Name : Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) Started : 1881 Ended : 1968 Previous Regiment Lineage(s) : ---------------------------------------- Baron Dartmouth's Regiment of Foot (1685 - 1689) Duke of Marlborough's Regiment of Foot (1689 - 1692) Earl of Orkney's Regiment of Foot (1692 - 1692) Fitzpatrick's Regiment of Foot (1692 - 1696) Baron Tyrawley's Regiment of Foot (1696 - 1713) Baron Tyrawley's Regiment of Foot (1713 - 1739) Hargrave's Regiment of Foot (1739 - 1751) 7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fuzileers) (1751 - 1782) 7th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot (Royal Fusiliers) (1782 - 1881)
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Subsequent Regiment Lineage : ---------------------------------------- Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (1968 - Present)
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The Royal Fusiliers
In the British army in 1605 the ordinary regiments of the Line were composed of musketeers, who carried a heavy musket; pikemen, armed with 16 to 24 feet pikes and swords, and grenadiers, who carried hand-grenades as well. But there were also regiments of "Ordnance," trained "for the care and protection of cannon," and these carried, instead of the musket, a "snap-hance" or "fusil," with sword and bayonet. They did not carry colours, and therefore, for the rank of ensign was substituted that of lieutenant in the subaltern grade. On the increase to the army consequent on Monmouth's rebellion, James 2nd ordered the formation of an "ordnance regiment," to be called the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. It was the first that had been definitely equipped as such. Lord Dartmouth, its first colonel, raised ten companies of Fusiliers and one of Miners in and about London, and to these were added two other independent companies which had long existed in the Tower. The uniform was scarlet with yellow "livery", caps similar to those worn by the Grenadiers, and grey breeches and stockings.
The regiment joined the camp on Hounslow Heath, in charge of the train of artillery. On the threatened invasion of the Prince of Orange some men served as marines on board the fleet, as they did later in 1703, and in 1756, under Byng, when they engaged the French fleet off Minorca. After 1688 it ceased to be an "ordnance regiment," but retained its armament as a Fusilier regiment without, as in the other "battaglia," having a proportion of pikemen. It embarked as an ordinary infantry regiment for the campaign in Flanders in 1689, and first saw fighting at Walcourt, shortly after which Marlborough became its colonel; and after a short period of service in Ireland at the sieges of Cork and Kinsale, it returned to Flanders to serve with King William at Steenkirk, Landen, and Namur. It formed part of Ormond's expedition against Cadiz in 1702, when, though failing to take it, it captured the towns of Rota, Port St. Mary, and Fort St. Catherine, finishing by the destruction of the Spanish ships under French convoy in Vigo Bay.
From that time until 1773, when it embarked for Canada, its history was comparatively uneventful; but there it formed part of the garrison of St. John's, Fort Chambly, and Quebec. The two former, after a short siege, surrendered to Colonel Montgomery, who commanded the American army; but the same force, in the effort to storm Quebec, was roughly repulsed, and its leader slain. Shortly after this defeat the garrison made a successful sortie, the chief results of which was to compel the Americans to abandon Canada. Transferred to New York, it saw much arduous work and severe fighting in the South, being present at the actions at Staten Island, Forts Montgomery, Clinton, and Constitution; at Philadelphia, Newhaven, and Cornwallis says in his despatch, "two three-pounders were taken, and I fear the colours of the 7th Regiment shared the same fate.
Returning to England soon after, a second battalion was added. The first joined in the attack on Copenhagen in 1807, and two years later formed part of the expedition against Martinique. This is the first name the regiment is authorised to wear on its colours, and the honour was bestowed in consequence of its gallantry in the capture of that island, where it was brigaded with the 23rd Royal Welsh Fruiliers. Meanwhile the 2nd battalion took part in the expulsion of the French from Oporto, as well as the battle of Talavera, which is the second name on its colours; and in 1810 the 1st battalion was also transferred to the Peninsula. The regiment there took part in the following battles, which are not specifically claimed among the honours, namely, Busaco, Olivenza, Ciudad, Rodrigo, Aldea de Pont, Montevite, Pampeluna, and Bidassoa; but it bears on the battle-roll the names of "Albuhera," "Badajoz," "Salamanca," "Vittoria," "Pyrenees," "Orthes," "Toulouse," and "Peninsula."
Gold medals were awarded to the colonels for many of these fights, and between 1809 and 1814, inclusive, nine non-commissioned officers are recorded as receiving commission. During most of this time they had formed part of the Fusilier Brigade, consisting of the 2nd battalion of the 7th and the 1st battalion of the 23rd, and the bravery of their charge in line against the heavy column at Albuhera, where they lost two-thirds of their strength, is graphically told in Napier's history of the war. "The Fusiliers", says Sir Henry Hardinge, "exceeded anything that the usual word 'gallantry' can convey. They recaptured, too, a gun, and a colour belonging to the Buffs, which had been lost during a convoy charge earlier in the day."
There is a curious difference between what was considered indiscipline among men, and not among officers apparently, at this time; for in April, 1809, the sergeants of the regiment presented their adjutant with an address (no promotion) "expressive of their regard and gratitude for the manner in which he had performed the duty of adjutant." This brought the men a serious reprimand in general orders as having, "however unintentionally, been guilty of an act of great insubordination" in thus bestowing commendation on their superior officer. Later in the same year however, on the retirement of Lieutenant-Colonel Pakenham, the officers presented him with his portrait, and a sword valued at two hundred guineas, "as a mark of their sincere regard for him as an officer and a gentleman, of their admiration of his manly virtues and zeal for the service." It is difficult to see in what the distinction between the two cases lies, save the mere phraseology; but it is evident here that "what in the officer is but a choleric word, in the soldier is rank blasphemy."
The uniform had followed the usual alterations. The yellow-faced coat of 1685 had given place in 1751 to the tall grenadier cap, bearing the rose and garter crowned and the white horse with "Nec aspera terrent," a scarlet coat with royal blue facings, and extremely broad yellow belts, carrying French sword and bayonet. This in 1846 had been replaced by the scarlet coatee, with scales, the white cross-belt supporting the bayonet in a frog, and the fusilier "cap". So dressed, the "City of London Regiment " next saw service in the Crimea; and for its good work at the Alma, Inkerman, and notably in the repulse of the great sortie of the 26th of October, 1854, it added these battles and "Sevastopol" to its roll. Five Victoria Crosses were won in the campaign - by Privates Hughes and Norman, Lieutenant Hope, Captain Jones, and Assistant-Surgeon Hale.
Though in India during the Mutiny, its operations were confined to Scinde; but it took part in the frontier fighting of 1863, and later on a second battalion, raised in 1858, shared in the Afghan campaign, where it assisted in the defence of Kandahar, and the battle which raised the siege. For this the titles "Kandahar, 1880," and "Afghanistan, 1879-80" closes, at present, a record of gallant duty well done.
The present uniform is scarlet, with blue facings. The grenade, with the rose on the ball, is worn on the buttons and the collar, and on the caps is the same badge, with, in addition, the crowned garter and the White Horse. The Militia battalions are the (3rd) Royal Westminster, the (4th) Royal London, and the (5th) Royal South Middlesex. Of these the 3rd battalion bears on its colours "Mediterranean," because of its services during the Russian War. The 1st Volunteer Battalion is the 16th Middlesex, the 2nd the 23rd Middlesex; the 3rd the 11th Middlesex. All are clothed in scarlet with blue facings. The Royal Fusiliers has borne the name of the "Hanoverian White Horse," from bearing this badge as a decoration; and at another period that of the "Elegant Extracts," from the officers having been selected from other regiments. The regimental district has its headquarters was in Hounslow.
