Royal Northumberland Fusiliers The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army . Originally raised in 1674 as the 5th Regiment of Foot , the regiment was amalgamated with three other fusilier regiments in 1968 to form the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers . Origins . The regiment was originally part of the Dutch service and known as the Irish Regiment , or Viscount Clare ' s Regiment . The regiment was transferred to the British Service on 5 June 1685 , establishing its order of precedence as the 5th Regiment of the Line . Until 1751 , like most other regiments , it was known successively by the names of the colonels who commanded them at the time . 5th Regiment of Foot 1674 – 1751 . Nine Years War . The regiment took part in the Irish campaign of 1690 – 1691 , and was present at the Battle of the Boyne , the Second Siege of Athlone and the 1691 Siege of Limerick . In 1692 the unit sailed for Flanders where they were to remain for five years . In 1695 they were part of the allied forces that recaptured Namur . With the ending of the war by the Treaty of Ryswick they returned to England . War of the Spanish Succession . The regiment spent the years 1707 – 1713 in Spain . They were one of four English regiments who fought a rearguard action with their Portuguese allies at Campo Maior in 1709 , and fought an action on the River Caia . Anglo - Spanish War . During the Anglo - Spanish War of 1727 , the regiment formed part of the garrison of Gibraltar which withheld the Spanish during the four - month long siege . 5th Regiment of Foot 1751 – 1782 . On 1 July 1751 a royal warrant provided that in future regiments would not be known by their colonels ' names , but by their " number or rank " . Accordingly Lieutenant - General Irvine ' s Regiment was redesignated as the 5th Regiment of Foot . Seven Years ' War . The next major conflict in which the 5th foot was involved was the Seven Years ' War . The regiment took part in the Raid on Cherbourg in 1758 , the Battle of Warburg in 1760 , the Battle of Kirch Denkern in 1761 ( where they captured the entire French Rouge regiment ) and the Battle of Wilhelmsthal in 1762 . American Revolution . The 5th left Monkstown , Ireland on 7 May 1774 , for Boston , Massachusetts Bay Colony . Their presence was necessary because of strong civil unrest in the area . Arriving in July , 1774 the 5th camped on Boston Common . On 19 April 1775 , the Light Infantry and Grenadier Companies participated in the march to Concord , and the resulting fighting at Lexington , Concord , and the march back to Boston . Casualties were five men killed , three officers and 15 men wounded , and one man captured . On 17 June 1775 , after being under siege by American forces for two months , the regiment participated in the attack on the fortifications at Breed ' s Hill ( the Battle of Bunker Hill ) . The American forces were finally driven off after intense fighting . The regiment was heavily engaged and suffered 24 dead , 137 wounded . After spending two months on board ship in Halifax , Nova Scotia , the 5th sailed to New York to participate in the effort to capture the city from the Americans . They took part in the Battle of Long Island and the Battle of White Plains , the capture of Fort Washington , New York , the capture of Fort Lee , New Jersey . They then spent the winter of 1776 - 1777 quartered near New York City and were involved in skirmishes with the American forces . They were then part of Howe ' s campaign to capture Philadelphia , being engaged in the Battle of Brandywine Creek , where they broke the Continental Army ' s center at Chadds Ford , capturing 5 cannon . On the retreat through New Jersey , on 28 June 1778 , the regiment was involved in the fighting at Monmouth Court House . While in New York , the 5th participated in several raids and skirmishes , including a raid on Little Egg Harbor , New Jersey . The Americans had been using the harbour for privateering , and this raid succeeded in destroying many buildings and boats . They then embarked from New York on 3 November 1778 , for the French West Indies , landing on 13 December 1778 , on the island of Saint Lucia . The 5th was engaged with a small force of French and captured a four cannon battery . On 18 December 1778 , a force of 9 , 000 French troops were landed on St . Lucia . The small British force of 1 , 400 men occupied a hill located on the neck of a peninsula . The French were fairly raw soldiers trained to fight in the classic European style of linear battles . The French advanced on the British force several times . The British , veterans of colonial fighting , inflicted a stinging defeat on the French . The French lost 400 killed and 1100 wounded to the British losses of 10 killed and 130 wounded , which included two officers from the 5th Foot . As a result of the defeat , the French force abandoned the island . Regimental tradition states that after the battle men of the 5th Foot took white hat plumes from fallen French soldiers and placed them as trophies in their own hats . After two years in the West Indies , the 5th Foot was sent to Ireland in December 1780 . They were still in Ireland when hostilities between Great Britain , France , Spain , the Netherlands , and the former Colonies officially ended in 1783 . 5th ( Northumberland ) Regiment of Foot 1782 – 1836 . On 1 August 1782 , all those regiments of the line that did not have a special title were given a county designation . The primary purpose was to improve recruiting , but no links were actually formed with the counties after which the regiments were named . The 5th became the " 5th ( Northumberland ) Regiment of Foot " : the county being chosen as a compliment to the colonel , Hugh Percy , 1st Duke of Northumberland . Peninsula War . Whilst in the Peninsula the regiment earned the nicknames the " Old and Bold , " " The Fighting Fifth , " and also " Lord Wellington ' s Bodyguard . " It formed part of a small force which beat off an overwhelming body of the enemy at El Boden in 1811 , a performance which Wellington notified to the Army as " a memorable example of what can be done by steadiness , discipline , and confidence . " The Regiment was in the 3rd Division , 2nd Brigade under command of Major General Charles Colville , the formation was : The regiment fought in the ; < br > Battle of Roliça < br > Battle of Vimeiro < br > Battle of Corunna < br > Battle of Bussaco < br > Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo ( 1810 ) < br > Battle of Badajoz < br > Battle of Salamanca < br > Battle of Vitoria < br > Battle of Nivelle < br > Battle of Orthez < br > Battle of Toulouse ( 1814 ) Sir Charles Broke [ or Brooke , subsequently Vere ) was in Lower Canada with his regiment , the 5th ( Northumberland ) Regiment of Foot , which was at the Battle of Plattsburg in 1814 . Later he was with the Army of Occupation in France , receiving the Waterloo medal despite arrivin too latefor the battle ( from Manasek ) . ( from a note on A . Arrowsmith ' s map of North America in the David Rumsey Map Collection ) . 5th ( Northumberland Fusiliers ) Regiment of Foot 1836 – 1881 . On 4 May 1836 , the 5th became a fusilier regiment and was redesignated as the 5th ( Northumberland Fusiliers ) Regiment of Foot : The King has been pleased to command , that the 5th , or Northumberland , Regiment of Foot shall in future be equipped as a Fusilier Regiment , and be styled the 5th Regiment of Foot , or Northumberland Fusiliers . The regiment , which was increased to two battalions in 1857 , saw active service in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the Second Anglo - Afghan War . By 1881 the 5th foot had been awarded the following battle honours : The Northumberland Fusiliers 1881 – 1935 . Formation . Under the Childers reforms of 1881 , the numbered regiments of the line were given new titles , and were linked with a particular recruiting district , usually a county . At the same time the existing militia and rifle volunteer units of the district became battalions of the regiment . Accordingly on 1 July 1881 the Northumberland Fusiliers was formed as the county regiment of Northumberland , ( including the Counties of the towns of Newcastle upon Tyne and Berwick upon Tweed ) with the following battalions : Regular battalions Militia battalion Volunteer battalions The Second Boer War . The 1st Battalion formed part of the 9th Brigade together with the 2nd Northamptonshire Regiment , 2nd Yorkshire Light Infantry , and part of the 1st Loyal North Lancashire Regiment ) . While the 2nd Battalion sailed as corps troops , and was then brigaded with the 1st Royal Scots , and 1st Sherwood Foresters , under General Sir William Gatacre . The battalions fought in the following battles : The regiment received two battle honours for the conflict : " Modder River " and " South Africa , 1899 – 1902 " . Reorganisations 1900 – 1908 . With the continuation of the war in South Africa , a number of regiments containing large centres of population formed additional regular battalions . The Northumberland Fusiliers formed 3rd and 4th Battalions in 1900 . The 3rd were stationed in South Africa , while the 4th formed part of the garrison in Ireland . Both were disbanded in 1907 . In 1908 a reorganisation of reserve forces was carried out under the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 . The militia were transferred to a new " Special Reserve " while the Volunteer Force was reorganised to become the Territorial Force . The " Volunteer Battalion " designation was discarded , and territorial battalions were numbered on after those of the regular army and special reserve . The new organisation was thus : World War I . During World War I the Northumberland Fusiliers raised 52 battalions and 29 of them served overseas . The increase in strength was done partly by forming duplicates of existing T . F . battalions , and partly by the creation of new " Service " battalions . An example of the first instance was the 4th Battalion , which the 1 / 4th in August 1914 on forming a duplicate 2 / 4th Battalion . A 3 / 4th Battalion followed in June 1915 . Among the Service Battalions were the Tyneside Scottish ( 20th - 23rd Battalions ) and the Tyneside Irish ( 24th - 27th Battalions ) , while the 17th ( Service ) Battalion was formed by staff of the North Eastern Railway , and was involved in railway construction . The regiment was awarded the following battle honour s : Those shown in bold print were selected to be borne on the king ' s colours . The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers 1935 – 1968 . In June 1935 George V celebrated his silver jubilee . This opportunity was taken of granting royal status to four regiments , principally in recognition of their service in the previous war . " On the occasion of His Majesty ' s Birthday and in commemoration of the completion of the twenty - fifth year of his reign , the King has been graciously pleased . . . to approve that the following regiments shall in future enjoy the distinction " Royal " and shall henceforth be designated : — " World War II . The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers served in France ( 1939 – 1940 ) , North Africa , Singapore , Italy , Egypt , Syria , Palestine , North West Europe ( 1944 – 1945 ) , India and Greece . They were awarded twenty - nine battle honours : Those shown in bold print were selected to be borne on the king ' s colours . Korean War . The 1st Battalion was attached to the 29th Infantry Brigade , which had been sent to Korea to reinforce the Allied effort there . When it arrived in Korea in December 1950 , the Brigade comprised : In July 1951 , it was re - organized as 29th British Infantry Brigade and absorbed into the 1st Commonwealth Division . In August 1958 , the Regiment was awarded the following battle honours : Those shown in bold print were selected to be borne on the regimental colours . Badges and dress distinctions . The 5th Regiment of Foot was one of the ' Six Old Corps ' entitled to use their ' ancient badge ' ( St George killing the Dragon ) on Regimental Colours , drums and other devices rather than the typical GR cipher as used by normal Regiments of the Line , a distinction first officially recorded in 1747 . In the centre of their colours was an image of St . George killing the dragon , this being their ancient badge , and in the three corners of their second colour , the rose and crown . The regiment wore a distinctively - coloured hackle or plume on the fusilier cap and later on the beret . The hackle was red over white , and was authorised in June 1829 . This replaced the white feather plume the regiment had adopted following the Battle of St Lucia in 1778 , supposedly having been taken from the headgear of the fallen French troops . The 5th Foot was the only regiment to wear the white plume ( other regiments having white over red ) although the right to wear it was only officially granted in 1826 . In 1829 a new model of shako was introduced and all infantry regiments were to wear a white plume , with the 5th Foot given a unique plume of red over white . This became a red over white ball tuft in 1835 and later became a hackle in the same colours . Victoria Cross . The following members of the Regiment were recipients of the Victoria Cross . George Cross . Only one member of the regiment was the recipient of the George Cross Amalgamation . On 23 April 1968 , following the publication of the following notice in the " London Gazette " : The regiment was amalgamated into the new Royal Regiment of Fusiliers .