war.
[edit] Post War
After the war the First Battalion returned to India from Burma and after a stay in Hong Kong was engaged for many months hunting terrorists in the jungles of Malaya. In 1949 after a brief spell at home it went to the West Indies returning to the United Kingdom in April 1951. In 1952 it was presented with the Freedom of Enniskillen, the town of its birth and later in the same year went abroad to the Suez Canal Zone and afterwards to Kenya where it helped to suppress the Mau Mau terror; while in the latter country it received the Freedom of Nairobi in perpetuity, the first and so far the only time that a British Regiment has been so honoured by a colonial city.
The First Battalion returned to England in 1955 and after two years at the School of Infantry went to Germany, being stationed in Berlin and Wuppertal. In 1960 half of the Battalion was back in Kenya with a detachment in Bahrein. In 1961 the Battalion flew into Kuwait when the Sheikdom was threatened by Iraq. The Battalion returned to England in 1962 being 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 with trouble brewing on the Island due to a tense political situation. Following a peaceful election the detachment returned to Worcester in preparation along with the remainder of the Battalion for the final Regimental Chapter and at midnight on 30th June 1968, following a nostalgic ceremony the Regimental Flag was lowered for the last time.
[edit] Amalgamation
On 1st July 1968, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, The Royal Ulster Rifles and The Royal Irish Fusiliers became The Royal Irish Rangers (27th Inniskilling, 83rd and 87th). The Royal Irish Rangers was later to amalgamate with The Ulster Defence Regiment and on the 1st July 1992 became The Royal Irish Regiment.
