Royal Irish Rangers
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 date 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 and in December 1968 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
- 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 when he was home in Londonderry on leave from Germany.
1*9 July 1972. Staff Sergeant Talaiyasi Lalalaba BEM, MID – 2 R IRISH (att 22 SAS). During Battle of Mirbat in the Dhofar, Oman.
- 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 - att 22 SAS. Oman.
- 6th December 1977. Ranger Charles George McLaughlin - 1 R IRISH. Died on Fire Fighting duties in Manchester during the firemen's strike (Operation Burberry).
- 6th December 1977. 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 2 Hugh McGinn – 5 (V) R IRISH. Shot and murdered on the by the INLA at the door of his home in Armagh.
- Sergeant Trevor A Elliot - 5(V) R IRISH. Shot dead and murdered by PIRA in Keady
- 9th May 1984. Corporal Trevor May - 4(V) R IRISH. Murdered when an IED placed under his colleague’s car exploded in Newry.
- 9 October 1989. Lance Corporal Tommy Gibson – 4(V) R IRISH. Murdered by the IRA in Kilrea.
- 24th October 1990. Ranger Cyril J Smith QGM - 2 R IRISH. Killed by a proxy bomb at a border check point in Newry
- 17 January 1992. Ranger Robert Dunseath – 4(V) R IRISH. Killed in a land mine attack at Teebane Crossroads, near Cookstown, County Tyrone.
Famous old Rangers
Music of the Regiment
Regimental Quick March
The Regimental Quick March is Killaloe.
Killaloe is a popular march in the Irish Regiments of the British army . The following is some of the background to the tune . Killaloe was written around 1887 by a 41-year-old Irish composer named Robert Martin, for the London Musical "Miss Esmeralda" and sung by a Mr E J Lohnen. The lyrics relate the sorry story of a French teacher attempting to make himself understood to a difficult Killaloe class who, totally misunderstand his French, and as a consequence beat him up. The Killaloe song, with original melody in 2/4 time, was made well known in military circles by a cousin of Lt. Charles Martin, who served with the 88th Connaught Rangers (The Devil's Own) from 1888 until his death in 1893. He composed a new set of 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 interesting explanation which may well account for the shout or yell in the military version of Killaloe. In the lst. Battalion (Connaught Rangers), formerly the 88th, a favourite march tune was "Brian Boru" and this was played generally when the Battalion was marching through a town, or when after a hot and heavy march, the Battalion was feeling the strain and the Commanding Officer wished to revive the spirits of the men.
On such occasions, at a time generally given by the Sergeant Major, all ranks would give a regular "Connaught Yell". during which the Band would make a pause, and then continue playing. The march became popular among the other Irish Regiments and various other sets of lyrics were devised, some none too complimentary in tone.
The first known recording of Killaloe was made by Richard Dimbleby when serving as a BBC war correspondent somewhere in North France in 1939/1940, shortly before Dunkirk, during an outside broadcast of advancing troops. The "Famous Irish Regiment" Dimbleby reports playing as they march past Is not actually 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 famous 38th (Irish) Brigade, during the approach to Monte Cassino.
Killaloe was adopted by The Royal Irish Rangers on its formation on lst. July 1968 (Vesting Day) and again later by the Royal Irish Regiment on its amalgamation in 1992.
To hear the tune visit: Ranger website