The Royal Irish Regiment - 18th Regiment of Foot

As was the custom at the time the Grenadiers of the army led the assualt on the breach. Before the 18th could arrive on the scene the Grenadiers had been beaten back by tremendous enemy fire suffering terrible casualties. Another account witnessed on the day stated: ' Undaunted however by the failure of those whom they were to support, the Irishmen swept forward and pressing through the terrible fire, surging over the ruins of the breach they never paused until the colours of the regiment were waving triumphantly from the summit of the breach amidst the cheers of the survivors. '

Casualties suffered by the regiment were heavy, but the regiment was honoured with the title ' Royal Regiment of Ireland ' and also the badge of the Harp and Crown as well as the right of bearing the Lion of Nassau and the motto ' Virtutis Namurcensis Praemium ' These were placed on the colours by the King in recognition of the distinguished conduct of the regiment at the siege of Namur, and were the first Battle-Honours borne by any British Regiment.

The regiment was often referred to as ' The Namurs ' after the battle along with another less complimentary nickname ' Paddy's Blackgaurds ' which may refer to its early days whilst serving in Ireland. They sereved with distinction at Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde and Malpaquet with Marlborough during his camapigns in the Low Countries. These also became principal battle-honours but it was not until much later that these were added to the colours. Between 1701 and 1715 a further nine battle-honours would be added before the regiment left the Low Countries. Between 1718 and 1742 the regiment saw most of its service in in Minorca, sending the odd detachment to Gibralter for defence against the Spanish. In 1751 the regiment was officially ranked as the 18th Regiment of Foot - although it was older than all but six other line regiments, it had not been placed on the English establishment until 1689, lowering its prcedence.
On the 1st January 1767 the regiment was ordered to America from Ireland. The regiment arrived at Philadelphia on the 11th July 1767 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Wilkins. The majority of the regiment under Wilkins was ordered to illinois in early 1768 and remained in Illinois until April 1772 when Fort Chartres was abandoned. A samll detachment under Captain Hugh Lord,

remained at Fort Gage, Illinois until May 1776 when it was ordered to Detroit in anticipation of an American attack. The rest of the regiment was present in Boston, where the Grenadier Company participated in the Battle of Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill, its first formal combat in more than 50 years.

What remained of the 2nd Battalion eventually returned to England in 1810 and was disbanded by 1814. After several other postings including India, the regiment played a major part in First Chinese War of 1840-42. For its involvement in this campaign the badge of the Dragon and the word ' China ' was added to the regimental colours. Along the way the regiment also added ' Burmah ' and ' Pegu ' to its list of battle-honours and to the colours. It next saw action in 1854 during the Crimean War, suffering all the hardships and misfortunes which were brought about by lack of organisation and poor command. It was involved in the siege of Savastopol, and in 1855 an officer of the regiment Captain Thomas Esmonde, from County Waterford was awarded the Victoria Cross for an attack on the Redan, a heavily fortified Russian redoubt with cannon, where he performed many acts of outstanding bravery. He would be just one of many Irishmen who would receive the same award during that war. His citation as it appeared in the London Gazette, dated 25th September 1857 reads as follows:

' For having, after being engaged in the attack on the Redan, repeatedly assisted, at personal risk, under a heavy fire of shell and grape, in rescuing wounded men from exposed situations; and also, while in command of a covering party, two days after, for having rushed with the most prompt daring gallantry to a spot where a fire-ball from the enemy had just been lodged, which he effectively extinguished, before it had betrayed the position of the working party under his protection - thus saving it from a murderous fire of shell and grape which immediately opened upon the spot where the fire ball had fallen. '

New colours were presented to the regiment in Dublin in 1856, and a new 2nd Battalion was formed from the Irish Militia in 1858. It was during the Maori Wars 1863-1866 that another Victoria Cross was awarded to the regiment. This time the recipient was Captain Hugh Shaw, for his action on the 24th January 1865. His citation in the London Gazette, dated 28th November 1865 states:

' For his gallant conduct at the skirmish near Nukumaru in New Zealand, on the 24th January last, in proceeding under a heavy fire, with four privates of the regiment, who volunteered to accompany him, to within 30yd of the bush occupied by the rebels, in order to carry off a comrage who was badly wounded. On the afternoon of that day, Captain Shaw was ordered to uccupy a position about a half a mile from the camp. He advanced in skirmishing order, and when about 30yd from the bush he deemed it prudent to retire to a paliside about 60yd from the bush, as two of his party had been wounded. Finding that one of them was unable to move, he called for volunteers to advance to the front to carry the man to the rear, and the four privates referred to accompanied him, under heavy fire, to the place where the wounded man was lying, and they succeeded in bring him to the rear. '

In 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms the regiment bacame the Royal Irish Regiment and served as the county regiment of Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford and Kilkenny. Its garrison depot was at Clonmel. Militarily, the whole of Ireland was administered as a separate command within the United Kingdom with Command Headquarters at Parkgate ( Phoenix Park ) Dublin, directly under the War Office London. The regiment saw many years active service in India and also in Afghanistan and on the 11th August 1882, the 2nd Battalion after several years service at home embarked for Egypt. The battalion at this time was up to full strength mustering nearly 900 men. Alnong with the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers both battalions formed part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade of the 1st Division. It was a long and arduous campaign. Under the command of the famous Lord Wolseley ( Wolseley himself was an Irishman born in Golden Bridge, County Dublin ) the regiment was in the night march across the desert to Tel-el-Kerbir and stormed the Egyptian positions. By 1884 the 1st Battalion was now in India, whilst the 2nd Battalion mived to Malta. At the end of that year the 1st battalion had joined the River Column in the unsuccessful attempt to relieve Genral Gordon at Khartoum. On the 20th July 1898 Field Marshal Lord Wolseley became the regiments Colonel-in-Chief.

The next big major event for the regiment came in 1899 when the 1st Battalion was ordered to South Africa as part of the 6th Division, arriving early in January 1900. The regiment was soon in action in the area of Rensburg-Slingersfontein where the Boers were in strength astride the road from Rensburg. This action resulted in a defeat for the division with two companies of the Wiltshire Regiment being surrounded, and suffering 50 casualties. Another 100 were forced to surrender to the Boers. The war in South Africa was moving fast and tactics were changing, with the Boers using ' hit and run ' methods on garrisons and isolated outposts. On the 7/8th January 1901 a particular incident worth mentioning took place at an outpost just outside Belfast, where 60 men of the 18th were involved in a bitter hand to hand fight with the Boers. The Boers made full use of the fog to close in on the Irishmen. The Irishmen using bayonet, knives and anything else which came to hand faught tooth and nail and refused to surrender. The outpost fought with great determination but was eventually reduced to 20 men who were uninjured, before reinforcement arrived. One officer and 13 men were killed, 43 officers and men were wounded and 80 captured. The Boer casualties were even more severe. Private J Barry from Kilkenny would be awarded the Victoria Cross for his part in this action. His citation as mentioned in the London Gazette 8th August 1902 reads:

' During the night attack on the 7/8th January 1901, on Monument Hill, Private Barry, although surrounded and threatened by the Boers at the time, smashed the breach of the Maxim gun, thus rendering it useless to its captors, and it was in doing this spendid act for his country that he met his death. '

The battle-honour ' South Africa 1900-1902 ' was added to the Regimental Colour. In March 1913 Field Marshal Sir John French, who also had Irish connections, became the regiment's new Commander-in-Chief. During the First World War, 8 further battalions were raised and served with distinction. The 5th ( S ) Battalion and the regular 1st battalion served as part of the 10th ( Irish ) Division. The 6th ( S ) battalion, volunteers following Kitcheners New Army appeal, formed part of the 16th ( Irish ) Division. Their exploits are far too many to mention here, but on the 1st October 1914 the 1st battalion left India and after two months re-forming arrived in France

Just prior to Christmas 1914. It soon saw action at St. Eloi. The 2nd battalion was to spend the whole of the war years in France and Flanders. Another Victoria Cross would be added to the regiment's honours. This was awarded to Private Frederick George Room a Lance Corporal of the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment, for his actions at Frazenberg on 16th August 1917.The London Gazette dated 17th October 1917 states:

' For conspicuous bravery when in charge of his company stretcher bearers. During the day the company had many casualties, principally from enemy machine guns and snipers. The company was holding a line of shell holes and short trenches. L/Cpl Room worked continuously under intense fire, dressing the wounded and helping to evacuate them. Throughout this period with complete disregard for his own life, he showed unremitting devotion to his duties. By his courage and fearlessness he was the means of saving many of his comrades' lives. '

After the war the 2nd Battalion was in Delhi, India moving to Dehra Dun in 1922. The 1st Battalion was in Germany and by 1920 had been redirected to Allenstein in East Prussia to help maintain order whilst the Plebiscite was taken, moving from there in August. So to the last sad days in July 1922 when the colours were handed over to King George V in the St. Georges Hall, Windsor, and the regiment was finally disbanded after nearly two and a half centuries of continuous service. The below Battle Honours display the courage and valour shown by all who served in the Royal Irish Regiment.

Namur 1695, Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde, Malplaquet, Egypt, China, Pegu, Sevastopol, New Zealand, Afghanistan ( 1879-80 ) Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt 1882, Nile ( 1884-85 ) South Africa ( 1900-02 ) The Great War: Mons, Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914, La Bassee 1914, Ypres, 1915, 17,18, Gravenstafel, St Julien, Frezenberg, Bellewaarde, Somme 1916'18, Albert 1918, Albert 1916'18, Bazentin, Delville Wood, Guillemont, Ginchy, Messines 1917, Pilckem, Langemarck 1917, St Quentin, Rosieres, Arras 1918, Drocourt-Queant, Hindenburg Line, Canal du Nord, St Quentin Canal, Beaurevoir, Cambrai 1918, Courtrai, France and Flanders 1914-18, Struma, Macedonia 1915-17, Suvla, Landing at Suvla, Gallipoli 1915, Gaza, Jerusalem, Tell 'Asur, Megiddo, Nablus, Palestine 1917-18