| The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers | |
|---|---|
 Cap badge of the regiment | |
| Active | 23 April 1968 – present |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Line Infantry |
| Role |
|
| Size | Twobattalions |
| Part of | Queen's Division |
| Garrison/HQ |
|
| Mottos | "Honi soit qui mal y pense" (French) "Evil be to him who evil thinks" |
| March |
|
| Mascots | Traditional –Black Buck – Bobby Substitute –Otterhound – George |
| Anniversaries |
|
| Commanders | |
| Colonel-in-Chief | Prince Edward, Duke of Kent |
| Insignia | |
| Tactical Recognition Flash |  |
| Hackle | Red over White From Royal Northumberland Fusiliers |
| Abbreviation | FUSILIERS |
The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (often referred to as, "The Fusiliers") is aninfantryregiment of theBritish Army, part of theQueen's Division. Currently, the regiment has twobattalions: the 1st Battalion, part of the Regular Army, is anarmoured infantry battalion based inTidworth,Wiltshire, and the 5th Battalion, part of theArmy Reserve, recruits in the traditional fusilier recruiting areas acrossEngland. The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was largely unaffected by the infantry reforms that were announced in December 2004, but under theArmy 2020 reduction in the size of the Army, the 2nd Battalion was merged into the first in 2014.
The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was formed on 23 April 1968 as part of the reforms of the British Army that saw the creation of 'large infantry regiments', by the amalgamation of the four EnglishFusilier regiments:[1]
The 3rd Battalion of the regiment saw active service inIraq during theGulf War in 1991.[2] All battalions were also deployed toNorthern Ireland onOperation Banner multiple times.[3]
In 2003, the 1 Fusiliers battlegroup was at the forefront of the coalitioninvasion of Iraq, ultimately occupying the city ofBasra.[4] Over the next decade, the regiment carried out multiple operational tours ofIraq.[3]
In 2006, elements of the 2nd Battalion were deployed toAfghanistan to support theInternational Security Assistance Force. Deployed to the town ofNow Zad inHelmand Province, they rapidly found themselves fighting off a sustainedTaliban attack that lasted for 107 days - the longest siege of British troops sinceWorld War II.[5] Over the following years, elements of the regiment deployed on several occasions to Afghanistan and saw heavy fighting.[6] Most recently, the entire 1st Battalion deployed toNahri Saraj District in Helmand in 2013, where they took part in mounted and dismounted infantry operations.[7]
The regiment received a reserve battalion, the 5th battalion, through the redesignation of theTyne-Tees Regiment, on 1 April 2006.[8]
In September 2014, the 2nd Battalion was amalgamated with the 1st Battalion underArmy 2020, forming just one regular battalion - an armoured infantry battalion under1st Armoured Infantry Brigade.[9]
During theCold War, the regiment saw a massive expansion, expanding from three regular battalions to six battalions in just a few years. Below is a list of those units raised within the regiment during the era:[10]
Regulars
TAVR (all disbanded in 1967)
Volunteers (from 1967)
Bands (with battalion assignment after, if needed)
The 1st Battalion is an armoured infantry battalion based inTidworth Camp,Wiltshire. Equipped with theWarrior IFV, the battalion is part of the army's3rd Division and is held at high readiness as part of the army's armoured war-fighting reserve. In 2016, the battalion was the army's Lead Armoured Battlegroup and was held at extremely high readiness in case it was required to deploy anywhere in the world at short notice. The battalion is highly experienced with multiple deployments in the last two decades toBosnia,Northern Ireland,Iraq andAfghanistan. Many soldiers from the 2nd Battalion joined the 1st Battalion on the merger, increasing the operational experience within the ranks. More recently, the 1st Battalion deployed around the world on exercise in places as diverse asBrunei,Kenya, theBaltic States andCanada.[14]
The 1st Battalion also regularly works in support of the civil powers in the UK. In 2013, large elements of the battalion were deployed toWraysbury and the surrounding area to support theflood relief efforts.[15]
The battalion won the Army Boxing Championships in 2016, beating the 2nd Battalion of theParachute Regiment in the final.[16]
The 5th Battalion is aReserve battalion with its headquarters in the northeast ofEngland. As a battalion within the3rd (United Kingdom) Division, the 5th Battalion specialises inarmoured infantry operations and has deployed all over the world on operations and on exercise both as a formed unit and as individual augmentees to the 1st Battalion. The 5th Battalion is now paired with the 1st Battalion and continues to support them in operations and on exercise.[17]
5th Battalion maintains subunits at the following locations:
As a Fusilier regiment, the Fusiliers wear ahackle – the red-over-white hackle of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. This distinction was originally a white plume which, according to regimental tradition, men of the5th Regiment of Foot had taken from the headdress of fallen French troops at St. Lucia in December 1778. In 1829,King George IV ordered the white plume to be worn by all infantry regiments, and in order not to take away from the 5th (Northumberland) Regiment of Foot's peculiar distinction and reflecting the "gallantry of the exploits" it commemorated[18]' (according to legend the original plumes were stained red with the blood of their foes), their plume was differentiated by being made "half red and half white, the red uppermost, instead of the plain white feather worn by the rest of the army per the 1829 order, as a peculiar mark of honour."[19]
The combinedVictoria Crosses of the Fusiliers and its ancestor regiments total fifty five.[20] Of particular note are the first and last Victoria Crosses of theFirst World War - won byLt Dease andPte Godley atMons in 1914 andSgt Pearse inNorth Russia in 1919 - and the famous "Six VCs Before Breakfast" won atGallipoli on 25 April 1915.[21]
The regiment's traditional mascot is an IndianBlackbuck Antelope called Bobby, inherited from theRoyal Warwickshire Fusiliers.[22] However, Indian Blackbuck Antelopes are now protected under animal welfare rules and the Regiment has not been allowed one for several years. As a substitute, the Regiment uses anOtterhound called George, who holds the rank of Fusilier and attends all the major parades in which the Regiment is involved.[23]
To mark certain Regimental Days, the Fusiliers wearroses in their headdress and bedeck the Battalion Colours with garlands. The tradition comes from their victory at theBattle of Minden, where, according to legend, soldiers marched at dawn to battle through rose fields and so went into action with the roses adorning their headdress. OnSt Georges Day, they wear red and white roses. OnMinden Day, they wear red and yellow roses. New Fusilier Officers also must eat a rose at their first Minden Dinner on joining the Regiment.[24]
TheKing's Colour of each battalion of the regiment is identical except for the battalion numeral. The field of this Colour is blue which is the same as the facing colour of the Regiment. The Regimental title is in gold in a crimson circle within a Union Wreath of roses, thistles and shamrocks. The Regimental title is in gold in a crimson circle within a Union Wreath of roses, thistles and shamrocks.St George within theGarter, which is the centre badge, is on a crimson ground within the circle. The whole is ensigned withSt Edward’s Crown. Forty battle honours, 20 in respect ofWorld War I and 20 in respect ofWorld War II, are borne on scrolls in gold in three groups of six honours on each horizontal arm of St George’s Cross and one group of four honours on the lower vertical arm of the Cross. Honours are emblazoned in chronological order by theatres across the horizontal arm of the Cross and vertically on the lower arm of the Cross. The fringe is of crimson and gold alternate strands.[20] Honorary distinction badges of the four former regiments are borne in each canton of the Colour:[20]
Finally, thirty-eight battle honours, which were borne on the Regimental Colours of the four former regiments, are emblazoned on gold scrolls placed on the branches of a large laurel wreath outside the Union Wreath.[20]
TheDrummer’s Colour (orWilhelmstahl Colour) is of gosling green silk edged with gold, embroidered with St George and the Dragon in the centre, with red scrolls edged with gold, above and below. The motto of the Northumberland Fusiliers ‘QUO FATA VOCANT’ ('Wherever fate calls us') is, on the upper scroll, and the word ‘NORTHUMBERLAND’ between V REGT, also in gold, on the lower scroll. A wreath of green laurel with red berries and the ‘slipped’ red and white rose surmounted by a crown in the four corners, makes up the design. This unusual third colour is traditionally carried by the youngest drummer on the annual St George's Day parade.[20]
A volunteer regimental band is sported by the5th Battalion, based at the St George's Army Reserve Centre. Officially known as the Band andCorps of Drums, it consists of 30 servicemen who marching in thefull dress uniform of the regiment and performs by permission of the Commanding Officer of FifthFusiliers. Thecorps of drums have a role in the band, leading parades and performing theirblack light show.[25]
Until theStrategic Defence Review of 1998 the Regiment had two Territorial Army bands: the Northumberland Band of the 6th Battalion and the Warwickshire Band of the 5th Battalion. After the review, the Northumberland Band became the Northumbria Band of the Tyne-Tees Regiment while the Warwickshire Band was removed from the TA establishment and continued as a civilian band. In 2006, it was renamed to the Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The LancashireAssociation Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers is also a volunteer band of the regiment.[26]
In April 1968, each of the four regular battalions inherited a battalion band. In November 1969, the 4th battalion band was merged into the other three bands. The regiment chose to form two full size bands in 1984; one being titled as "The Duke of Kent's Band" and the other as "The St George's" Band.[26]
The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers carries the combinedbattle honours of its four antecedent regiments, as well as two honours obtained during the years of the regiment's own existence. There are a total of 40 representative honours each emblazoned on the Queen's Colour and Regimental Colour.[28]
Regimental Colonels have been:[29]
| Preceded by | Infantry order of precedence | Succeeded by |
Royal Navy -HMSDiamond Royal Navy -HMSNorthumberland
RAF -No. 13 Squadron RAF
Canada -The Royal Canadian Regiment Canada -The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment) Canada -31 Combat Engineer Regiment (The Elgins) Canada -The Royal Westminster Regiment Canada -Les Fusiliers du St-Laurent
Australia -The Royal Victoria Regiment
New Zealand -The Hauraki Regiment{{cite web}}:Check|url= value (help){{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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