Below is some genealogy information on the 83rd & 86th Regiments, Royal Irish Rifles, Royal Ulster Rifles (83rd), Royal Irish Rangers (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd, 87th) and the Royal Irish regiment of the British army that may help searches for military ancestors.

Theatres of War, Army Regiments, Naval Detachments, RAF

Description: Formed in 1881 by an amalgamation of the 83rd Regiment of Foot and the 86th Regiment of Foot. They saw action in the Boer Wars, fighting at Stormberg. During the First World War they fought across the Western, Turkish, Greek and Middle-Eastern fronts at battles such as Mons, Le Cateau, Marne, Aisne, Messines, the 1st battle of Ypres, Neuve Chapelle, Aubers Bridge, Loos, the Somme (1916), the Hindenburg Line, Arras, Cambrai, the 1st battle of the Somme (1918), Lys, the 2nd battle of the Somme (1918), Selle, Passchendaele, Gallipoli, Salonika and the 3rd battle of the Gaza. In 1921 it was renamed the Royal Ulster Rifles. During the Second World War they fought across the Western front and was involved in the Dunkirk evacuations and the Normandy landings. In 1947 they joined, along with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (27th & 108th) and the Princess Victoria's Royal Irish Fusiliers (87th & 89th), the North Irish Brigade. In 1968 they were amalgamated with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (27th & 108th) and the Princess Victoria's Royal Irish Fusiliers (87th & 89th), forming The Royal Irish Rangers (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd and 87th). In 1999 they formed the Royal Irish Regiment. Their nickname is Fitch's Grenadiers or Irish Giants.

Military actions:

• Boer war: Stormberg
• WWI: Mons
• WWI: Le Cateau
• WWI: Marne
• WWI: Aisne
• WWI: Messines
• WWI: 1st battle of Ypres
• WWI: Neuve Chapelle
• WWI: Aubers Bridge
• WWI: Loos
• WWI: Somme (1916)
• WWI: Hindenburg Line
• WWI: Arras
• WWI: Cambrai
• WWI: 1st battle of the Somme (1918)
• WWI: Lys
• WWI: 2nd battle of the Somme (1918)
• WWI: Selle
• WWI: 3rd battle of Ypres
• WWI: Gallipoli
• WWI: Salonika
• WWI: 3rd battle of the Gaza
• WWII: Dunkirk
• WWII: D-Day

Websites:

• Wikipedia: Royal Ulster Rifles

Reading materials:

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