Connaught Rangers

The Connaught Rangers was a regiment of the British Army formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 88th (Connaught Rangers) Regiment of Foot (which formed the 1st Battalion) and the 94th Regiment of Foot (which formed the 2nd Battalion). The amalgamation of the two regiments into one was part of the British Goverment's Childers Reforms of the British Armed Forces that was a continuation of the Cardwell Reforms of the forces that were implemented in 1879.

Garrison Duties

The 88th were based in Bengal, British India when they were amalgamated into the new regiment having deployed to India in 1879. The 94th were also abroad whem they became the 2nd Battalion. They had deployed to the south of Africa where they had took part in the Zulu War and in 1880 the first Boer War where in January 1881 Lance-Corporal James Murray of the regiment won a Victoria Cross (VC). The 2nd Battalion returned home the following year where they were stationed in Ireland and in 1887 moved to England.

In 1889 the 2nd Battalion moved to sunnier climes when it deployed to Malta. The 1st Battalion finally departed India in 1890 for Aden and subsequently returned home in 1891. In 1892 the 2nd Btn remained in the Mediterranean region when it deployed to Cyprus and then in 1895 arrived in Egypt. The following year the battalion, as-well as the machine-gun section of the 1st Btn, deployed to the Sudan as part of the Dongola Expeditionary Force under the command of Lord Kitchener which was the commencement of the reconquest of the Sudan. The 2nd Btn departed for India the following year, while the 1st Btn deployed to Ireland. In 1899 the 2nd Btn returned to the Mediterranean when it arrived in Malta.

Boer War

The 1st Btn meanwhile deployed to a decidedly more volatile location when it deployed to South Africa as part of 5th (Irish) Brigade which was commanded by Major-General Fitzroy Hart, and where the battalion would take part in the second Boer War. The Rangers would take part in numerous engagements during the war, at times suffering quite heavily in the process. The regiment took part in the Battle of Colenso on the 15th December, part of the attempt to relieve the town of Ladysmith, besieged by Boer forces. The Rangers and the rest of the 5th Brigade, who were worn on the left flank, had been forced to perform over 20 minutes of drill more appropiate on a parade ground prior to the advance. The Brigade suffered very heavily during their participation in the battle, the Boers inflicting immenses damage on them, causing heavy casualties. Their advance had been met with a withering fire from three sides that had decimated and forced them to withdraw. The battle would end in a defeat for the British. That battle and two previous defeats st Magersfontein and Stormberg became known as 'Black Week'.

The Rangers took part actions at Spion Kop and the Tugela Heights during further attempts to relieve the besieged town of Ladysmith by the British commander, General Sir Redvers Buller. In late February the siege of Ladysmith finally came to an end after it was relieved by British forces. The regiment was awarded the battle honour "Relief of Ladysmith" for its involvement in the relentless attempts to relieve Ladysmith. The 5th Brigade subsequently deployed to Kimberley, to the west of Ladysmith, and took part in further operations against the Boer guerillas.

The British Army's participation in the war wasn't just restricted to fighting battles but to other duties which were at times quite mundane. These included providing a complement for armoured trains, escorting convoys, manning blockhouses and various other duties in operations against the Boers.

The Rangers finally departed South Africa for Ireland after the Boer War came to its conclusion in 1902, and were also awarded the theatre honour 'South Africa 1899-1902' for their involvement in the war. In 1908 the 1st Btn arrived in India while the 2nd Btn returned home to Ireland. The 1st and 2nd battalions of the regiment were given new Colours by HM King George V in 1911. The 2nd Btn had left Ireland and was in England when the "war to end all wars", the First World War, began in August 1914.

First World War

In August the 1st Btn, based in Ferozepore, India was part of the Ferozepore Brigade, 3rd (Lahore) Division of the Indian Army. It arrived in Marseilles, France on the 26th September.

The 2nd Btn meanwhile was part of the 5th Brigade, 2nd Division that was part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). It arrived in Boulogne, France in the month that war was declared, and its marching song It's A Long Way To Tipperary made the song famous.

The 3rd (Reserve) Btn was based in Galway, Ireland upon the declaration of war and would remain in Ireland until November 1917 when it moved to England. The 4th (Extra Reserve) Btn had been based in Boyle, Ireland in August and would remain there until November 1917 when it relocated to Scotland. In May 1918 the 4th Btn was absorbed into the 3rd Btn. The battalion ended its war at Dover.

The 5th (Service) Btn was a battalion of Kitchener's Army, a term coined after the Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener. He had called for the expansion of the Army due to Kitchener's belief that the war would not be over by Christmas, contradicting a view espoused by the media. The 5th Battalion was part of the K1 Group, the first New Army to be formed, and it was formed in Dublin in August 1914. It subsequently joined the 29th Brigade, 10th (Irish) Division at County Cork and in 1915 it was dispatched to Gallipoli, Turkey.

The 6th (Service) Btn was another Connaught battalion of Kitchener's Army. It was part of the K2 Group and was formed at County Cork in September 1914 and joined the 49th Brigade, 16th (Irish) Division. On the 18th December 1915 the battalion landed in Le Havre, France.