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The 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel G J Hamilton DSO, landed in Mombasa on 30 January 1955. The Battalion deployed A Company to North Kinangop and B Company to South Kinangop in the West Aberdares. The rest of the Battalion deployed around Navisha in the Rift valley with a Tactical Area of Responsibility of around 1,600 square miles.
The Battalion conducted counter-terrorist operations against the Mau Mau fighters who were raiding white Kenyan owned farms and properties and terrorising the black Kenyan workers.
The 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers moved from the hutted Moascar Camp outside the Suez canal town of Ismailia to Kasr-el-Nil Barracks in Cairo.
The 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers moved to Border Barracks, Göttingen, becoming part of 11th Armoured Divisiond and roled as a lorry-borne infantry battalion. During the early part of the tour, the Faughs sent drafts to reinforce the 1st Battalion The Royal Ulster Rifles fighting in the Korean War. This included many National Service soldiers and officers.
The 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers left Cairo for Suez on 18 October 1927 and sailed aboard the Nevasa for Bombay, India. They arrived complete at Akbar Barracks, Agra by 1 November. Life in the stations of Cairo and Agra was reflected on by an officer writing for the regimental magazine, The Faugh-a-Ballagh:
The first two months of 1915 were relatively uneventful for the 1st and the 2nd Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers in the trenches south of the River Douve and in the area of St Eloi.
While the Third Battle of Ypres was still raging, the 1st and the 9th Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers moved to the area west of Cambrai in readiness for the impending battle of that name.
The 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers arrived at Bordon on return from the Sudan and Cyprus.
They had moved from India to the Sudan in December 1933 with one company detached to Cyprus. The Battalion Headquarters was located in Khartoum with detachments in Gebeit and Atbara. It was a short stay in Sudan and in October 1934 the Faughs sailed aboard the HMT Neuralia to Southampton.
The 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers was in Alexandria, Egypt when, in September 1899, it was warned to move to South Africa for the anticipated war with the Boers. They embarked on the hired transport Avoca, departed on 25 September, sailed through the Suez Canal, coaled at Aden on 1 October and disembarked at Durban on 12 October 1899. The war had started and the Battalion moved by train to arrive at Ladysmith the following day.
Retreat to Dunkirk
On the misty morning of 20 May 1940, the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers (1st Faughs) was in a defensive position with a 3,500 yard frontage on a hill feature north-east of the Belgian town of Ninove on the western bank of the River Dender (Dendre). The Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel G F Gough MC, had deployed three companies forward, with one rifle company and the Headquarters in reserve.
Retreat to Dunkirk
The Battle Honour WITHDRAWAL TO ESCAULT was awarded in recognition for those actions along the whole front of withdrawal from the River Dyle. The Battle Honour, although awarded to The Royal Irish Fusiliers, was not chosen by the Regiment to be carried on The Queen's Colours.
