Three Regiments Become One - The Formation of The Royal Irish Rangers

The scene at midnight on 30 June/1 July 1968 at Norton Barracks, Worcester. On the left is the Inniskilling Guard commanded by Major D W F Twigg and on the right, the Ranger Guard commanded by Major J F K O'Malley. The Deputy Colonel of the Royal Irish Rangers, Major General E H W Grimshaw CB CBE DSO, reads the Special Order of the Day from the Colonel-in-Chief. The Colours were handed over to the new Regiment and the Inniskillings marched off into history after 279 years of service as the Regimental Band played "Fare thee well, Enniskillen".

In 1967, the Ministry of Defence announced that each of the ‘geographic’ infantry brigades, including the North Irish Brigade, were to lose one battalion. The North Irish Brigade at the time consisted of the 1st Battalion The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, the 1st Battalion The Royal Ulster Rifles and the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers. One battalion would have to go.

The Representative Colonel of the North Irish Brigade (Major General T P D Scott) convened a unique meeting at St Patrick's Barracks, Ballymena at which each battalion was represented by its Commanding Officer, a Major, a Captain and the Regimental Sergeant Major. In addition, all officers serving at non-Regimental duty in Northern Ireland were ordered to attend, along with the Regimental Secretaries.

There were several options available to this unique gathering to achieve the MOD ruling. These were:

1. To disband the junior regiment (Royal Irish Fusiliers) and to leave the other two intact; the Depot to assume the title of the disbanded regiment.
2. To amalgamate the two junior regiments (Royal Ulster Rifles and Royal Irish Fusiliers) and to leave the Inniskillings intact.
3. To amalgamate the two fusilier regiments (Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and Royal Irish Fusiliers) and to leave the Royal Ulster Rifles intact.
4. To invite the Royal Ulster Rifles to join the Light Division with the other rifle regiments.
5. To form a large regiment initially of three battalions but reducing to two shortly after formation.

The conference took a whole day and eventually it was the unanimous decision of all those present that the North Irish Brigade should form one large regiment.

All three regiments were Royal and Irish. After discussion, it was decided that the recommended name would be the Royal Irish Rangers. From the date of the conference, no officer or warrant officer was posted back to his original parent regiment, in order to spread the traditions and customs of all three regiments amongst all parts of the new regiment prior to Vesting Day.