Fusiliers Gallery

Matania - Last Absolution of the Munsters

The Last General Absolution of the Munsters at Rue du Bois - painting by Fortunino Matania. This painting relates to an incident in France in May of 1915, when the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Munster Fusiliers suffered very heavily at Rue du Bois, in the Pas de Calais close to Arras. The action was only one of many local attacks which ended disastrously through lack of support. Colonel Victor Rickard, recently appointed to command, was killed in the attack, as was his Adjutant, Captain Filgate. Both are represented in the picture, alongside Father Gleeson, who is shown giving the Absolution on the evening prior to the action taking place.
1915

© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10510942

Unveiling the Christmas Truce Memorial, Frelinghien

The most fully documented Christmas Truce story of 1914 took place between the 2nd Royal Welch Fusiliers and the Saxon 133rd Infantry Regiment plus the Prussian 6th Jager Battalion at Frelinghien on the French/Belgian border. The memorial was unveiled on 11 November 2008 by the daughter of Private Frank Richards DCM, MM of the 2nd RWF. Date: 2008

© Holts Battlefield Collection / Mary Evans

Infantry of the French Republic (engraving)

957982 Infantry of the French Republic (engraving) by Jacquemin, Raphael (1821-81); Private Collection; (add.info.: Infantry of the French Republic. Rifleman and grenadier, 1792-99. Drawing after a print of the time. Illustration for Iconographie General et Methodique du Costume du IV au XIX siecle by Raphael Jacquemin (Paris, 1869). Engraved by Delatre.); © Look and Learn

© © Look and Learn / Bridgeman Images