Description
Physical description
Waist belt clasp for The Royal Irish Rangers being a burnished steel / white metal plate with a moveable loop to the reverse of one end and a catch to the reverse of the other end, a separate loop for engagement with the catch attached by tape to the moveable loop, an anodised aluminium soldiers' cap badge is fixed centrally to the plate by a cotter pin to the reverse.
Physical description
Box 52: Separately bagged.
History note
The Royal Irish Rangers was a regular unit of the British Army formed in 1 July 1968 from the three Regiments of the North Irish Brigade and active until 1992.
History note
The North Irish Brigade had been created in 1948 as an administrative unit for the three Northern Irish Regiments, "The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers", "The Royal Ulster Rifles" and "The Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's)", since 1948 all single-battalion units. These three Regiments had been created in the 1881 Cardwell Reforms, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers by the amalgamation of the 27th Foot (Inniskilling) with the 108th Foot (Madras Infantry), and the Royal Irish Fusiliers by the amalgamation of the 87th Foot (Royal Irish Fusiliers) with the 89th Foot (The Princess Victoria's). The Royal Ulster Rifles had originally been raised as The Royal Irish Rifles, by the amalgamation of the 83rd Foot (County of Dublin) with the 86th Foot (Royal County Down), but had been re-designated in 1921 as The Royal Ulster Rifles in anticipation of the creation of the Irish Free State.
History note
On 1 July 1968 a new "large" regiment was formed, "The Royal Irish Rangers (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd & 87th)" in which the Inniskilling, the Ulsters and the RIF became, respectively, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions. The title "Rangers" was chosen in deference to the two quite separate "Fusilier" and "Rifles" traditions of the constituent units, and the fact that this term had not appeared in the Army Lists since 1922. In December 1968 the 3rd Battalion was disbanded.
History note
In 1992 the Royal Irish Rangers amalgamated with the Ulster Defence Regiment to form "The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd & 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment)".
History note
The title "Royal Irish Rangers" has been carried forward since July 1999 by the Territorial element of the 1992 Regiment.
Embossed
ROYAL IRISH RANGERS