Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers, for most of its history known as The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, was an infantry regiment of the British Army.
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[edit] History
The regiment traces its origins to the 17th Century. In Holland in 1674 the government retained two Regiments of English troops, two of Scots and one Irish. In 1685 when James II requested their services during the Duke of Monmouth's rebellion and organised them into two units, given the precedence as the 5th and 6th Regiments of Foot. After Monmouth's defeat they returned to Holland, but when William III became king of England in 1688 they accompanied him, with their seniority being confirmed from 1685. The 6th were nicknamed "The Dutch Guards" by William. Service in Ireland followed and the Regiment were present at the battle of the Boyne in 1690 and Aughrim 1691. Campaigning in Flanders 1692-1695 followed, with action at Steenkirk 1693 and the storming of Namur 1695 which was the 6th's first Battle Honour.
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[edit] The 18th Century
During the War of Spanish Succession the 6th were in Spain and Portugal fighting the armies of Spain and France. The Regiment fought at Barcelona in 1706 and suffered heavy casualties at Almanza in 1707. In 1710 the 6th played a major part in the victory of Almenara and won undying fame at Saragossa and Brihuega. The Regiment's next conflict was the Jacobite Rising of 1745. The 6th were sent to secure the highland forts between Inverness and Fort William. Two companies were with the ill-fated army under General Sir John Cope at the battle of Prestonpans, where they were among the few who stood their ground. The 6th also defended Fort William, beating off every attack as all the other highland forts surrendered. The Regiment went to Gibraltar in 1753 before moving on to the West Indies on garrison duty. On the outbreak of the American War of Independence detachments from the 6th arrived in New York in 1776 and saw action, but were of insufficient strength and were sent home. When, as an aid to recruiting, territorial links of infantry regiments were first established in 1782, the 6th became the 1st Warwickshire Regiment, reflecting their recent connections with the county. During the French Revolutionary Wars in 1794 in the West Indies, the 6th took part in the capture of Martinique, Guadeloupe and St Lucia from the French and in Casdebar in August 1798 they gained a Battle Honour.
[edit] The Napoleonic Wars
The 1st Battalion went from Gibraltar to the Iberian Peninsula and were at Rolica and Vimeira in 1808. The Battalion took part in the retreat to Corunna, losing 300 men during the march. The men were then shipped to UK before taking part in the Walcheren expedition before returning to the Peninsula in 1812. Present at Vittoha 1813 and heavily engaged at the later action at Roncesvalles. At the Heights of Echalar in August 1813 Wellington watched the Regiment's attack against 6,000 French in rugged positions in the mountains and described it as "The most gallant and the finest thing he had ever witnessed". They were held in reserve at the Nive and were again heavily engaged at Orthes 1814. Once again, this so impressed the Duke that he subsequently scratched on the officers' mess silver snuff box, which since 1785 had borne the words "Seek Glory", the additional words "Huzza for the 6th Regiment Now Keep Glory". The Regiment sailed for Canada in early May 1814. Once there they gained the Battle Honour Niagara for their repulse of an American sortie into British territory.
[edit] Queen Victoria's Wars
In 1832 the 6th became a Royal Regiment and their title was changed to The Royal (1st) Warwickshire Regiment. The 6th took part in the 7th and 8th Kaffir Wars in South Africa and received the Battle Honour South Africa 1846-7, 1851-2-3. Service on the North-West Frontier took place between 1849 and 1868. The Regimental Depot was established at Warwick in 1873 and following the 1880-1881 Cardwell Reforms, the Regimental title became The Royal Warwickshire Regiment. In 1898 the Regiment fought at Atbara and Omdurman during Lord Kitchener's reconquest of the Sudan and saw service in the Second Boer War at Johannesburg, Diamond Hill and Belfast.
[edit] The First World War
During the First World War the 6th raised 30 battalions and gained 80 Battle Honours. During 1914 battalions were present at Le Cateau, the Retreat from Mons, Nery, the Marne, the Aisne, Armentieres, Ypres, Langemarck, Gheluvelt and Neuve Chapelle. The following year opened with 2nd Ypres followed by St Julien, Frezenberg, Aubers, Festubert, Bellwarde and Loos. During 1916 battalions were at Mount Sorrel, the Somme, Albert Canal, Bazentin, Delville Wood and a number of other engagements including Thiepval. The big battles of 1917 saw battalions in action at Arras, Vimy, 3rd Ypres, Menin Road, Passchendaele and Cambrai. The Somme, Amas, Lys and the Hindenburg Line were among numerous actions which involved the 6th in 1918. In addition to the Western Front, battalions of the 6th also saw action in Italy 1917-1918, at Gallipoli 1915-1916, Mesopotamia 1916-1917 and Persia 1916-1919. The 6th won six Victoria Crosses during the First World War.
[edit] Second World War
After service 1937-1940 on the North West Frontier of India, the 6th were with the British Expeditionary Force in Belgium and France 1939-1940, fighting at the defence of the Escaut, Wormhoudt and on the Ypres-Comines Canal. After Dunkirk, men of the 6th landed on 6th June 1944 with the first assault on the Normandy beaches and fought from Caen and the break out from Normandy to the Rhine crossing. They took part in the capture of Bremen, the last major action of the European war. During 1942-1945 battalions of the 6th fought in Burma and took part in the capture of Rangoon.
[edit] The Post War Years
Service in Palestine 1945-1948 followed WW2, then Korea 1953-1954, Cyprus 1955-1959 and the Arabian Peninsula 1957-1960. In 1963 in one of the ever more frequent reorganisations of the British Infantry, the 6th were required to join with the 5th (Royal Northumberland Fusiliers), 7th (Royal Fusiliers - City of London Regiment) and 20th (Lancashire Fusiliers) in the Fusilier Brigade; for this reason they were required to become, against their will and without historical reason, The Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers. On 23rd April 1968 the 6th were absorbed with the other Fusilier regiments into the four battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.
