Royal Irish Rangers

Royal Irish Rangers 27th (Inniskilling), 83rd and 87th
Active	1 July 1968 - 1 July 1992
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Army
Type	Line Infantry
Role	now defunct
Size	2 Regular battalions at disbandment
Garrison/HQ	RHQ - Ballymena
Nickname(s)	None
Motto(s)	Faugh A Ballagh (Clear the Way) (Irish)
March	Quick - Killaloe Slow - Eileen Alannah
Mascot(s)	Irish Wolfhound Brian Boru
Anniversaries	Barrossa Day, 5th March; Somme Day, 1st July
Engagements	Barossa, Waterloo, Somme, Korea
Commanders
Colonel in Chief	Duchess of Gloucester
Colonel of the Regiment	General Sir Roger Neil Wheeler, GCB, CBE.
Insignia
Tartan	Saffron (pipes)

The Royal Irish Rangers 27th (Inniskilling), 83rd and 87th (correct abbreviation R IRISH) was an infantry regiment of the British Army.

Creation

The Royal Irish Rangers came into being on 1st July 1968 through the amalgamation of the three remaining Irish infantry regiments:

• The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
• The Royal Ulster Rifles
• The Royal Irish Fusiliers

The date was initially known as Vesting Day (and then Ranger Day), emphasising that the traditions of the old regiments were vested in the new. 01 July is also Somme Day; a preeminent day in military history for the whole island of Ireland.

Soon after creation in December 1968, and as part of a general reduction in the Army, the 3rd Battalion (former Royal Irish Fusiliers) was disbanded.

The 3 regiments had old and differing traditions (Rifle & Fusilier) and to avoid favouring one above another, a unique designation rangers was adopted. The title had not existed in the British Army since 1922. The title is also used by the US Army, Canada, Ireland and Pakistan.

With the creation of the Divisions of Infantry, the Royal Irish Rangers became part of the King's Division, along with regiments from the north of England. This continued until 1991 and Options for Change.

Uniform

Accomodating the traditions of the 3 regiments required compromise:

Ranger uniforms

• The caubeen was adopted as the headdress for the new Regiment as all the former regiments had worn it
• The green hackle was formerly worn by the Royal Irish Fusiliers
• The Castle collar badges had been worn by the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
• The black buttons had been worn by the Royal Ulster Rifles
• The brown cross belt was a compromise between the brown Sam Browne belts worn by the Fusiliers and the black cross belt worn in the Rifles
• The Great Irish Warpipes carried by the Royal Ulster Rifles pipers and the Brian Boru Pipes carried by the The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers pipers were abandoned in favour of the Great Highland Bagpipe, which thus became standardised throughout the British Army.

Regimental motto

The Regimental motto is Faugh a Ballagh - clear the way in gaelic.

Service

The Rangers served in, inter alia, the following places:

• Northern Ireland. 1 R IRISH first in 1989 and 2 R IRISH in 1991. This overcame resistance to the Regiment serving in Northern Ireland at the height of the troubles although most officers and many NCOs had traditionally completed operational tours with other regiments.
• BAOR. At amalgamation 1 R IRISH was in Osnabruck and 2 R IRISH in Lemgo.
• USA. Including a visit in the mid-1970s to Washington DC when one Ranger with a knowledge of military history recalled the last visit in 1812 when Irish ancestors had burned the White House down
• Bosnia Hercegovina. As part of the first UK deployment and as reinforcements to the Cheshire Regiment.
• The Falkland Islands. Immediately after the 1982 war; no line infantry regiments fought in the conflict.

Options for Change

Under this reorganisation, the Royal Irish Rangers were amalgamated with the Ulster Defence Regiment to form the new The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd and 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment).

Territorial Army

Today, the name of the Royal Irish Rangers continues through the Territorial Army battalion in Northern Ireland, which nominally exists to fill gaps in the Royal Irish Regiment's ORBAT, but can be deployed in support of any regular unit. With the announcement that all the home service battalions will be disbanded on the 1st August 2007, it has been suggested that the Royal Irish Rangers may be renamed the Royal Irish Regiment, to move in line with its regular counterpart.
The connection is an informal one but The London Regiment contains D (London Irish) Company who wear the caubeen and have bugles, pipes & drums.

Roll of Honour

• Ranger William J Best – 1 R IRISH. Abducted and murdered by the OIRA at home in Londonderry when on leave from Germany.
• 19 July 1972. Staff Sergeant Talaiasi Labalaba BEM, MID – 2 R IRISH (attached 22 SAS). During Battle of Mirbat .
• Major D P Farrell MBE – 1 R IRISH (Retired). Shot and murdered by the OIRA when he was walking his dog near his home in Tyrone.
• 12th April 1974. Captain S Garthwaite MID - attached 22 SAS. Oman.
• 6th December 1977. Ranger Charles George McLaughlin and Ranger Hugh Thompson - 1 R IRISH. Died on Fire Fighting duties in Manchester during the firemen's strike (Operation BURBERRY).
• 28th December 1980. Warrant Officer Class 2 Hugh McGinn – 5 (V) R IRISH. Shot by the INLA at the door of his home in Armagh.
• Sergeant Trevor A Elliot - 5(V) R IRISH. Shot dead by PIRA in Keady
• 9th May 1984. Corporal Trevor May - 4(V) R IRISH. Murdered in Newry when an IED placed under a car exploded.
• 9 October 1989. Lance Corporal Tommy Gibson – 4(V) R IRISH. Murdered by PIRA in Kilrea.
• 24th October 1990. Ranger Cyril J Smith QGM - 2 R IRISH. Killed by a proxy bomb at a Border checkpoint in Newry
• 17 January 1992. Ranger Robert Dunseath – 4 R IRISH. Killed in a land mine attack at Teebane Crossroads, near Cookstown, County Tyrone.

Famous old Rangers

File:Rogerwheeler.jpg

"Sir Roger"

• General Sir Roger Neil Wheeler, GCB, CBE. Former CGS.

Music of the Regiment

Regimental Quick March

The Regimental Quick March is Killaloe. It was written around 1887 by an Irish composer, Robert Martin, for the London Musical "Miss Esmeralda". The lyrics relate the story of a French teacher attempting to make himself understood to a difficult Killaloe class. Originally in 2/4 time, it was made well known in military circles by a cousin of Lt. Charles Martin, who of the 88th Connaught Rangers (The Devil's Own). He composed new lyrics, in 6/8 time, celebrating his Regiment's fame, and although no mention is made of the tune in the Regimental history, there is an explanation that may account for the shout or yell in the military version of Killaloe.
Killaloe is unique. It is the only march the soldiers join in with. On parade they give a spine-tingling "Ranger Yell"; this continues with the Royal Irish Regiment. Historically, in the lst. Battalion (Connaught Rangers), formerly the 88th, a favourite march tune was "Brian Boru" played when marching through a town - often after a hot and heavy march. On such occasions, and at a time given by the Sergeant Major, the Band would pause and all ranks would give a "Connaught Yell". The march became popular among the other Irish Regiments and various other sets of lyrics were devised.
The first known recording of Killaloe was made by Richard Dimbleby when serving as a BBC war correspondent in Northern France shortly before Dunkirk. The "Famous Irish Regiment" Dimbleby reports playing as they march past is not named, but would have been either the Royal Irish Fusiliers or the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
Again in 1944, the BBC recorded The 1st. Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Pipes & Drums playing Killaloe, by then adopted unofficially as the march of the 38th (Irish) Brigade, during the approach to Monte Cassino. Killaloe was adopted by The Royal Irish Rangers on its formation and again later by the Royal Irish Regiment on its amalgamation in 1992.
The soldiers had their own words to the tune which would be sung, sotto voce, as they marched:

We’re the Irish Rangers,

The boys who fear no danger,
We’re the boys from paddy’s land
YO!

Shut up you buggers and fight

To hear the tune visit: Ranger website

Regimental Slow March

Eileen Alannah

Tercentary

At the Tercentenary parade celebrated in Osnabruck in 1989, the Irish Rangers were able to parade a combined band from 1 & 2 R IRISH together with the Bugles, Pipers & Drums from both.

External Links

• Ranger website