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At 0300 hours on 24 June 2008, 7 Platoon of Ranger Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment (1 R IRISH) embarked on an air assault with C Company of the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment (2 PARA). The destination was the Taliban stronghold of Sapwan Qala in the Upper Sangin Valley.
The Ranger Company platoon landed at 0400 hours in the second wave onto a 'hot' landing zone. The platoon formed up with the 2 PARA Company’s Fire Support Group (FSG) on the high ground, with, to the rear, an Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) commanding an Afghan National Army platoon.
The 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment's C Company deployed to Northern Ireland on Operation BANNER as part of the MLD 1.
Once the retreat from Mons had ended, the next plan was to advance to the River Marne. However, the 2nd Battalion The Royal Irish Rifles was in reserve and morale was high; that was until 11 September. There was a sudden and abominable change in the weather when the temperature dropped drastically and rain fell very heavily. The Riflemen did not have their packs containing extra and change of personal clothing with them and suffered accordingly.
The London Gazette of 7 January 1794 stated:
Officers for the Corps raising by Lieutenant-Colonel
Trench. Commissions dated October 31, 1793.
Lieutenant Colonel Eyre Power Trench, from the
38th Foot, to be Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant.
Captain the Hon. George Lowry Cole, from the
70th Foot, to be Second Major.
The 3rd Madras (European) Regiment, of the Madras Presidency, had been formed on 18 November 1853 at Bellary for service in the Honourable East India Company. It converted into a new regiment of Queen Victoria's General Army in 1861, while stationed at Jaulnah, and was numbered and designated The 108th Regiment of Foot (Madras Infantry).
The Regiment's origins lie within the eighty independent companies of pikemen and musketeers existing as part of the military establishment in Ireland prior to 1684. Some of the companies (and troops of horse) had served Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth and when King Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660 he disbanded the Army of the Commonwealth in England but left the establishment in Ireland little changed. The only alteration was the formation of a foot guard known as The Royal Regiment of Ireland.
The 3rd Madras (European) Regiment was formed at Bellary in the Madras Presidency on 18 November 1853 for service in the Honourable East India Company.
The Regiment was raised in Dublin by American born Major William Fitch, late of the 55th Regiment of Foot, and then recruited in Ireland; it was therefore an Irish regiment from its beginning.
Fitch was commissioned and promoted by the King on 28 September 1793 as 'Lieutenant Colonel Commandant' and the notification was published in the London Gazette* dated 21 - 24 December 1793. He was therefore both the founder, the first 'Colonel' and the first 'Lieutenant Colonel Commanding'.
The regiment was raised by Major General Cornelius Cuyler and was first known as ‘General Cuyler’s Shropshire Volunteers’. His appointment as Colonel was on 30 October 1793 and the following day a Royal Warrant was granted for recruitment. He received the following confirmation letter by order of the King:
GEORGE R
