The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in 1914-1918

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To trace the movements and actions of any battalion, click on the Divisions with which it served

Battalions of the regular army

1st Battalion:

August 1914 : in Trimulgherrey, India. Returned to UK and landed at Avonmouth on 10 January 1915.
10 January 1915 : attached to 87th Brigade, 29th Division.
5 February 1918 : transferred to 109th Brigade, 36th Division.

2nd Battalion:

August 1914 : in Dover. Part of 12th Brigade, 4th Division. Moved to Norfolk but landed at Le Havre 22 August 1914.
6 December 1914 : transferred as GHQ Troops.
26 January 1915 : transferred to 5th Brigade, 2nd Division.
22 July 1915: transferred as Army Troops to Third Army.
8 November 1915 : transferred to 14th Brigade, 5th Division.
24 December 1915 : transferred to 96th Brigade, 32nd Division.
3 February 1918 : transferred to 109th Brigade, 36th Division.

3rd (Reserve) Battalion:
August 1914 : in Omagh. Moved on mobilisation to Lough Swilly and in September 1914 to Londonderry. Absorbed the 4th and 12th (Reserve) Bns in April 1918 and moved to Oswestry in England..

4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion:
August 1914 : in Enniskillen. Moved on mobilisation to Lough Swilly and in October 1914 to Buncrana. Had a period in 1916 in Clonmany but returned to Buncrana. Absorbed the 3rd (Reserve) Bn in April 1918.

Battalions of the Territorial Force

As the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act of 1907 did not call for the creation of TF units in Ireland, the regiment had no TF battalions.

Battalions of the New Armies

5th (Service) Battalion:

6th (Service) Battalion:

Formed at Omagh in August 1914 as part of K1 and attached to 31st Brigade, 10th (Irish) Division. Moved to Dublin and by early 1915 was at Kildare. Moved to England April 1915, going to Basingstoke. Landed at Gallipoli on 7 August 1915.
2 May 1918 : left the Division and moved to France.
7 June 1918 : transferred to 43rd Brigade, 14th Division.
18 June 1918 : transferred to 103rd Brigade, 34th Division.
29 June 1918 : transferred to Lines of Communication.
16 July 1918 : transferred to 151st Brigade, 50th Division.

7th (Service) Battalion:

Formed at Omagh in October 1914 as part of K2 and attached to 49th Brigade, 16th (Irish) Division. Moved to Tipperary and in August 1915 Finner Camp. Landed in England in September 1915 and went to Woking. Landed in France in February 1916.
23 August 1917 : amalgamated with 8th Bn to become 7/8th Bn.
22 April 1918 : reduced to cadre strength after taking heavy casualties.
17 June 1918 : transferred to 102nd Brigade, 34th Division.
26 June 1918 : transferred to GHQ Troops, and re-established with men from 8th Rifle Brigade.
3 July 1918 : transferred to 89th Brigade, 30th Division.

8th (Service) Battalion:

The following New Army battalions of this regiment were formed in 1914 from existing units of the Ulster Volunteer Force.

9th (Service) Battalion (County Tyrone):

Formed at Omagh in September 1914 from the Tyrone Volunteers (included two companies of Volunteers who had already joined the 5th and 6th Bns.). Came under orders of 3rd Brigade, Ulster Division and moved to Finner Camp.
2 November 1914 : formation renamed 109th Brigade, 36th Division. Moved to Randalstown in January 1915 and on to Ballycastle in July 1915. Moved to England and went to Bordon in early September 1915. Landed in France in October 1915.

10th (Service) Battalion (Derry):

Formed at Omagh in September 1914 from the Derry Volunteers. Came under orders of 3rd Brigade, Ulster Division and moved to Finner Camp.
2 November 1914 : formation renamed 109th Brigade, 36th Division. Moved to Randalstown in January 1915 and on to Seaford in England in in July 1915. Moved to Bordon in early September 1915. Landed in France in October 1915.
21 January 1918 : disbanded in France.

11th (Service) Battalion (Donegal and Fermanagh):

Formed at Omagh in September 1914 from the Donegal and Fermanagh Volunteers. Came under orders of 3rd Brigade, Ulster Division and moved to Enniskillen.
2 November 1914 : formation renamed 109th Brigade, 36th Division. Moved to Randalstown in January 1915 and on to Seaford in England in in July 1915. Moved to Bordon in early September 1915. Landed in France in October 1915.
21 January 1918 : disbanded in France, 20 officers anfd 400 men going to reinforce the 9th Bn.

12th (Reserve) Battalion:

Formed in Enniskillen in April 1915 as a Reserve Bn. Moved to Ballyshannon in June 1915 but went to Newtownards in August 1915. Moved back to Enniskillen in december 1915 and in 1916 to Finner Camp.
Absorbed by 3rd (Reserve) Bn in April 1918.

Other battalions raised by the regiment

13th (Service) Battalion:

11 June 1918 : the 11th Garrison Guard Bn, which had been formed in France, was renamed 13th (Garrison) Bn.
Attached to 119th Brigade, 40th Division.
13 July 1918 : renamed 13th (Service) Bn.

Did you know? Nicknamed "the Skins", the regiment had its roots in the defence of Enniskillen by its townspeople against attack by the forces of King James II in 1688. It served in most of the British campaigsn thereafter and earned eight VC's in the Great War. Falling within the partition of Northern Ireland in 1922, it remained British and went on to see service in WW2 and at Suez and Cyprus. On 1 July 1968, regiment merged with the Royal Ulster Rifles and the Royal Irish Fusiliers to become the Royal Irish Rangers. This was itself later amalgamates with the Ulster Defence Regiment and on the 1 July 1992 became the Royal Irish Regiment

This page is dedicated to the memory of Lieutenant George Alfred Lionel Harbord, whowas serving with 1st Battalion when he died at the age of 20 on 1 July 1916; James Hamill, who enlisted into the regiment as a boy soldier in 1885 and re-enlisted to serve in the artillery in the Great War; Francis McSperit, who served with 1st Battalion in 1916; William Henry Shattock, killed in action at Dadizeele in Belgium on 2 October 1918 while with 1st Battalion; William John Leeburn, a pre-war regular of 2nd Battalion who won his MM at Passchendaele; and Serjeant Thomas Cairns MM, killed in action while serving with 9th (Service) Battalion on 29 March 1918 but who had originally enlisted in the 11th (Service) Battalion.

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