The Connaught Rangers ("the Devil's Own") was a regiment of the British Army, raised in 1793 from the men of Connacht by John Thomas de Burgh, 13th Earl of Clanricard. Their service in the Crimean War was recognised by the presentation to the City of Galway of a pair of guns in memoriam, which remain on prominent display on the city's main square. Jump to: navigation, search The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Connaught redirects here. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Crimean War lasted from 28 March 1854 until 1856. ... Jump to: navigation, search Galway (official Irish name: Gaillimh) is the only city in the province of Connacht in Ireland and capital of County Galway. ...

Cannons at Eyre Square, Galway The cannons were presented to the Connaught Rangers at the end of the Crimean War (1854-1856) in recognition of their military achievements.

In 1881, the 88th (Connaught Rangers) Regiment of Foot (which formed the 1st Battalion) and the 94th Regiment of Foot (which formed the 2nd Battalion) were amalgamated. The amalgamation of the two regiments into one was part of the British Government's Childers Reforms of the British Armed Forces that was a continuation of the Cardwell Reforms of the forces that were implemented in 1879. Cannons at Eyre Square, Galway. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Crimean War lasted from 28 March 1854 until 1856. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1881 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Caricature from Punch, 1882 Hugh Culling Eardley Childers (June 25, 1827 - January 29, 1896) was a British and Australian Liberal statesman of the nineteenth century. ... Jump to: navigation, search The armed forces of the United Kingdom are known as the British Armed Forces or Her Majestys Armed Forces, officially the Armed Forces of the Crown. ... Edward Cardwell, 1st Viscount Cardwell (July 24, 1813–February 15, 1886) was a prominent British politician in the Peelite and Liberal parties during the middle of the 19th century. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1879 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Garrison Duties

The 88th were based in Bengal, British India when they were amalgamated into the new regiment having deployed to India in 1879. The 94th were also abroad when they became the 2nd Battalion. They had deployed to the south of Africa where they had took part in the Zulu War and in 1880 the first Boer War where in January 1881 Lance-Corporal James Murray of the regiment won a Victoria Cross (VC). The 2nd Battalion returned home the following year where they were stationed in Ireland and in 1887 moved to England. Jump to: navigation, search Bengal, known as Bôngo (Bengali: বঙ্গ), Bangla (বাংলা), Bôngodesh (বঙ্গদেশ), or Bangladesh (বাংলাদেশ) in Bangla (Bengali), is a region in the northeast of South Asia. ... The British Raj is an informal term for the period of British rule of most of the Indian subcontinent, or present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka (previously known as Ceylon). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1879 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... // Etymology World map showing Africa (geographically) The name Africa came into Western use through the Romans, who used the name Africa terra — land of the Afri (plural, or Afer singular) — for the northern part of the continent, as the province of Africa with its capital Carthage, corresponding to modern-day... The Battle of Rorkes Drift The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between Britain and the Zulus, and signalled the end of the Zulus as an independent nation. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1880 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Boer guerrillas during the Second Boer War There were two Boer wars, one from December 16, 1880-March 23, 1881 and the second from October 11, 1899-May 31, 1902 both between the British and the settlers of Dutch, French and German origin (called Boers, Afrikaners or Voortrekkers) in South... James Murray was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... Victoria Cross medal, ribbon, and bar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1887 is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (mid-2004) - Density Ranked 1st UK...

In 1889 the 2nd Battalion moved to sunnier climes when it deployed to Malta. The 1st Battalion finally departed India in 1890 for Aden and subsequently returned home in 1891. In 1892 the 2nd Btn remained in the Mediterranean region when it deployed to Cyprus and then in 1895 arrived in Egypt. The following year the battalion, as-well as the machine-gun section of the 1st Btn, deployed to the Sudan as part of the Dongola Expeditionary Force under the command of Lord Kitchener which was the commencement of the reconquest of the Sudan. The 2nd Btn departed for India the following year, while the 1st Btn deployed to Ireland. In 1899 the 2nd Btn returned to the Mediterranean when it arrived in Malta. Jump to: navigation, search 1889 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1890 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Port of Aden (around 1910) Aden (Arabic: عدن []) is a city in Yemen, 105 miles (170 kilometers) East of Bab-el-Mandeb. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1891 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1892 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1895 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... A U.S. 19th Special Forces Group soldier mans a M-60 machine gun on an HMMWV in Afghanistan, March 2004 A machine gun is a fully automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener of Khartoum (June 24, 1850 - June 5, 1916) was a British Field Marshal and statesman. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1899 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Boer War

The 1st Btn meanwhile deployed to a decidedly more volatile location when it deployed to South Africa as part of 5th (Irish) Brigade which was commanded by Major-General Fitzroy Hart, and where the battalion would take part in the second Boer War. The Rangers would take part in numerous engagements during the war, at times suffering quite heavily in the process. The regiment took part in the Battle of Colenso on the 15th December, part of the attempt to relieve the town of Ladysmith, besieged by Boer forces. The Rangers and the rest of the 5th Brigade, who were worn on the left flank, had been forced to perform over 20 minutes of drill more appropriate on a parade ground prior to the advance. The Brigade suffered very heavily during their participation in the battle, the Boers inflicting immense damage on them, causing heavy casualties. Their advance had been met with a withering fire from three sides that had decimated and forced them to withdraw. The battle would end in a defeat for the British. That battle and two previous defeats st Magersfontein and Stormberg became known as 'Black Week'. Ladysmith (1991: pop. ... Boer is the Afrikaans (and Dutch) word for farmer which came to denote the descendents of the Afrikaans speaking migrating farmers of the expanding eastern Cape frontier. ... The Magersfontein battlefield is a site of the Battle of Magersfontein, part of the Boer War in South Africa. ... Black Week is a phrase frequently used in the popular press to mark periods of a few days when a string of similar unfortunate events occur. ...

The Rangers took part actions at Spion Kop and the Tugela Heights during further attempts to relieve the besieged town of Ladysmith by the British commander, General Sir Redvers Buller. In late February the siege of Ladysmith finally came to an end after it was relieved by British forces. The regiment was awarded the battle honour "Relief of Ladysmith" for its involvement in the relentless attempts to relieve Ladysmith. The 5th Brigade subsequently deployed to Kimberley, to the west of Ladysmith, and took part in further operations against the Boer guerillas. Killed British soldiers lying in trenches The Battle of Spion Kop (Afrikaans: Slag van Spioenkop) was fought about 38 km (21 miles) west-south-west of Ladysmith on the hilltop of Spioenkop(1) along the Tugela River, Natal in South Africa. ... Photo submitted by Marion Hebblethwaite Sir Redvers Henry Buller (VC, GCB, GCMG) (7 December 1839-2 June 1908) was a British general and Victoria Cross holder. ... Kimberley is a town in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. ...

The British Army's participation in the war wasn't just restricted to fighting battles but to other duties which were at times quite mundane. These included providing a complement for armoured trains, escorting convoys, manning blockhouses and various other duties in operations against the Boers. A 19th-century-era block house in Fort York, Toronto In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. ...

The Rangers finally departed South Africa for Ireland after the Boer War came to its conclusion in 1902, and were also awarded the theatre honour 'South Africa 1899-1902' for their involvement in the war. In 1908 the 1st Btn arrived in India while the 2nd Btn returned home to Ireland. The 1st and 2nd battalions of the regiment were given new Colours by HM King George V in 1911. The 2nd Btn had left Ireland and was in England when the "war to end all wars", the First World War, began in August 1914. Jump to: navigation, search 1902 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A colour is a name for certain kinds of flags. ... George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert Windsor, (3 June 1865–20 January 1936) was the last British monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, changing the name to the House of Windsor in 1917. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1911 was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search World War I was primarily a European conflict with many facets: immense human sacrifice, stalemate trench warfare, and the use of new, devastating weapons - tanks, aircraft, machineguns, and poison gas. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

First World War

In August the 1st Btn, based in Ferozepore, India was part of the Ferozepore Brigade, 3rd (Lahore) Division of the Indian Army. It arrived in Marseilles, France on the 26th September. Jump to: navigation, search Firozpur (or Ferozepur, Ferozepore) is city and district in Punjab, India. ... The Indian Army in the time of the British Raj (1857–1947) See Indian Army for the post-independence (and post-partition) army of the Republic of India. ... Marseilles redirects here. ...

The 2nd Btn meanwhile was part of the 5th Brigade, 2nd Division that was part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). It arrived in Boulogne, France in the month that war was declared, and its marching song It's A Long Way To Tipperary made the song famous. The British 2nd Division was originally formed in 1809 by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington for service in the Peninsula War. ... The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was the British army sent to France and Belgium in World War I and British Forces in Europe from 1939 - 1940 during World War II. The BEF was established by Secretary of State for War Richard Haldane following the Boer War in case Britain ever... Boulogne-sur-Mer is a city and commune in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... Its A Long Way To Tipperary is a music hall and marching song written by Jack Judge and Harry Williams in 1912. ...

The 3rd (Reserve) Btn was based in Galway, Ireland upon the declaration of war and would remain in Ireland until November 1917 when it moved to England. The 4th (Extra Reserve) Btn had been based in Boyle, Ireland in August and would remain there until November 1917 when it relocated to Scotland. In May 1918 the 4th Btn was absorbed into the 3rd Btn. The battalion ended its war at Dover. Jump to: navigation, search Galway (official Irish name: Gaillimh) is the only city in the province of Connacht in Ireland and capital of County Galway. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1917 was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. ... Boyle is the name of some towns: Boyle, Mississippi (and others) in the United States of America. ... Jump to: navigation, search Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (Latin: No one provokes me with impunity) (Scots: Wha daur meddle wi me) Scotlands location within the UK Languages with Official Status1 English Gaelic Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK... Jump to: navigation, search 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Map sources for Dover at grid reference TR315415 Arms of Dover Borough Council This article is about the English port town. ...

The 5th (Service) Btn was a battalion of Kitchener's Army, a term coined after the Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener. He had called for the expansion of the Army due to Kitchener's belief that the war would not be over by Christmas, contradicting a view espoused by the media. The 5th Battalion was part of the K1 Group, the first New Army to be formed, and it was formed in Dublin in August 1914. It subsequently joined the 29th Brigade, 10th (Irish) Division at County Cork and in 1915 it was dispatched to Gallipoli, Turkey. WWI recruitment poster for Kitcheners Army. ... The position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, a British cabinet-level position, first applied to Henry Dundas (appointed in 1794). ... Jump to: navigation, search Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... Jump to: navigation, search Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath), is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Ireland, located near the midpoint of Irelands east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin region. ... The 10th (Irish) Division, was one of the Kitcheners Army divisions raised from Irish volunteers by Lord Kitchener in 1914 It fought at Gallipoli, Salonika and Palestine during the First World War. ... County Cork (Contae Chorcaí in Irish) is the most southwesterly and the largest of the modern counties of Ireland. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search The Battle of Gallipoli took place on the Turkish peninsula of Gallipoli in 1915 during the First World War. ...

The 6th (Service) Btn was another Connaught battalion of Kitchener's Army. It was part of the K2 Group and was formed at County Cork in September 1914 and joined the 49th Brigade, 16th (Irish) Division. On the 18th December 1915 the battalion landed in Le Havre, France. The 16th (Irish) Division was a division of the New Army, raised in Ireland from the Irish National Volunteers in September 1914 as part of the K2 Army Group. ... Le Havre is a city in Normandy, northern France, on the English Channel, at the mouth of the Seine. ...

Some 2,500 Connaught Rangers were killed in World War I and their graves lie in France, Belgium, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, and England. In just over a week’s fighting on the Somme (September 1916), the 6th Batallion lost 23 officers and 407 other ranks (Denman, 1992, p. 101). In March 1918, the same Battalion was “practically annihilated” during the German breakthrough at St. Emilie in France. In one week, the battalion lost “22 officers and 618 other ranks” (Jourdain, 1999, Vol. 3, p. 273). Jump to: navigation, search 1916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ...

Mutiny in India, 1920

When news of the Anglo-Irish War, especially of the behaviour of the Black and Tans and the Auxiliary Division (paramilitary reinforcements of the Royal Irish Constabulary), reached the veterans of the 1st Btn at Jalandhar, India, the mutiny began. On 28 June 1920, five men from C Company refused to take orders from their officers, declaring their intent not to serve the King until the British forces left Ireland. The Union Jack at Jullundur, on the North-West Frontier, was replaced by the tricolour flag of the Irish Republic. An Irish War of Independence memorial in Dublin The Anglo-Irish War (also known as the Irish War of Independence) was a guerrilla campaign mounted against the British government in Ireland by the Irish Republican Army under the proclaimed legitimacy of the First Dáil, the extra-legal Irish parliament... The Black and Tans, more properly known as the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force, was one of two paramilitary forces employed by the Royal Irish Constabulary from 1920 to 1921, to suppress Sinn Féin and the IRA. Following the Easter Rising in Dublin in 1916, when armed Irish nationalists... The Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary, generally known as the Auxiliaries or Auxies, was a paramilitary organization within the RIC during the Anglo-Irish War. ... The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) was one of Irelands two police forces in the early twentieth century, alongside the Dublin Metropolitan Police. ... small alley in Jalandhar, close to the fish-market rikshaws with bananas in Jalandhar, close to the fish-market Jalandhar is a city in the state of Punjab, India. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Flag of the United Kingdom. ... North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) is geographically the smallest of the four provinces of Pakistan. ... A tricolour is a flag or banner having three colours, usually in approximately equal size (horizontally or vertically) and lacking additional symbols. ...

Within three days, the mutiny was ended and the mutineers taken to prison camp at Dagshai. At Solan, rumours began in the Rangers detachement there that the prisoners had been executed. Under the command of Private James Daly, about 70 Rangers joined the mutiny and attacked the armoury. The guard successfully defended it: Privates Sears and Smyth were shot dead while other mutineers were taken prisoners. On all, about 400 men had joined the mutiny of which eighty-eight were court martialled. 14 men were sentenced to death, and the rest given up to 15 years in gaol except for a few that were acquitted. 13 of the men sentenced to die had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment. Solan, Himachal Pradesh India is also known as the mushroom city of India because of the mushroom centre situated at Cambaghat. ... Jump to: navigation, search A court-martial (plural courts-martial) is a military court that determines punishments for members of the military subject to military law. ... Jump to: navigation, search Life imprisonment is a term used for a particular kind of sentence of imprisonment. ...

21-year-old Daly was shot by a firing squad in Dagshai prison on November 2, 1920, and was therefore the last member of British Forces to be executed for mutiny. Pte Sears and Pte Smyth were buried at Solan; Daly and John Miranda (who died in prison) were buried at the Dagshai graveyard. Execution by firing squad is a method of capital punishment, especially in times of war. ...

Regimental Banners and other memorabilia

The banners of the regiment are displayed in the 14th century Collegiate Church of St Nicholas in Galway. The Regimental HQ was in Renmore Barracks (now Dún Ui Maoilíosa, Mellows Baracks) a few miles from the city centre and has small museum of Rangers memorabilia. Jump to: navigation, search Galway (official Irish name: Gaillimh) is the only city in the province of Connacht in Ireland and capital of County Galway. ... Liam Mellows (1895-1922) was born in County Galway, Ireland. ...

Disbandment

As a result of the foundation of the Irish Free State, the Connaught Rangers and five other Irish infantry regiments, were disbanded in 1922. On 12 June the Rangers Colours, along with those of the five other regiments, were laid up in a disbandment ceremony at St. George's Hall, Windsor Castle in Berkshire in the presence of King George V and the five other disbanding regiments. The Rangers detachment included the commanding officers of the 1st and 2nd Rangers, Lieutenant-Colonels W. N. S. Alexander and H. F. N. Jourdain. The regiment was formally disbanded on 31 July, after which there was no regiment of rangers in the British Army until 1968 . Many of the Irish officers and men helped form the Western Command of the new Free State Army. The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) was (1922–1937) the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties which were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and... Jump to: navigation, search June 12 is the 163rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (164th in leap years), with 202 days remaining. ... An early 18th century view of Windsor Castle by Kip and Knyff. ... For other places named Berkshire, see: Berkshire (disambiguation) Berkshire (IPA: or  ; sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a county in the south of England, to the west of London and also bordering on Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Greater London, Surrey, Wiltshire and Hampshire. ... George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert Windsor, (3 June 1865–20 January 1936) was the last British monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, changing the name to the House of Windsor in 1917. ... July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 153 days remaining, as the final day of July. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...

The Rangers after 1922

In 1936, the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) passed the CONNAUGHT RANGERS (PENSIONS) ACT, 1936 An Act to provide for the payment of pensions, allowances, and gratuities to or in respect of certain former members of the 1st Batallion, the Connaught Rangers, and to make provision for other matters connected with the matters aforesaid. August 1936. The effect of the Act was to give the Mutineers parity of esteem with veterans of the Anglo-Irish War. The Oireachtas is the National Parliament of the Republic of Ireland. ... An Irish War of Independence memorial in Dublin The Anglo-Irish War (also known as the Irish War of Independence) was a guerrilla campaign mounted against the British government in Ireland by the Irish Republican Army under the proclaimed legitimacy of the First Dáil, the extra-legal Irish parliament...

In 1970, the remains of Sears, Smyth and Daly were taken back to Ireland and given a military funeral with full honours.

Today, the Ranger Battallion is the Special Forces Battallion of the Irish Defence Forces. The Irish Defence Forces are the army, navy and air force of the Republic of Ireland. ...

Further Reading

Jourdain (1999), The Connaught Rangers