Erin go Bragh!

Having celebrated the Welsh battalions of the BSF on St David’s Day, I can hardly do less for St Patrick’s Day. So here are the Irish battalions that served with the BSF, in order of seniority.

Royal Irish Regiment

• 1st Battalion – 10th (Irish) Division, 30 Brigade
• 5th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers) – 10th (Irish) Division

Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

• 5th (Service) Battalion – 10th (Irish) Division, 31 Brigade
• 6th (Service) Battalion – 10th (Irish) Division, 31 Brigade

Royal Irish Rifles

• 6th (Service) Battalion – 10th (Irish) Division, 29 Brigade

Princess Victoria’ (The Royal Irish Fusiliers)

• 2nd Battalion – 10th (Irish) Division, 31 Brigade
• 5th (Service) Battalion – 10th (Irish) Division, 31 Brigade
• 6th (Service) Battalion – 10th (Irish) Division, 31 Brigade (absorbed into the 5th Bn, Nov. 1916)
• 2nd Garrison Battalion – 228 Brigade, attached 28th Division

Connaught Rangers

• 5th (Service) Battalion – 10th (Irish) Division, 29 Brigade

Prince of Wales’s Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians)

• 1st Battalion – 10th (Irish) Division, 29 Brigade
• 6th (Service) Battalion – 10th (Irish) Division, 29 Brigade

Royal Munster Fusiliers

• 6th (Service) Battalion – 10th (Irish) Division, 30 Brigade
• 7th (Service) Battalion – 10th (Irish) Division, 30 Brigade (absorbed into the 6th Bn, Nov. 1916)

Royal Dublin Fusiliers

• 6th (Service) Battalion – 10th (Irish) Division, 30 Brigade
• 7th (Service) Battalion – 10th (Irish) Division, 30 Brigade

London Regiment (TF)

• 2/18th (County of London) Battalion TF (London Irish Rifles) – 60th Division, 180 Brigade

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The BSF’s first battle: troops of 10th (Irish) Division in Serbia at the end of 1915.

This photo belonged to 2nd Lt David Cowan of 5/Connaught Rangers, who was wounded and captured in the fighting on Kosturino Ridge. The cap badge of the officer (left) looks like the stylised grenade of one of the many fusilier regiments in the Division. David Cowan’s story is told in the fascinating book, ‘The Bulgarian Contract’ (Earnshaw Books, 2021) by Graeme Sheppard. My thanks go to Graeme and David Cowan’s grandson for sharing this photo with the Society.

Happy St Patrick’s Day!