Royal Munster Fusiliers Short History

In 1652 a small force, consisting of an Ensign and thirty men, was allowed to be employed by the Honourable East India Company, as a “Guard of Honour”, for the protection of their factory near Calcutta, which little band became the nucleus of the Bengal Army.

About 22nd December 1756 Clive formed the different companies of the Bengal Military Force - which had existed for eighty years - and the various detachments, then at Fulta, into one Regiment, which was called the BENGAL EUROPEAN BATTALION. Their first service was at “Plassey,” where on 23rd June 1857 Clive, with a force of 1,000 Europeans and 2,000 Sepoys, with 10 guns, defeated the enemy numbering over 60,000 with 53 guns, manned by French artillerymen. This victory laid the foundation of our Indian Empire.

They were next engaged against the French, and beat them at “Condore,” 9th December 1758, and “Masulipatam,” 8th April 1759 and all hopes of Dutch supremacy in Bengal were destroyed at “Badara,” 25th November, 1759, where the Regiment greatly distinguished itself. In 1764 the Regiment finally defeated Shah Alum at “Buxar,” on 23rd October, when the British force of about 7,000, under Hector Munro destroyed the allied army of between 40,000 and 50,000 capturing 172 guns. The Regiment lost 37 killed and 58 wounded.                                                          More >>