Royal Irish Fusiliers
The Regiment of the Infantry of the Line that became to be known as The Royal Ulster Rifles dates back to the reign of King George III. In 1793 there was some expansion of the Armed Forces to meet the commitments of the war with France. From their battle Cry of “Faugh-a-Ballagh”, “Clear the Way”, they became known as the “Faughs”. There were formed from two regiments, the 87th & 89th and from 1793 to 1804 they fought in Flanders, the West Indies and the Mediterranean as part of the war with France. After fighting in the Napoleonic Wars and capturing the French Eagle the Prince of Wales gave the 87th his title and from then on were known as the Prince of Wales’ Own Irish Regiment. They were involved in the Crimean War, the Indian War and the China War and in 1866 were given the title Princess Victoria’s. At about the same time the Antrim, Down and Louth Regiments of Militia were raised. All were eventually to become part of The Royal Irish Rifles, which in 1921 became The Royal Ulster Rifles.
In 1882 the Egyptian population were aggrieved over the British and French ownership of the Suez Canal and when rioting in Alexandria resulted in 130 European deaths, the British government dispatched warships and a large force under Sit Gamet Wolseley. The army was not given any time to acclimatize and a 24 hour march was followed by the battle of Tel-el-kabir. From Egypt the 1st Battalion went to India on garrison duties, though by 1898 they found themselves back in Egypt fighting the Mahdists at the battle of Omdurman. Fresh from this battle the 1st Battalion moved to South Africa to take part in the Boer War. In 1882 the 2nd Battalion went to India on Garrison duties. In 1884 they were ordered to the Sudan to fight the Mahdi and his Arab forces. The 2nd Battalion fought at the battles of El Teb and Tamai in which the Arabs were defeated. The 2nd Battalion was then based in Cork and Colchester until the outbreak of the Boer War.
When talks collapsed between the British and the Boers over the sovereignty of South Africa, the British shipped in troops to strengthen the garrison. The Boers, understandably, saw this move as open aggression and on 11th October 1899, the Boer republics declared war.
The 1st Battalion sailed from Alexandria, Egypt, on 24th September 1899, and arrived at Durban on 12th October. They were at once taken up country, unfortunately without their baggage and much of their equipment, which was to follow, but never reached, the battalion.
On 13th October the battalion arrived at Ladysmith, where they took outpost duty the same evening. On the 15th October at 11.20 pm they entrained for Dundee, taking supplies for the force at Dundee and 400 rounds per rifle. On the 17th, 18th, and 19th nothing particular happened, and the only noteworthy incident was that General Penn-Symons stated on parade he would have, no entrenchments made. On the evening of the 19th news came that the railway had been cut. On the 20th the infantry paraded at 5 am and were dismissed at 5.20 am, but were standing about when a gun was heard and a shell fell between the town and the camp. Orders came to the battalion that Talana Hill was to be attacked and that one company of the Fusiliers to be left in camp.
The battalion went into action 640 strong. They lost Captain Connor and Lieutenant Hill and 15 men killed, and 5 officers and 37 men wounded. The newspapers spoke of 4000 British infantry being in the attacking force, but as the Leicestershire Regiment was left in camp, and none of the other battalions were stronger than the Royal Irish Fusiliers, 1900 was about the number of infantry engaged. It was said the Boers numbered about 4000 with four guns.
At 9.30 pm on the 22nd the retreat from Dundee commenced, and the Royal Irish Fusiliers had reason to feel the hardships of that awful march more than any of the other battalions, as they had no transport, and had to carry all ammunition, coats, etc. They had no kettles, and had to borrow these from the other troops at a halt. At 2 pm on the 26th they reached their camping-ground at Ladysmith physically done up. The last twenty-five miles had been done under fearful conditions; rain had fallen very heavily, and the road, so called, was a sea of mud, often knee-deep. Although they won this battle, the campaign went badly wrong for the Regiment and those who survived the battle were either prisoners of war or besieged in Ladysmith.
The third besieged town, Ladysmith was a railway junction surrounded by hills and north of the Tugela River. The officer commanding troops at this junction, General White, turned it into a giant store of troops, horses and civilians and got stuck there. Ladysmith had the strategic value of a sparrow and was difficult to defend. Despite Buller’s request that no troops be moved north of the Tugela River they were and the original battle planes given to Buller who was steaming towards South Africa by ship were fast becoming irrelevant.
On the 29th the battalion was ordered to provide six companies as part of a column under Lieutenant Colonel Carleton, consisting of these companies, about six companies of the 1st Gloucestershire Regiment, and the 10th Mountain Battery; the force to take 300 rounds per rifle, two days’ cooked rations, no water; no wheeled vehicles to be allowed. At 11.15 pm the column marched out towards Nicholson’s Nek, which it was intended they should hold.
The Fusiliers pressed on and occupied Trenchgula, but at dawn thy were moved back a little to a hill called Hogsback Hill. The Gloucesters now came up, and they occupied the left front somewhat in advance of the Fusiliers. The latter were placed along the right front, the right, and the right rear. There were no entrenching tools, and the men had to do what they could to make sangars with the very few loose stones available. At daylight the Boers opened fire from Surprise Hill, 800 yards to the left front, at 7 am were seen advancing from other hills on the right and by 11 am were occupying a knoll 1000 yards to the front. The advanced company of the Gloucesters was reinforced by a half company, but the whole of that advanced party were driven back, losing heavily. At 11.45 am many Boers appeared on the right front, and “a part of E company of the Fusiliers retired without orders
This party, fell in with others on the right and rear faces, and lay down in the firing line. About 11.45 am Captain Silver of the Fusiliers bravely took a half of his company under a very heavy fire to the left brow to replace a company of the Gloucester Regiment. The officer of the Fusiliers unfortunately, took this movement to be a retirement and moved back three of his sections. In going back to his other half-company Captain Silver was severely wounded. At noon the officers could see a heliograph on Limit Hill signalling “Retire on Ladysmith as opportunity offers”. To attempt that was out of the question. “The whole affair was sprung on them as a complete surprise, and the Fusiliers had so little idea of surrendering that it was some time before the men could be got to cease fire”. The casualties of the Fusiliers were 10 men killed, and 3 officers and 54 men wounded.
The two companies of the Royal Irish Fusiliers had been left in Ladysmith and held ‘Red Hill’ and ‘Range Post’ in the western defences during the siege. After the town was sealed the 1st Battalion were reduced to 8 officers and 230 men. They seem to have done excellently and kept watch so well that they were not molested except by shell-fire. These companies were wonderfully healthy, and for the same reason, that the officers, the Quartermaster especially, were most particular about the water used.
Ladysmith was defended by 12,000 troops of the British Empire and was forced to defend itself only once from a few hundred Boers who attacked a hill known as Wagon Hill/Platrand/Caesars Camp. Some very brave troops and officers fought in this battle on January 6 1900 but the commanders of the British forces were really a bit lacking in their preparation of their defences. The truth of the matter is that the Ladysmith garrison commanders showed little enthusiasm for taking on the Boers besieging them and were of no use in supporting the relieving force. The administration of the siege was poor and many died of disease due to the overzealous red tape and accounting methods.
Many of the dead were buried at Intombi Camp. It would appear that the commanding officer, General White, walked about in a bit of a funk and took little interest in what was happening that his nickname became “Invisible White”. To White’s credit he did stick to the siege once he had made the mistake of getting trapped in the little town. For the duration of the war the captives had to endure terrible conditions in the Boer prisoner camps in Pretoria. Most had lost their belongings and equipment in the fighting, the Boers took the rest. After the Boers were defeated at Tugela Heights and Pieters Hill, the way was open to Ladysmith. The town was relieved by the 2nd Battalion in 1900. Although the tide of the war had now turned for the Boers, they did not surrender until 1902.
The 2nd Battalion sailed on the Hawarden Castle on 23rd October 1899, arrived at the Cape about 12th November, and was sent on to Durban. They moved up Mooi River on 16th December 1899 and served with the relieving forces at the battles of Willow Grange, Colenso and the Breakthrough. Their compliment comprised Lieutenant the Honourable H. Dawney with 23 officers, 758 men and 8 horses, 167 mules and 51 oxen.
At Colenso the battalion was near the place where the unfortunate 14th and 66th Batteries were placed, and four companies were for a time employed in covering the guns and preventing their removal. The battalion lost approximately 2 men killed, 1 officer and 20 men wounded, and 13 missing. It will be remembered that some of the Fusilier Brigade got very far forward, and were left stranded by the hurried withdrawal of the force.
For a portion of the time during which General Buller was making his second and third attempts to break through to Ladysmith the 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers guarded Springfield Bridge on the Little Tugela.
The battalion took part in the fighting between 14th and 27th February, including the final and successful assault on Pieter’s Hill. During that period its losses were approximately 1 officer and 12 men killed, 5 officers and 81 men wounded.
Four officers and 5 non-commissioned officers and men were mentioned in General Buller’s despatch of 30th March 1900, one man being recommended for the distinguished conduct medal.
The town was relieved by the 2nd Battalion in 1900. Although the tide of the war had now turned for the Boers, they did not surrender until 1902.
After the relief the Ladysmith companies and a draft were in the Drakensberg defence force, and in June moved up to Newcastle, and were afterwards employed about Van Reenen’s Pass. In November 1900 these companies joined at Bloemfontein the others, who had been prisoners. The latter had for two months been employed in the Orange River Colony. The reunited battalion held a section of the Bloemfontein defences, and patrolled the neighbourhood down to July 1901, when they moved to Springfontein and occupied blockhouses on the railway till peace was declared. For a part of 1901 about 120 of the battalion were in the column of Colonel Western. A company of Mounted Infantry was organised. They were frequently in contact with the enemy, and did much towards keeping the railway safe. About 25 of the battalion were in Gough’s Mounted Infantry, with which they had arduous work and much fighting.
Information supplied by David Biggins
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