Fusilier - United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The original fusiliers in the British Army were The 7th Foot, Royal Regiment of Fuzileers raised in 1685. This subsequently became The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). As with its French counterparts the original purpose of this unit was to act as escort to artillery guns, as well as keeping discipline amongst the civilian drivers. Both a Scots (21st Foot) and Welsh (23rd Foot) regiment also became fusiliers in the period up to and including 1702 and all three regiments were distinguished by the wearing of a slightly shorter version of the Mitred Cap worn by Grenadier companies of all other infantry regiments. A number of additional infantry regiments were subsequently designated as fusiliers during the 19th century, but this was simply a historic distinction without any relationship to special weapons or roles.

In 1865 a distinctive head-dress was authorised for British Army fusilier regiments. For other ranks this was a raccoon skin busby. Fusilier officers however wore a taller bearskin like their counterparts in the Foot Guards. The badge for each regiment was placed at the front of a busby and consisted of a stylised flaming grenade, with different emblems placed on the ball of the grenade.

Attached to the various types of fusilier headdress, including the modern beret, is the hackle. This is a short cut feather plume, the colour or colours of which varied according to the regiment. Initially, the only regiment authorised to wear a plume or hackle were the 5th Foot or Northumberland Fusiliers. The regiment had originally worn a white feather distinction, authorised in 1824 to commemorate the victory of St Lucia in 1778 when men of the Fifth Regiment were supposed to have taken white feathers from the hats of fallen French soldiers. When in 1829 a white plume was ordered for all line infantry regiments, to preserve the Fifth (Northumberland) Regiment's emblem, they were authorised to wear a white plume with a red tip, allegedly to indicate a distinction won in battle. The Fifth were designated Fusiliers in 1836.

Following the Second Boer War plumes were added to the headgear of all fusilier regiments in recognition of their service in South Africa.

The following fusilier regiments existed prior to the outbreak of World War I:

The nine regiments of fusiliers that existed in 1914 have since been reduced to one by a series of disbandments and mergers:

• In 1920 the Royal Welsh Fusiliers was renamed as the "Royal Welch Fusiliers".
• Due to the creation of the Irish Free State, the Royal Munster Fusilers and Royal Dublin Fusiliers were disbanded on 31 July 1922.
• In 1935 the Northumberland Fusiliers was awarded the title "Royal".
• Under the Defence Review of 1957 the number of infantry regiments was reduced. The Royal Scots Fusiliers was amalgamated with the Highland Light Infantry on 20 January 1959 to form the Royal Highland Fusiliers. The new regiment wore the white hackle of the RSF, with a flaming grenade badge bearing the monogram of the HLI.
• Under the same review, the three English fusilier regiments were grouped as the Fusilier Brigade in 1958. While retaining their individual identities, a single cap badge was adopted. This was flaming grenade bearing St George and the Dragon within a laurel wreath the whole ensigned by a crown. This combined elements of the badges of the three regiments, who continued to be distinguished by their coloured hackles: red over white for the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, white for the Royal Fusiliers and primrose yellow for the Lancashire Fusiliers.
• Also in 1958 the North Irish Brigade was formed, consisting of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, the Royal Irish Fusiliers and the Royal Ulster Rifles. All regiments adopted a harp and crown badge on the caubeen, worn with a hackle: grey for the Inniskillings, green for the Royal Irish Fusiliers and black for the Rifles.
• On 1 May 1963 the Royal Warwickshire Regiment was redesignated as the Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers and joined the Fusilier Brigade. An old gold and blue hackle was adopted.
• On 23 April 1968 (St George's Day) the four regiments of the Fusilier Brigade were amlagamated to form The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The RRF are now the only English fusiler regiment and wear the red over white hackle of the 5th Foot with the badge adopted in 1958 for the Fusilier Brigade.
• On 1 July 1968 the three regiments of the North Irish Brigade were amlagamated to form the Royal Irish Rangers and ceased to be a fusilier regiment. The green hackle of the Royal Irish Fusiliers continued in use. Following a further merger in 1992 the lineage is now continued by the Royal Irish Regiment.
• On 1 March 2006 (St David's Day), the Royal Welch Fusiliers were amalgmated with the Royal Regiment of Wales to form the Royal Welsh. The white hackle of the RWF is worn with the cap badge of the RRW. Elements of the regimental band wear fusilier full dress.
• On 28 March 2006 the Scottish infantry regiments were merged into the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The individual battalions of the regiment retain the titles of the predecessor units, and The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland continues to wear the white hackle of the Royal Scots Fusiliers.

In addition, the Scots Guards were known as the Scots Fusilier Guards from 1831 to 1877.