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The Royal Munster Fusiliers |
 | 1756
- 1922
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Titles |
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pre 1881 |
post 1881 |
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101st Regiment of Foot (Royal Bengal Fusiliers) |
1st Battalion, The Royal Munster Fusiliers |
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104th Regiment of Foot (Bengal Fusiliers) |
2nd Battalion, The Royal Munster Fusiliers |
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Earliest recognised formation: |
101st:: 1756, when formed as the Bengal European Regiment, a regiment of
the Honourable East India Company. Became the 1st Bengal (European) Light
Infantry in 1840, and 1st Bengal (European) Fusiliers in 1846. The regiment
transferred to the British establishment in 1858. 1862 saw the
regiment enter its position in the British infantry line list as the "101st
Regiment of Foot (Royal Bengal Fusiliers)". |
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104th: 1765, when formed by division of the Bengal European Regiment, a regiment of the Honourable East India Company, and titled "2nd Bengal
European Regiment". The Regiment disbanded in 1803, reformed in 1822,
disbanded once more in 1830 to reform again in 1839. The regiment was
re-titled 2nd Bengal (European) Fusiliers in 1850, and transferred to the
British establishment in 1858. 1862 saw the regiment enter its position in
the British infantry line list as the "104th Regiment of Foot (Bengal
Fusiliers)". |
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| Motto: |
??? |
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Regimental Journal: |
The Bengal Tiger |
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| WWI: |
Battle Honours; 51 |
Victoria Crosses; 3 |
Died; 3070 |
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| Disbanded: |
1922, on the creation of The Irish Free State. |
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Revolt of the Rajah of Bhurtpore (1826) 1st Bengal European
Regiment |
Army of India Medal 1799 - 1826 |
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clasp: |
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number: |
90 |
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Battle Honour: Bhurtpore |
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First Afghan War 1839 - 42
1st Bengal European Regiment | Ghuznee Medal 1839 | | | | number: | ? | | | Battle Honours: Ghuznee
1839; Afghanistan 1839. |
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The First Sikh War 1845 - 1846.
1st Bengal European Regiment |
The Sutlej Medal 1845 -46 |
| | | Battle |
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| | number: |
? | ? |
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A recipients first battle corresponds to the medal reverse type, followed by clasp(s) for subsequent battles. |
Battle Honours: Ferozeshah, Sobraon |
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The Second Sikh War 1848 -1849.
2nd Bengal European Regiment |
The Punjab Medal 1848-49 |
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| clasp: |
....none.... |
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total medals |
| number: |
35 |
736 |
713 |
784 |
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700 as two clasp medals |
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Battle Honours:
Chillianwallah, Goojerat, Punjaub |
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Second Anglo-Burmese War 1852-1853 Both
regiments present: 1st and 2nd Bengal (European) Fusiliers |
India General Service Medal 1854 - 95 |
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| clasp: |
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| regiment: |
1st |
2nd |
| numbers: |
? |
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Battle Honour: Pegu1st |
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Indian Mutiny 1857
Both regiments present: 1st and 2nd Bengal (European)
Fusiliers |
Indian Mutiny Medal. 1857 -59 |
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| clasp: |
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...none... |
| regiment: |
1st |
2nd |
1st |
1st |
2nd |
| number: |
? |
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? |
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VCs: 6 ; Brown, Butler, Cadell, McGovern,
McGuire, Ryan.
See VC Page |
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Battle Honour: Lucknow1st
; Delhi 1857both . |
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1881: The Regiments now become the 1st and 2nd Battalions, The Royal
Munster Fusiliers. | | |
Third Anglo-Burmese War 1885-87, and aftermath.
2nd Battalion |
India General Service Medal 1854 - 95 | | | |
| | clasp: |
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| | number: | ? |
? |
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Battle Honour: Burma 1885-7 |
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Anglo - Boer War 1899 - 1902. 1st Battalion, (entire war), 2nd
Battalion Dec 1901 - end of the war. |
Queen's South Africa Medal 1899-1902, with or without the
King's South Africa Medal 1901 - 1902 (KSA normally first Battalion
only) |
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Common clasps: Cape Colony, Orange Free State,
Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902; also: |
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| battalion: |
1st |
1st |
1st |
1st |
1st |
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| clasp: |
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| number: |
239 |
75 |
762 |
? |
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Casualties: |
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Officers |
NCOs and Men |
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KIA & DOW/ DOD |
Wounded |
Missing & POW |
KIA & DOW |
Death from disease |
Wounded |
Missing / POW |
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1st Battalion |
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5 / - |
3 |
- |
19 |
43 |
74 |
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2nd Battalion |
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- / - |
- |
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2 |
5 |
2 |
- |
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Battle Honour: South Africa 1899-1902 |
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Garrison & Guard Duty, ( Boer prisoners of war) Gibraltar and Malta etc., 1899 - 1902 Royal
Limerick County Militia (Fusiliers) (5th Battalion) | Queen's Mediterranean Medal 1899 -1902 | | | | Number: |
498 |
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Battle Honour: Mediterranean 1901 |
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The 1908 India General Service Medal to 7221
Private Cornelius Murphy, 1st Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers.
Murphy also served in WW1 with the 2nd Battalion and qualified for a 1914
Star Trio - trio location unknown.
In 1917 Murphy was shot through the thigh and lay in a shell
hole for some time exposed to "intense cold and wet" -
these wounds and exposure led to him being sent back to the UK within
days and he was later discharged. Murphy
was not a
model soldier as his WW1 records show a grand total of 70 days of field
punishment number II. | | | | |
The Great War 1914 - 1918
( 11 battalions; 7 served overseas:- ) |
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"Now came the moment for the '' River Clyde " to pour forth
her living freight; but grievous delay was caused here by the
difficulty of placing the lighters in position between the ship
and the shore. A strong current hindered the work and the
enemy's fire was so intense that almost every man engaged upon
it was immediately shot. Owing, however, to the splendid
gallantry of the naval working party, the lighters were
eventually placed in position, and then the disembarkation
began. A company of the Munster Fusiliers led the way; but,
short as was the distance, few of the men ever reached the
farther side of the beach through the hail of bullets which
poured down upon them from both flanks and the front. As the
second company followed, the extemporised pier of lighters gave
way in the current. The end nearest to the shore drifted into
deep water, and many men who had escaped being shot were drowned
by the weight of their equipment in trying to swim from the
lighter to the beach. Undaunted workers were still forthcoming,
the lighters were again brought into position, and the third
company of the Munster Fusiliers rushed ashore, suffering
heaviest loss this time from shrapnel as well as from rifle,
pom-pom, and machine-gun fire." Extracted from the
official despatch referring to the Gallipoli landings, (General
Commanding the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. ) |
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Generally awarded the
British War Medal &
Victory Medal, men overseas prior to 1/1/1916 also a
1914 or
1914-15 Star. |
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Battalion → |
1* |
2 |
6 |
7 |
8** |
9*** |
1st
Garrison |
date of first overseas service.
(first theatre red
x ) |
21/3
1915 |
14/8
1914 |
7/8
1915 |
7/8
1915 |
18/12
1915 |
20/12
1915 |
11/11
1917 |
| France &
Flanders |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
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Gallipoli |
x |
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x |
x |
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(Suvla via Mudros) |
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Egypt & Palestine |
x |
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x |
x |
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Mesopotamia | |
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Macedonia |
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x |
x |
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Italy |
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x |
Star
possible ? |
1914 or 1914-15 |
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x |
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or 1914-15 only |
x |
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x |
x |
x |
x |
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| VCs at
a glance: |
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died
Extracted from : "Soldiers / Officers
Died in the Great War" (consider approximate - in addition the
regiment as a whole lost an additional 115 officers who
are recorded with 'battalion not shown' or with battalions
not shown here, or who we have not yet allocated a
battalion.) |
884 |
1088 |
250 |
168 |
200 |
68 |
12 |
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*In Burma at the start, moved to the UK - On to
Alexandria 30/3/15 and to Gallipoli via Mudros (1st day landers,
initial assault 25/4/15) .
After the landings the battalion, due to heavy casualties, was
temporarily amalgamated with the 1st
Royal Dublin Fusiliers. (
19/5/15 resumed identity)
**Absorbed 12 officers and 200 men from the disbanded 9th Btn,
30/5/16. Disbanded itself 23/11/16
***9th disbanded 30/5/16, personnel to the 1st, 2nd and 8th. |
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Regular |
Territorial Force |
New Armies |
Garrison. |
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VCs: 3; Batten-Pooll, Cosgrove, Doyle
See VC Page |
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Battle Honours: Retreat from Mons;
Ypres 1914 ,17; Guillemont; Aubers; St. Quentin; Drocourt-Quéant;
Selle; Landing at Helles; Landing at Suvla; Jerusalem. Marne
1914; Aisne 1914; Langemarck 1914,17; Gheluvel;, Nonne Bosschen;
Givenchy 1914; Loos; Somme 1916 '18; Albert 1916; Bazentin; Pozières;
Ginchy; Flers-Courcelette; Morval; Messines 1917; Passchendaele;
Bapaume 1918; Rosières; Avre; Arras 1918; Scarpe 1918; Hindenburg
Line; Canal du Nord; St. Quentin Canal; Beaurevoir; Cambrai 1918;
Sambre; France and Flanders 1914-18; Italy 1917-18; Kosturino;
Struma; Macedonia 1915-17; Helles; Krithia; Suvla; Scimitar
Hill; Gallipoli 1915-16; Egypt 1916; Gaza; Tell 'Asur; Palestine
1917-18. |
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The collier "River Clyde" disembarking 'V' Beach,
Gallipoli, 25th April 1915. Painting by Charles Dixon RA. (1872-1934) | | | | |
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