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When Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire's Franz Josef, and his wife Sophie were visiting Sarajevo in Serbia, a bomb was thrown at the vehicle they were travelling in but bounced off the open car with its top folded down. They drove on, but shortly after they were shot and killed by Gavrilo Princip, another of the assassins.
Armagh’s Militia unit was designated the 8th Regiment and recruiting had begun as soon as the regiment was authorised. Lord Gosford was appointed as Colonel (originally lieutenant colonel commandant) and other well-known families in the county, including the Achesons, Copes, Ensors and Magowans, were also represented. Although the Armagh Regiment was ordered to be embodied on 3 May 1793, it was 16 September before embodiment was complete, suggesting that recruiting may have been slower than expected.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (The Earl of Arran) introduced the second reading of the Army Bill to the House of Lords by beginning his statement as follows:
'The purpose of this short Army Bill is a simple one. Its provisions are solely designed to enable the merger of the Royal Irish Rangers and the Ulster Defence Regiment to take place on 1st July.
The destruction of the German artillery batteries began on 24 June when 'devastating British artillery' fire from heavy guns engaged the German gun lines.
Below:Three 8 inch howitzers of 39th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA).
On 20 October 1899, the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers attacked a strong Boer position at Talana Hill. The feature itself was steep and it took eight hours to reach the top. The keen-eyed Boers picked off many of the attackers on the way up, most of them being shot through the head. On reaching the summit they found it strewn with abandoned materiel, including Mauser rifles, bandoliers, ammunition and great coats, but the Boers were gone and could be seen moving like an army of ants northwards across the green plain.
As the Second World War ended, the 78th Infantry Division, including the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers, moved northwards for occupation duties in Austria. On 10 May 1945, the Battalion was stationed in Klagenfurt in the Austrian state or Land of Carinthia, not far from the Yugoslav border.
A Piper Afloat - Attachment to HMS Cottesmore by Piper Ringland.
I and Ranger Groves, a bugler from 1 R IRISH, joined HRH The Duke of York’s ship HMS Cottesmore, a minesweeper, on Tuesday 10 May 1993. We had a very warm welcome from everyone on board. We met The Duke on Wednesday morning when we were invited to his cabin and welcomed aboard. He also wished us an enjoyable time over the next month.
When the 2nd Battalion The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers reformed in Colchester in April 1952, the Battalion did not become fully effective until February 1953. The Inniskillings embarked on 3 April at Southampton aboard HMT Empire Ken and arrived on 12 April at Port Said. However, as the Battalion was still below strength, A Company was disbanded shortly after arrival. There was a state of unrest and internal security took precedence over training.
Austria-Hungary was one of the Central Powers (or Quadruple Alliance) during the First World War and had declared war on the Kingdom of Serbia on 28 July 1914, an event which marked the beginning of 'The Great War'.
On 2 May 1945, the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers heard the news that the German Army Group South-West, under General von Vietinghoff, had surrendered unconditionally to Field-Marshal Alexander. This glorious news started off a round of parties and '_the sky was full of tracer and Very lights. The Pioneers, not to be outdone, detonated some colossal charges and nearly destroyed the village, and the Pipes and Drums played round the streets ... .
