My father in law, Christopher Heaven served with 1st Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers in North Africa and Italy. Sadly Chris passed away on Friday 16th November 2012 aged 90. RIP.
Stewart, May I send my deepest condolences to you, your wife and all of your family. I'm sure your father in law led a full and fruitful life - having marched his way with the Irish Fusiliers from Tunisia onwards, things that came later must have seemed like a breeze in comparison.. I wonder if your father in law spoke at all about his time with the Faughs - my father, Edmund, also served with the Irish Brigade from Nov 1942 onwards, and perhaps their paths crossed at some point. He too died at the age of 90 in 2009, best wishes, Faugh a Ballagh..
Many thanks for all your kind messages. Can anyone confirm if Killaloe is the official music for the Royal Irish Fusiliers as we want to play it at the funeral. I know it is for the Royal Irish Regiment and it's my understanding that RIR have inherited the music from RIF and other regiments that preceeded RIR but could anyone confirm if this is the case. Regards Stewart
Stewart, I'm pretty sure so, as well as for the Skins - but I'm just re-checking with someone, who should provide a definitive confirmation. The Killaloe is the one with the Connacht Yell. It was played at my Dad's and it brought the house down....very evocative and moving, but will also allow many broad smiles after a couple of rounds of roars. Have you been able to arrange pipers ? best wishes,
Stewart, I'm pretty sure so, as well as for the Skins - but I'm just re-checking with someone, who should provide a definitive confirmation. The Killaloe is the one with the Connacht Yell. It was played at my Dad's and it brought the house down....very evocative and moving, but will also allow many broad smiles after a couple of rounds of roars. Have you been able to arrange pipers ? best wishes, Many thanks for your help. We did want a piper but as we're having to keep the costs down we haven't followed through with this. We're planning to have Killaloe as Chris is brought in, Amazing Grace during the service and when we are leaving it will be either Bless Em All or Pack up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag; he'd have loved that. We're putting the Fusiliers regimental badge on the hymn sheet as well.
Stewart, Here we go and it comes from a most impeccable source. QUOTE. The Faughs' regimental marches were Barrosa (1811), St Patrick's Day and The British Grenadiers, the last in common with all fusilier regiments. Garry Owen was the slow march (hardly slow, obviously). Killaloe was adopted by the Irish Brigade during the war, which is how it came to be the regimental march of the Royal Irish Rangers and, now, the Royal Irish Regiment. END QUOTE Sorry to confuse.. The advantage we had was that the LIR still has their own pipes and drums and sent a piper along - given my father and possibly your father in law, too, had marched behind the pipes of the Irish Brigade in Tunis and Rome and later in Spittal, Austria, a most appropriate final set of music. best
Stewart, Not a Faugh march per se. My opinion (and sorry to play this out so publicly) - please go to private if you prefer.. If he was a regular pre war Faugh, or served with them post war, he might have known the regimental marches very well indeed (the 3 named). If he was conscripted and joined the Faughs during war time, as seems probable, I think that he would have more often heard the Killaloe and the Garry Owen (the LIR marching tune - the 7th Calvary one). And also heard The Sash.., The Minstrel Boy, The Wearing of the Green, The Boys of Wexford Boys and many others - these were all played to the Pope in June/July 1944 - as well as St Patrick's Day etc. And I think that the Killaloe is such a rousing tune, it would provide a pretty special farewell. and of course, make sure you brief your family for the appropriate timing of the yell. It should be heard in the heavens. best wishes,
Stewart, Not a Faugh march per se. My opinion (and sorry to play this out so publicly) - please go to private if you prefer.. If he was a regular pre war Faugh, or served with them post war, he might have known the regimental marches very well indeed (the 3 named). If he was conscripted and joined the Faughs during war time, as seems probable, I think that he would have more often heard the Killaloe and the Garry Owen (the LIR marching tune - the 7th Calvary one). And also heard The Sash.., The Minstrel Boy, The Wearing of the Green, The Boys of Wexford Boys and many others - these were all played to the Pope in June/July 1944 - as well as St Patrick's Day etc. And I think that the Killaloe is such a rousing tune, it would provide a pretty special farewell. and of course, make sure you brief your family for the appropriate timing of the yell. It should be heard in the heavens. best wishes, Richard At the outbreak of war he was a plumber's mate and volunteered as an ARP warden before being conscripted in 1942; he left the army in 1947. I think the Killaloe would be perfect!! Decision made! Many thanks for your assistance it is greatly appreciated. I'm sure he's going to get the kind of send off that would make him proud; there can't be many WW2 Irish Brigade veterans left now. On another note, my g/grandfather's brother fought with the 1 Bn Royal Irish Rifles during WW1. Stewart
Stewart, Brilliant - the Killaloe is stupendous. When the Combined Irish Regiments, including the veterans of the Skins, Faughs, and London Irish Rifles, march down Whitehall every June and yell at the top of their voices as they pass Downing Street, the hairs stand up on the back of the neck.. I personally only know eight Irish Brigade veterans with only 1 or 2 of them having served from 1942 to 1946 the full way from Algiers to Austria. By the way, the brigade set sail for N. Africa this week 70 years ago - the Faughs crashed their ship near Gibraltar (ok, the ship collided with another), so they were late arriving. If you can get hold of John Horsfall's book on the 1 RirF's campaign in Tunisia. It's highly recommended, and also the one on 2 LIR/1 RIrF in the Liri/at LakeTrasimeno/ on Monte Spaduro. All the very best for the next few days,
Stewart, Brilliant - the Killaloe is stupendous. When the Combined Irish Regiments, including the veterans of the Skins, Faughs, and London Irish Rifles, march down Whitehall every June and yell at the top of their voices as they pass Downing Street, the hairs stand up on the back of the neck.. I personally only know eight Irish Brigade veterans with only 1 or 2 of them having served from 1942 to 1946 the full way from Algiers to Austria. By the way, the brigade set sail for N. Africa this week 70 years ago - the Faughs crashed their ship near Gibraltar (ok, the ship collided with another), so they were late arriving. If you can get hold of John Horsfall's book on the 1 RirF's campaign in Tunisia. It's highly recommended, and also the one on 2 LIR/1 RIrF in the Liri/at LakeTrasimeno/ on Monte Spaduro. All the very best for the next few days, Richard I didn't realise that it was 70 years ago this week that the ship set sail. I know about the ship colliding as Chris talked about it. His biggest fear was having to go in the water as he didn't learn to swim until after the war! He said they were told to throw their weapons overboard although many didn't do this if any at all. We bought all three of John Horsfall's books for Chris a few years ago. Regards Stewart
Stewart, Actually the Faughs left Britain (Liverpool) two weeks after the other two battalions - on 27th Nov. This is the Irish Brigade trail for November 1942..and December 1942 November 1942 - Irish Brigade December 1942 - Irish Brigade best,
Sorry for your loss - my uncle Daniel Teahan was in the 1st battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers He fought in France, was evacuated at Dunkirk then fought in North Africa on into Italy and ended up in Austria Amazing to think they may have known each other, the 1st battalion was a first class frontline fighting unit and one of the most active battalions of the entire war A topical subject at the moment because its been announced Irish men who fought in the war are to be given a pardon by the Irish government, my uncle was never able to return to Ireland due to the animosity he faced there, very sad when one thinks of the bravery of the men who involved
