| The Lancashire Fusiliers in regimental
military art prints. The history of the Lancashire Fusiliers in military art
prints and military uniform prints. |
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The East Devonshire. or 20th Regiment, as
it was formerly called from 1782 until it was changed to the
"Lancashire Fusiliers" in 1881, was raised by Sir Robert Peyton
in 1688, and served in the Irish wars until 1691. It took part in
the expeditions to Cadiz and Portugal in 1702 and 1707, but saw no further
active service until 1743, when it was present at Dettingen and Fontenoy.
The Jacobite rising of 1745 recalled it to England to assist in the siege
of Carlisle and the battle of Culloden; but after Dettingen the next
important battle was that of Minden, where "Kingsley's Regiment"
lost 17 officers and 310 men killed and wounded; but, though released from
duty because of this, they requested to resume their "portion of duty
in the line". As one of the six "unsurpassable"
Minden regiments, therefore, the 20th wear the laurel-wreath on their
colours. They returned, says Thackeray in "The
Virginians", "as covered with laurels as a Jack-a-Green on May
Day". The "Minden rose" on the colours was long
believed to have been worked by Queen Anne; but the original colours were
burnt at the surrender at Saratoga in 1771. Their charging cheer is
known as the "Minden yell", their march as the old 20th was the
"Minden March" though now, like other Fusilier regiments, they
use the "British Grenadiers". On the 1st August, the
anniversary of the great day, the toast after "The Queen" is
that of "To those who fell at Minden", and is drunk in solemn
silence. The rose on the colours, and on the mess-table on Minden
day, are traditionally believed to be a remembrance of the roses the men
plucked and wore as they crushed through the gardens to the great
fight. At Warburg, Zierenberg, Wesel. Kirch-Denkern, Groebenstein,
and Wilhelmsthal they displayed equal bravery, and after the conclusion of
hostilities embarked for Canada to form part of Burgoyne's army, and to
surrender at Saratoga.
"Egmont-op-Zee" is the next name
on the colours, and the regiments also bears the Sphinx and
"Egypt" for its good service at Alexandria in 1801. While
on its way homeward it landed in Calabria, and helped materially to gain
the victory of Maida by a brilliant flank attack when the issue was by no
means certain. For many years afterwards the men wore myrtle in
their caps on each 4th of July, in remembrance of the myrtle clad slopes
of Maida. It served in the Peninsula in 1808, and was present at
Vimiera and Corunna, sharing in the horrors of the retreat through snow
and frost, when it was dreadful to see lying by the roadside the numbers
of dead, consisting of men, and sometimes women and children; and in
1812-14 fighting at Vittoria, the Pyrenees, St Sebastian, Nivelle, Orthes
and Toulouse. It relieved the 66th in guarding Napoleon at St
Helena, and twelve of its grenadiers carried the Emperor's body to its
first resting place at Longwood. Some relics of the Napoleonic wars
are still retained in the regiment. These are a black silk rosette -
one of those made by the ladies of Toulouse for each officer - a lock of
the Emperor's hair, a feather from his hat, and three volumes of
Marlborough's Campaigns given by Napoleon, and containing his name on the
title page, a name which Sir Hudson Lowe tried to insist on having erased!
A 2nd battalion had meanwhile been
added. It was first raised in 1756, but after two years became the
67th Regiment of the Line. The next appeared in 1799, and was
reduced in 1802; the third and last dates from 1842.
The regiment saw much service in the
Crimea, embarking for that war in 1854, and fighting at the Alma and
Inkerman, where they charged with the "Minden yell"; - in
the siege of Sevastopol, notably at the assaults of the 10th June and 8th
September 1855; and at the capture of Kinburn. At Inkerman
Assistant-Surgeon Wolseley was cut off by the advance of a Russian column,
but, says the sergeant who describes the gallant story, "swe charged
into a body of Russians without any support, and it's the greatest miracle
in the world how we ever came out again. The last words we heard
from Sir George Cathcart were, "Nobly done, 20th!" It was
reported to be the only regiment that marched into the captured town with
bands playing and colours flying. Its last active service was during
the Mutiny, when it was engaged at Chauda, Umeerpore, Sultanpore, the
operations in Oude and the Trans-Gogra district, and for its services
bears "Lucknow" on its colours. Among its most
distinguished officers may be noted Wolfe, the hero of Quebec, who,
entering the service in "Wolfe's Regiment of Marines", was later
on transferred to the 20th, which he commanded in 1758. The 3rd and
4th battalions are composed of the former 7th Royal Lancashire
Militia. The Volunteer battalions are the 8th, 12th and 17th
Lancashire, with headquarters at Bury, Rochdale, and Salford
respectively.
The Lancashire Fusiliers wear scarlet
uniforms with white facings. The Sphinx and laurel, crowned, are
worn on the button; a grenade, added when it became a Fusilier regiment,
on collar, cap, and waist-plate. Though no motto appears in the
official Army List, it claims to have that of "Omnia audax".
Its nickname of the "Two Tens" refers to the old number of the
regiment; those of the "Minden Boys" and "Kingsley's
Stand" relate to the great battle in which it distinguished itself;
but in the Peninsula it seems to have been known as the "Young
Fusiliers". |
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Private J. Hutchinson Shooting Two German
Sentries When Leading An Attack On A German Trench. During an attack on the enemys position, Private James
Hutchinson, of the Lancashire Fusiliers (of Bury), was the leading man,
and, entering their trench, shot two sentries and cleared two of the
traverses. After the
British object had been gained and retirement ordered, Private
Hutchinson, on his own initiative, undertook the dangerous task of
covering the retirement, and he did this with such gallantry and
determination that the wounded were removed safely.
During all this time this gallant soldier was exposed to fierce
fire from machine guns and rifles at close quarters.
For his most conspicuous gallantry he was awarded the V.C.
Captain Willis Heading a
Charge by a Landing Party Through Wire Entanglements and Under Heavy
Fire Near Cape Helles. As the Lancashire Fusiliers landed on the shores of the Gallipoli
Peninsula on April 25th 1915, at a point west of Cape Helles,
a deadly fire assailed them from hidden machine guns.
Many of the men fell, but the survivors, with undaunted courage,
rushed up and cut the wire entanglements.
The difficulties of the attack were supreme, but Captain Richard
Raymond Willis, Sergeant Richards and Private Keneally, of the 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, performed signal acts of bravery and
devotion to duty. The
cliffs were at length gained, and the position was maintained while the
conspicuous gallantry of Captain Willis was rewarded with the V.C. |
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