Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was one of England's premier county regiments and can trace its ancestry back to the year 1674.
Contents |
[edit] Nomenclature
When first raised it was part of the Dutch Service and known as the Irish Regiment, or Viscount Clare's Regiment. Until 1751, like most other regiments, it was known successively by the names of the colonels who commanded them at the time. The Regiment was transferred to the British Service in 1689, taking from 5 June 1685 its order of precedence as the 5th Regiment of the Line. It was not until 1 July 1751 that it was designated by that number as the system of naming it after its Colonel was dropped from that time onwards. On 1 August 1782, its enduring association with the County of Northumberland first became evident when it was redesignated as the 5th (The Northumberland) Regiment of Foot. On 4 May 1836 it became a fusilier regiment and was redesignated as the 5th (Northumberland Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot. With the Cardwell reforms of 1881, the regiment was, on 1 July 1881, redesignated as the Northumberland Fusiliers, losing its number, but despite this the regular battalions continued unofficially for many years afterwards to refer to themselves as the Fifth Fusiliers.
On 3 June 1935, the regiment was bestowed with the prefix "Royal" and continued to be known as the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers until the British Army reforms in the lates 1960's led to the formation of large regiments, when it lost its county associations and became the 1st Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers on St George's Day, 23 April 1968. To this day, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers continues to wear some of the insignia of the four county regiments from which it was formed and to honour their traditions and carry their battle honours.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- The Fifth Fusiliers and Its Badges, Denis Wood (1988)
