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On 1 October 1949, Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China with its capital as Beijing thus emerging as the victor from the Chinese Civil War which had been fought between the Nationalists and Communists since 1927.
General Chiang Kai-shek with some two million Nationalist soldiers retreated to the island of Taiwan from Sichuan province in December 1949. Although the Civil War had been interrupted by the Second Sino-Japanese war where both sides fought the Japanese from December 1936, the civil war resumed in December 1946.
The 2nd Battalion The Royal Irish Rifles, ready to march forward from Bouzincourt, was almost back at the Somme on 27 June 1916.
On 16 November 1990, the then Prime Minister, The Rt Hon Margaret Thatcher PC MP, visited C Coy, 2nd Battalion The Royal Irish Rangers at the Permanent Vehicle Check Point, Derryard, which had been the target of a vicious terrorist attack the previous year when two soldiers were killed. The Prime Minister was briefed by the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel F J Allen OBE and met many of the soldiers manning the checkpoint. She was later entertained to lunch by the officers of the Battalion at Battalion Headquarters in Grosvenor Barracks, Enniskillen.
Margaret Thatcher was the leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition in Westminster when she visited the 3rd Battalion The Ulster Defence Regiment on Sunday, 18 June 1978.
Matchlock Rifle detail. It is known that some of the citizens of Enniskillen who rallied to the defence of their town in 1688-89 were armed with matchlock rifles.
The matchlock evolved in the mid-fifteenth century and remained in use until the early 1700s. The lock secured a ‘match’ which was a lighted wick in a moveable arm. When the trigger was depressed the ‘match’ was brought down against the flash pan to ignite the powder. This allowed the musketeer to keep both hands on the gun, improving his aim dramatically.
Just before the Second World War began on 3 September 1939, the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers was based on Guernsey in he Channel Islands. When orders forced a hurried move to England and then France, it was decided to leave the Regimental Silver in a bank vault in Guernsey. During the German occupation of the island many pieces of Regimental Silver were stolen and removed to Germany.
The following is the text from Army Form W.3121 describing the date, place and action for which 7012171 Rifleman Hugh McGlennon was recommended for an award by the Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion The Royal Ulster Rifles, Lieutenant Colonel I C Harris, in June 1944 and forwarded through the chain of command for approval.
