The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

. Raised in 1674 as one of three 'English' units in the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade, it accompanied William III to England in the November 1688 Glorious Revolution and became part of the English establishment in 1689. In 1751, it became the 5th Regiment of Foot, with the regional title 'Northumberland' added in 1782; in 1836, it was designated a Fusilier unit and became the 5th (Northumberland Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot. After the 1881 Childers Reforms, it adopted the title Northumberland Fusiliers, then Royal Northumberland Fusiliers on 3 June 1935. In 1968, it was amalgamated with the

Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. It was known as the 7th Regiment of Foot until the Childers Reforms of 1881. The regiment served in many wars ...

, the Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers and

Lancashire Fusiliers The Lancashire Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that saw distinguished service through many years and wars, including the Second Boer War, the First and Second World Wars, and had many different titles throughout its 28 ...

to form the present

Royal Regiment of Fusiliers The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (often referred to as the Royal Fusiliers or, simply, the Fusiliers) is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division. Currently, the regiment has two battalions: the 1st battalion, part o ...

History

Formation to end of 17th century

Jan van Huchtenburg - De slag aan de Boyne

Although briefly designated as 'Irish' when raised in January 1675, the regiment was listed as one of three 'English' units in the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade, a mercenary formation whose origins went back to 1586. During the 1672-1678 Franco-Dutch War, it took part in the unsuccessful Siege of Maastricht and the battles of

Cassel Cassel may refer to: People * Cassel (surname) Places ;France * Cassel, Nord, a town and commune in northern France ** Battle of Cassel (1071) ** Battle of Cassel (1328) ** Battle of Cassel (1677) ;Germany * Cassel, Germany, a city in Hesse re ...

and Saint-Denis. It accompanied William III to England in the November 1688 Glorious Revolution, before transferring onto the English establishment in 1689. Like most regiments, until 1751, when it was designated the 5th Regiment of Foot, it was named after the current colonel. Founded by

Daniel O'Brien, 3rd Viscount Clare Daniel O'Brien, 3rd Viscount Clare (died 1691), was with King Charles II in exile during the interregnum. At the Restoration, he obtained the title of Viscount Clare for his grandfather and full restoration of the family's lands. At the ...

, it began life as Viscount Clare's Regiment, then Sir John Fenwick's, followed by Patrick Westley in 1676. When transferred onto the English establishment, it was commanded by Thomas Tollemache who was replaced in May 1689 by Edward Lloyd. Posted to Ireland for the 1689-1691

Williamite War The Williamite War in Ireland (1688–1691; ga, Cogadh an Dá Rí, "war of the two kings"), was a conflict between Jacobite supporters of deposed monarch James II and Williamite supporters of his successor, William III. It is also called th ...

, it fought at the

Battle of the Boyne The Battle of the Boyne ( ga, Cath na Bóinne ) was a battle in 1690 between the forces of the deposed King James II of England and Ireland, VII of Scotland, and those of King William III who, with his wife Queen Mary II (his cousin and J ...

, the Second

Siege of Athlone Athlone was besieged twice during the Williamite War in Ireland (1689–91). The town is situated in the centre of Ireland on the River Shannon and commanded the bridge crossing the river into the Jacobite-held province of Connacht. For this r ...

and the 1691 Siege of Limerick. Following the October 1691 Treaty of Limerick, it was sent to

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...

for the duration on the

Nine Years War The Nine Years' War (1688–1697), often called the War of the Grand Alliance or the War of the League of Augsburg, was a conflict between France and a European coalition which mainly included the Holy Roman Empire (led by the Habsburg monarch ...

. Lloyd died in 1694 and replaced as Colonel by

Thomas Fairfax Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron (17 January 161212 November 1671), also known as Sir Thomas Fairfax, was an English politician, general and Parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War. An adept and talented command ...

; during the 1695 Siege of Namur, it formed part of Vaudémont's screening force. When the war ended with the 1697

Treaty of Ryswick The Peace of Ryswick, or Rijswijk, was a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city of Rijswijk between 20 September and 30 October 1697. They ended the 1688 to 1697 Nine Years' War between France and the Grand Alliance (League of Augsburg), Gran ...

, it avoided disbandment by being made part of the Irish garrison.

The 18th century

German print of the 1727 Gibraltar Siege

The regiment remained in Ireland for the first part of the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...

, before being sent to Portugal in 1707 as part of the army under the

Earl of Galway Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...

. Its first serious action was the May 1709

Battle of La Gudina A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

; a disastrous defeat, where the Allies lost over 4,000 prisoners, the regiment took part in a rearguard action that enabled the rest of the army to withdraw. This ended offensive operations and when the war ended in 1713, the regiment was posted to

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

, where it spent the next 15 years. It was part of the garrison during the 1727 Anglo-Spanish War, when the Spanish besieged Gibraltar for over four months. Soldier of 5th regiment 1742

On 1 July 1751, a royal warrant provided that in future regiments would not be known by their colonels' names, but by their "number or rank" and it became the 5th Regiment of Foot. During the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (175 ...

, it was engaged in the 1758

Raid on Cherbourg The Raid on Cherbourg took place in August 1758 during the Seven Years' War when a British force was landed on the coast of France by the Royal Navy with the intention of attacking the town of Cherbourg as part of the British government's policy ...

, the 1760

Battle of Warburg The Battle of Warburg was a battle fought on 31 July 1760 during the Seven Years' War. The battle was a victory for the Hanoverians and the British against a slightly larger French army. The victory meant the Anglo-German allies had successful ...

and Kirch Denkern in 1761, where they captured an entire French regiment. It also took part in the 1762

Battle of Wilhelmsthal The Battle of Wilhelmsthal (sometimes written as the Battle of Wilhelmstadt) was fought on 24 June 1762 during the Seven Years' War between the allied forces of Britain, Prussia, Hanover, Brunswick and Hesse under the command of the Duke of ...

, before returning to Ireland after the 1763 Treaty of Paris. Due to the increasing tensions that later resulted in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, the regiment was shipped to Boston, Massachusetts in May 1774. Elements of the unit were involved in the

Battle of Lexington and Concord The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. The battles were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord, ...

in April 1775 and the Battle of Bunker Hill in June. After being evacuated to

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...

, in 1776 the 5th took part in the expedition to New York, including the battles of Long Island and White Plains, and capture of Fort Washington and

Fort Lee, New Jersey Fort Lee is a borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated along the Hudson River atop the Palisades. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 40,191. As of the 2010 U.S. census, t ...

. They subsequently joined Howe's 1777 campaign against

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

; at Brandywine Creek, they broke the Continental Army's centre and captured five cannon. Despite this success, in 1778 the British army withdrew and the regiment was involved in fighting at Monmouth Court House. Battleoflongisland

In November 1778, they left New York for last time and were transported to the French West Indies, where on 13 December 1778, they landed on Saint Lucia. The 5th was engaged with a small force of French and captured a four-cannon battery. On 18 December 1778, a force of 9,000 French troops landed on St. Lucia. The small British force of 1,400 men occupied a hill located on the neck of a peninsula. The French were fairly raw soldiers trained to fight in the classic European style of linear battles. The French advanced on the British force several times. The British, veterans of colonial fighting, inflicted a stinging defeat on the French. The French lost 400 killed and 1100 wounded to the British losses of ten killed and 130 wounded, which included two officers from the 5th Foot. After two years in the West Indies, the 5th Foot was sent to Ireland in December 1780. They were still in Ireland when hostilities between Great Britain, France, Spain, the Netherlands, and the former Colonies officially ended in 1783. On 1 August 1782, all those regiments of the line that did not have a special title were given a county designation. The primary purpose was to improve recruiting, but no links were actually formed with the counties after which the regiments were named. The 5th became the "5th (Northumberland) Regiment of Foot": the county being chosen as a compliment to the colonel,

Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland, (c. 17146 June 1786), was an English peer, landowner, and art patron. Origins He was born Hugh Smithson, the son of Lansdale Smithson (b. 1682) of Langdale and Philadelphia Revely. He was a grandson of ...

19th century

The regiment embarked for

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

in July 1808 for service in the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...

. The regiment fought in the Battle of Roliça and the

Battle of Vimeiro In the Battle of Vimeiro (sometimes shown as "Vimiera" or "Vimeira" in contemporary British texts) on 21 August 1808, the British under General Arthur Wellesley (who later became the Duke of Wellington) defeated the French under Major-Gene ...

in August 1808, the

Battle of Corunna The Battle of Corunna (or ''A Coruña'', ''La Corunna'', ''La Coruña'' or ''La Corogne''), in Spain known as Battle of Elviña, took place on 16 January 1809, when a French corps under Marshal of the Empire Jean de Dieu Soult attacked a Bri ...

in January 1809 and the

Battle of Bussaco The Battle of Buçaco () or Bussaco, fought on 27 September 1810 during the Peninsular War in the Portuguese mountain range of Serra do Buçaco, resulted in the defeat of French forces by Lord Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese Army. Having o ...

in September 1810. It earned the nicknames the "Old and Bold", "The Fighting Fifth" and also "Lord Wellington's Bodyguard". It formed part of a small force which beat off an overwhelming body of the enemy at El Boden in 1811, a performance which Wellington notified to the Army as ''a memorable example of what can be done by steadiness, discipline, and confidence''. The regiment was in the 3rd Division, 2nd Brigade under command of Major General

Charles Colville General Sir Charles Colville (7 August 1770 – 27 March 1843) was a British Army officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He was an ensign in 1781. He served in the West Indies from 1791 to 1797 and while serving there was promoted to li ...

, consisting of the 1st/5th Regiment of Foot, 2nd/ 83rd Regiment of Foot, 2nd/ 87th Regiment of Foot and the

94th Regiment of Foot The 94th Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment, raised as the Scotch Brigade in October 1794. It was renumbered as the 94th Regiment of Foot in December 1802 and disbanded in December 1818. The regiment was reformed in Decemb ...

. The regiment went on to fight at the

Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo Sieges of Ciudad Rodrigo are a series of sieges of the Spanish town Ciudad Rodrigo. Specific sieges are: * Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1370) * Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1707) * Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1810) * Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1812) ...

in January 1812, the Battle of Badajoz in April 1812 and the

Battle of Salamanca The Battle of Salamanca (in French and Spanish known as the Battle of Arapiles) on 22July 1812 was a battle in which an Anglo-Portuguese army under the Earl of Wellington defeated Marshal Auguste Marmont's French forces at Arapiles, ...

in July 1812 as well as the

Battle of Vitoria At the Battle of Vitoria (21 June 1813) a British, Portuguese and Spanish army under the Marquess of Wellington broke the French army under King Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan near Vitoria in Spain, eventually leadin ...

in June 1813. It then pursued the French Army into France and saw action at the

Battle of Nivelle The Battle of Nivelle (10 November 1813) took place in front of the river Nivelle near the end of the Peninsular War (1808–1814). After the Allied siege of San Sebastian, Wellington's 80,000 British, Portuguese and Spanish troops (20, ...

in November 1813, the

Battle of Orthez The Battle of Orthez (27 February 1814) saw the Anglo-Spanish-Portuguese Army under Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington attack an Imperial French army led by Marshal Nicolas Soult in southern France. The outnumbered Fr ...

in February 1814 and the Battle of Toulouse in April 1814. The 1st Battalion served on the Canadian frontier in 1814, during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

. It then returned to Europe but arrived too late to take part in the battle of Waterloo, though it did serve in the army of occupation in France. On 4 May 1836, the 5th became a fusilier regiment and was redesignated as the 5th (Northumberland Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot:

The King has been pleased to command, that the 5th, or Northumberland, Regiment of Foot shall in future be equipped as a Fusilier Regiment, and be styled the 5th Regiment of Foot, or Northumberland Fusiliers.

The regiment, which was increased to two battalions in 1857, saw active service in the

Indian Rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...

and the

Second Anglo-Afghan War The Second Anglo-Afghan War (Dari: جنگ دوم افغان و انگلیس, ps, د افغان-انګرېز دويمه جګړه) was a military conflict fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the l ...

in 1880. The regiment was not fundamentally affected by the Cardwell Reforms of the 1870s, which gave it a depot at

Fenham Barracks Fenham Barracks is a military installation in Barrack Road, Newcastle upon Tyne. History The site was acquired by the War Office from Newcastle Corporation in 1804 and, following the construction of three barrack blocks, became the home of units ...

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

from 1873, or by the Childers reforms of 1881 – as it already possessed two battalions, there was no need for it to amalgamate with another regiment. At the same time the existing militia and rifle volunteer units of the district became battalions of the regiment. Accordingly, on 1 July 1881 the Northumberland Fusiliers was formed as the county regiment of

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land ...

, (including the Counties of the towns of

and

Berwick-upon-Tweed Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census reco ...

) with the following battalions: Regular battalions * 1st Battalion (formerly 1st Battalion, 5th Foot) * 2nd Battalion (formerly 2nd Battalion, 5th Foot) Militia battalion * 3rd (Militia) Battalion (formerly Northumberland Light Infantry Militia) Volunteer battalions * 1st Northumberland (Northumberland and Berwick-on-Tweed) Rifle Volunteer Corps: renamed as 1st Volunteer Battalion in 1883 * 2nd Northumberland Rifle Volunteer Corps: renamed as 2nd Volunteer Battalion in 1883 * 1st Newcastle upon Tyne Rifle Volunteer Corps: renamed as 3rd Volunteer Battalion in 1883

The Second Boer War

The 1st Battalion formed part of the 9th Brigade together with the 2nd

Northamptonshire Regiment The Northamptonshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1960. In 1960, it was amalgamated with the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment to form the 2nd East Anglian Regiment (Duchess of Gloucester's O ...

, 2nd

Yorkshire Light Infantry The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army. It officially existed from 1881 to 1968, but its predecessors go back to 1755. In 1968, the regiment was amalgamated with the Somerset and Cornwall ...

, and part of the 1st

Loyal North Lancashire Regiment The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) (until 1921 known as the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was in existence from 1881 to 1970. In 1970, the regiment was amalgamated with the Lancashire Reg ...

. While the 2nd Battalion sailed as corps troops, and was then brigaded with the 1st

Royal Scots The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest and most senior infantry regiment of the line of the British Army, having been raised in 1633 during the reign of Charles I of Scotland. The regime ...

, and 1st

Sherwood Foresters The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for just under 90 years, from 1881 to 1970. In 1970, the regiment was amalgamated with the Worcestershire Regiment to ...

, under General Sir William Gatacre. The battalions fought in the following battles:

Battle of Belmont The Battle of Belmont was fought on November 7, 1861 in Mississippi County, Missouri. It was the first combat test in the American Civil War for Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, the future Union Army general in chief and eventual U.S. president, ...

, Battle of Graspan, Battle of Modder River,

Battle of Magersfontein The Battle of MagersfonteinSpelt incorrectly in various English texts as "Majersfontein", "Maaghersfontein" and "Maagersfontein". ( ) was fought on 11 December 1899, at Magersfontein, near Kimberley, South Africa, on the borders of the Cape Co ...

, Battle of Stormberg, Battle of Reddersberg, Battle of

Sanna's Post Sanna's Post (a.k.a. Korn Spruit) was an engagement fought during the Second Boer War (1899-1902) between the British Empire and the Boers of the two independent republics of the Orange Free State and the South African Republic. Background In e ...

and the Battle of Nooitgedacht.

Reorganisations 1900–1908

With the continuation of the war in South Africa, a number of regiments containing large centres of population formed additional regular battalions. The Northumberland Fusiliers formed 3rd and 4th regular Battalions in February 1900, when the militia battalion was relabeled as the 5th battalion. The 3rd was stationed in South Africa, and in 1902 some of the men were in Antigua to guard the

Boer Boers ( ; af, Boere ()) are the descendants of the Dutch-speaking Free Burghers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. From 1652 to 1795, the Dutch East India Company controlled this are ...

prisoners of war placed there. The 4th formed part of the garrison in Ireland. Both were disbanded in 1907. The 5th (militia) battalion (known as the 3rd battalion until February 1900) was embodied in December 1899, and from February 1900 to July 1901 was stationed at

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. In 1908 a reorganisation of reserve forces was carried out under the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907. The militia were transferred to a new "Special Reserve" while the Volunteer Force was reorganised to become the

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry ...

. The "Volunteer Battalion" designation was discarded, and territorial battalions were numbered on after those of the regular army and special reserve. The new organisation was thus: * 1st Battalion * 2nd Battalion * 3rd Battalion (Special Reserve) * 4th Battalion (T.F.) (HQ at Hencotes in Hexham, from bulk of 1st Volunteer Battalion) * 5th Battalion (T.F.) (HQ at Church Street in

Walker Walker or The Walker may refer to: People * Walker (given name) *Walker (surname) * Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Places In the United States *Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County *Walker, Mono County, California ...

(since demolished), redesignation of 2nd Volunteer Battalion) * 6th (City) Battalion (T.F.) (HQ at

Northumberland Road Northumberland Road () is a Victorian street in Ballsbridge, Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland. The street was named after Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke of Northumberland in 1844, and built on the site of the earlier Blenheim Street. The pr ...

in Newcastle, redesignation of 3rd Volunteer Battalion) * 7th Battalion (T.F.) (HQ at Fenkle Street in Alnwick, from part of 1st Volunteer Battalion) * 8th (Cyclist) Battalion (HQ at Hutton Terrace in Newcastle, formed 1908, redesignated

Northern Cyclist Battalion The Northern Cyclist Battalion was a bicycle infantry battalion of the Territorial Force, part of the British Army. Formed in 1908, it served in the United Kingdom throughout the First World War and in 1920 it was converted as part of the Royal ...

in 1910 and transferred to the

Army Cyclist Corps The Army Cyclist Corps was a corps of the British Army active during the First World War, and controlling the Army's bicycle infantry. History Formation Volunteer cyclist units had been formed as early as the 1880s, with the first complete bicy ...

in 1915)

First World War

Northumberland Fusiliers at Thiepval Sept 1916 IWM Q 1349

During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the Northumberland Fusiliers expanded to 52 battalions and 29 of them served overseas. It was the second largest

regiment of the

during the war, surpassed only by the 88 battalions of the London Regiment. The increase in strength was done partly by forming duplicates of existing T.F. battalions, and partly by the creation of new " Service" battalions. An example of the first instance was the 4th Battalion which was renumbered as the 1/4th in August 1914 on forming a duplicate 2/4th Battalion. A 3/4th Battalion followed in June 1915. Among the Service Battalions were the

Tyneside Scottish Tyneside Scottish is an honour title which has been held by a variety of British Army units since 1914. The Regiments which have held the title are the Northumberland Fusiliers, Durham Light Infantry, Black Watch and Royal Artillery. The Tynesid ...

(20th - 23rd Battalions) and the

Tyneside Irish Tyneside is a built-up area across the banks of the River Tyne in northern England. Residents of the area are commonly referred to as Geordies. The whole area is surrounded by the North East Green Belt. The population of Tyneside as published ...

(24th - 27th Battalions), while the 17th (Service) Battalion was formed by staff of the North Eastern Railway, and was involved in railway construction. They earned 67

battle honour A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military t ...

s and won five

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

es, but at the cost of over 16,000 dead. The battalions mostly saw action on the Western Front, but also in Macedonia, Gallipoli,

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

and

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. In June 1935

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

celebrated his silver jubilee. This opportunity was taken of granting royal status to four regiments, principally in recognition of their service in the previous war.

''On the occasion of His Majesty's Birthday and in commemoration of the completion of the twenty-fifth year of his reign, the King has been graciously pleased... to approve that the following regiments shall in future enjoy the distinction "Royal" and shall henceforth be designated:—'' * ''
5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards The 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army formed in 1922 by the amalgamation of the 5th Dragoon Guards (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) and the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons. It served in the Second World ...
'' * ''The
Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), formerly the 3rd Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army traditionally raised in the English county of Kent and garrisoned at Canterbury. It had a history dating back to 1572 and ...
'' * ''The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers'' * ''The
Royal Norfolk Regiment The Royal Norfolk Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army until 1959. Its predecessor regiment was raised in 1685 as Henry Cornwall's Regiment of Foot. In 1751, it was numbered like most other British Army regiments and named ...
''

In 1936, the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was one of four line infantry regiments selected for conversion to specialised Divisional (Machine Gun) or Divisional (Support) Battalions. The other regiments selected were the

Cheshire Regiment The Cheshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. The 22nd Regiment of Foot was raised by the Duke of Norfolk in 1689 and was able to boast an independent existence of over 300 years. ...

, the

Manchester Regiment The Manchester Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1958. The regiment was created during the 1881 Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 63rd (West Suffolk) Regiment of Foot and the 96th ...

and the

Middlesex Regiment The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1966. The regiment was formed, as the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment), in 1881 as part of the Childers R ...

Second World War

The regiment expanded to ten battalions during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. Although most of them served as divisional machine gun or support battalions, some of them formed motorcycle,

searchlight A searchlight (or spotlight) is an apparatus that combines an extremely bright source (traditionally a carbon arc lamp) with a mirrored parabolic reflector to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular direc ...

, tank,

reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...

, ordinary

and even deception units. They saw action with the BEF in North-West Europe in 1940 and the 21st Army Group in 1944–45, North Africa 1940–43,

Italy 1943–45 Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, the fall of Singapore and the defence of the United Kingdom.

Korean War

The 1st Battalion was attached to the 29th Independent Infantry Brigade, which had been sent to Korea to reinforce the Allied effort there. When it arrived in Korea in December 1950, the Brigade comprised: * 1st Battalion, the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers * 1st Battalion, the Gloucestershire Regiment * 1st Battalion, the

Royal Ulster Rifles The Royal Irish Rifles (became the Royal Ulster Rifles from 1 January 1921) was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army, first created in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 83rd (County of Dublin) Regiment of Foot and the 86th (Royal County D ...

* 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars * C Squadron,

7th Royal Tank Regiment The 7th Royal Tank Regiment (7th RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army from 1917 until disbandment in 1959. History The 7th Royal Tank Regiment was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps. The regi ...

, with specialised armour * 45 Field Regiment RA * 11 LAA Battery RA * 170 Mortar Battery RA * plus supporting units. In April 1951 the battalion was involved in the

Battle of the Imjin River The Battle of the Imjin River ( fil, Labanan sa Ilog Imjin), also known as the Battle of Solma-ri ( ko, 설마리 전투) or Battle of Gloster Hill () in South Korea, or as Battle of Xuemali () in China, took place 22–25 April 1951 during t ...

, as the brigade stood in the path of the Chinese Spring Offensive. In July 1951, it was re-organized as 29th British Infantry Brigade and absorbed into the

1st Commonwealth Division The 1st Commonwealth Division was the military unit that commanded Commonwealth land forces in the Korean War. The division was a part of the multinational British Commonwealth Forces Korea, with infantry units of the British Army, Canadian ...

Regimental museum

The

Fusiliers Museum of Northumberland The Fusiliers Museum of Northumberland, formerly the Northumberland Fusiliers Museum, is a museum located within the Abbot's Tower of Alnwick Castle in Alnwick, Northumberland, England. History The museum was first established at Fenham Barra ...

is based in

Alnwick Castle Alnwick Castle () is a castle and country house in Alnwick in the English county of Northumberland. It is the seat of the 12th Duke of Northumberland, built following the Norman conquest and renovated and remodelled a number of times. It is a G ...

Badges and dress distinctions

The 5th Regiment of Foot was one of the 'Six Old Corps' entitled to use their 'ancient badge' (St George killing the Dragon) on Regimental Colours, drums and other devices rather than the typical GR cipher as used by normal Regiments of the Line, a distinction first officially recorded in 1747."In the centre of their Colours St. George killing the Dragon, being their ancient Badge; and in the three corners of their Second Colour the Rose and Crown. On their Grenadier Caps St. George as on the Colours" Regulation for the Uniform Cloathing of the Marching Regiments of Foot, their Colours, Drums, Bells of Arms and Camp Colours, 1747. Reproduced in: In the centre of their colours was an image of St. George killing the dragon, this being their ancient badge, and in the three corners of their second colour, the rose and crown. The regiment wore a distinctively-coloured hackle or plume on the fusilier cap and later on the beret. The hackle was red over white, and was authorised in June 1829. This replaced the white feather plume the regiment had adopted following the Battle of St Lucia in 1778, supposedly taken from the headgear of fallen French troops. The 5th Foot was the only line regiment, since the introduction of the shako in 1800, to wear the white plume (other regiments having white over red) although the right to wear it was only officially granted in 1824. In 1829 a new model of shako was introduced and all infantry regiments were to wear a white plume, with the 5th Foot given a unique plume of red over white.Bowling, p. 46 This became a red over white 'ball tuft' in 1835 and later became a hackle in the same colours.

Victoria Cross

The following members of the regiment were recipients of the

. *

James Bulmer Johnson James Bulmer Johnson VC (31 December 1889 – 23 March 1943) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ...

Patrick McHale Patrick McHale VC ( ga, Pádraig Mac Céile; 1826 – 26 October 1866) was born in Killala, County Mayo and was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that ca ...

Peter McManus Peter McManus VC (March 1829 – 27 April 1859) was born in Tynan, County Armagh, was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and ...

* Ernest Sykes * Thomas Bryan *

Robert Henry Cain Major Robert Henry Cain VC TD (2 January 1909 – 2 May 1974) was a Manx recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Cain grew up on the ...

(Attached Staffordshire Regiment) * James Joseph Bernard Jackman *

Wilfred Wood Wilfred Wood VC (2 February 1897 – 3 January 1982) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. The VC ...

John Scott Youll John Scott Youll Victoria Cross, VC (6 June 1897 – 27 October 1918) was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth ...

George Cross

Only one member of the regiment was the recipient of the George Cross: * Derek Godfrey Kinne

Amalgamation

On 23 April 1968, following the publication of the following notice in the '' London Gazette'': The regiment was amalgamated into the new

Battle honours

Early wars
By 1881 the 5th foot had been awarded the following battle honours: Second Boer War
The regiment received two battle honours for the conflict: "Modder River" and "South Africa, 1899–1902". First World War
The regiment was awarded the following 67 battle honours: * Mons * Le Cateau * Retreat from Mons * Marne 1914 * Aisne 1914 '18 * La Bassée 1914 * Messines 1914 '17 '18 * Armentières 1914 * Ypres 1914 '15 '17 '18 * Nonne Bosschen * Gravenstafel * St. Julien * Frezenburg * Bellewaarde * Loos * Somme 1916 '18 * Albert 1916 '18 * Bazentin * Delville Wood * Pozières * Flers-Courcelette * Morval * Thiepval * Le Transloy * Ancre Heights * Ancre 1916 * Arras 1917 '18 * Scarpe 1917 '18 * Arleux * Pilckem * Langemarck 1917 * Menin Road * Polygon Wood * Broodseinde * Passchendaele * Cambrai 1917 '18 * St. Quentin * Bapaume 1918 * Rosieres * Lys * Estaires * Hazebrouck * Bailleuil * Kemmel * Béthune * Scherpenberg * Drocourt Quéant * Hindenburg Line * Epéhy * Canal du Nord * St. Quentin Canal * Beaurevoir * Courtrai * Selle * Valenciennes * Sambre * France and Flanders 1914–18 * Piave * Vittorio Veneto * Italy 1917–18 * Struma * Macedonia 1915–18 * Suvla * Landing at Suvla * Scimitar Hill * Gallipoli 1915 * Egypt 1916–17 Those shown in bold print were selected to be borne on the king's colours. Second World War
They were awarded twenty-nine battle honours: * Defence of Escaut * Arras Counter Attack * St. Omer-La Bassée * Dunkirk 1940 * Odon * Caen * Cagny * Falaise * Nederrijn * Rhineland * North-West Europe 1940 '44-45 * Sidi Barrani * Defence of Tobruk * Tobruk 1941 * Belhamed * Cauldron * Ruweisat Ridge * El Alamein * Advance on Tripoli * Medenine * North Africa 1940-43 * Salerno * Volturno Crossing * Monte Camino * Garigliano Crossing * Cassino II * Italy 1943-45 * Singapore Island Those shown in bold print were selected to be borne on the king's colours. Korean War
In August 1958, the Regiment was awarded the following battle honours: * Imjin * Seoul * Kowang-San * Korea 1950-51. Those shown in bold print were selected to be borne on the regimental colours.

Colonels —with early names for the regiment

Colonels have included:

Named after Colonel

English regiment of the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade * 1674 Colonel Daniel, Viscount Clare * 1675 Major-General Sir John Fenwick; resigned after quarrelling with William * 1676 Colonel Henry Wisely; drowned at sea * 1680 Colonel Thomas Monck; died 1687 * 1687 Lieutenant-General Thomas Tollemache English establishment * 1688 Lieutenant-General Thomas Tollemache; transferred to Coldstream Guards, May 1689 * 1689 Colonel Edward Lloyd * 1690 Major-General

* 1704 Lieutenant-General Thomas Pearce * 1732 Lieutenant-General Sir John Cope KB * 1737 Lieutenant-General Alexander Irwine —Irvine's or Irwin's or Irwine's Foot

5th Regiment of Foot

* 1752 Colonel Charles Whitefoord * 1754 Major-General

Lord George Bentinck Lord William George Frederick Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck (27 February 180221 September 1848), better known as Lord George Bentinck, was an English Conservative politician and racehorse owner noted for his role (with Benjamin Disraeli) in unseatin ...

* 1759 Field Marshal

Studholme Hodgson Field Marshal Studholme Hodgson (1708 – 20 October 1798) was a British Army officer who served during the 18th century. After serving as an Aide-de-Camp to the Duke of Cumberland at the Battle of Fontenoy during the War of the Austrian Suc ...

* 1768 General Hugh, Earl Percy KG

5th (Northumberland) Regiment of Foot

* 1784 Lieutenant-General Hon. Edward Stopford —Stopford's Foot * 1794 Field Marshal Sir Alured Clarke GCB —Clarke's Foot * 1801 Lieutenant-General Richard England —England's Foot * 1812 Lieutenant-General William Wynyard —Wynyard's Foot * 1819 General Sir Henry Johnson GCB —Johnson's Foot

5th (Northumberland Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot

*1835 General Sir Charles Colville GCB GCH *1843 Lieutenant-General Sir Jasper Nicolls KCB *1849 General Sir John Grey KCB *1856 Lieutenant-General William Lovelace Walton *1865 Major-General William Longworth Dames *1868 Major-General Edward Rowley Hill

Northumberland Fusiliers

* 1878 General

William Lygon Pakenham, 4th Earl of Longford General William Lygon Pakenham, 4th Earl of Longford (31 January 1819 – 19 April 1887), styled The Honourable William Pakenham before 1860, was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Conservative politician. Early life and education Pakenham was the s ...

* 1887 General

Joseph Henry Laye Lieutenant General Joseph Henry Laye, (4 February 1849 – 26 June 1938) was a British Army officer who served as Deputy Adjutant-General to the Forces. Military career Laye served in both the Ninth Xhosa War from 1877 to 1878 and the Anglo-Zul ...

* 1895 Lieutenant-General Frederick Arthur Willis * 1899 Lieutenant-General Sir George Bryan Milman * 1915 Major-General Sir Percival Spearman Wilkinson

Royal Northumberland Fusiliers

* 1935 Major-General

William Norman Herbert Major General William Norman Herbert (26 August 1880 – 26 April 1949) was a senior British Army officer who served as colonel of the Northumberland Fusiliers and commanded the 23rd (Northumbrian) Division in the Battle of France during the S ...

* 1947 Major-General

Harold de Riemer Morgan Major-General Harold de Riemer Morgan DSO (12 March 18881 June 1964) was a British Army officer who served as colonel of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. Military career Morgan was commissioned into the British Army on 20 August 1908. He se ...

* 1953 Field Marshal Sir Francis Wogan Festing * 1965 Major-General Roger Ellis Tudor St John

In popular culture

In the beginning of the Sherlock Holmes story ''

A Study in Scarlet ''A Study in Scarlet'' is an 1887 detective novel by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. The story marks the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who would become the most famous detective duo in literature. The book's title der ...

'',

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for '' A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...

states that Dr. John Watson served with the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers as an assistant surgeon.

Notes

References

Sources

* * * * * * * *

External links

The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers

*

North East Medals

Anglo-Boer War

Britain's Small Wars
Fifth Foot reenactment group
{{British Infantry Regiments World War I Infantry regiments of the British Army Fusilier regiments of the British Army Fusilier regiments 1674 establishments in England

Northumberland Fusiliers The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Raised in 1674 as one of three 'English' units in the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade, it accompanied William III to England in the November 1688 Glorious Revolution ...

Military units and formations of the United Kingdom in the Korean War Military units and formations of the Second Boer War Regiments of the British Army in World War I Regiments of the British Army in World War II Military units and formations established in 1674 Military units and formations disestablished in 1968