5th Battlalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

[Stanley_C_Jenkins]

I have come across a reference to Lord Claud Hamilton serving as "Colonel of the 5th Battlalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers" after leaving the Grenadier Guards in 1867. is this a mistake? I thought that the 5th battalion was formed (as a service battalion) much later than that, in 1914, or was there a previous 5th battalion?

[Murrough]

I think they were th Donegal Militia.

[ulsterlad2]

I think you are right Murrough. 3rd Bn Fermanagh, 4th Bn Tyrone & 5th Bn Donegal (Militias)

[Stanley_C_Jenkins]

Lord Claud Hamilton (1843-1925) was, as a matter of interest, Tory Member of Parliament for "Londonderry City", so his military duties must have been part-time. I think the claim about the 5th Inniskillings is misleading - he must indeed have become colonel of the 5th Inniskilling Fusiliers (Donegal Militia), a post which he could combine with his Parliamentary duties.

[Murrough]

I would imagine the Donegal Militia became the 5th skins after the Childerss reforms of 1881.When was Hamiliton the Colonel of the 5th Skins?

Its Ok, I see you corrected yourself in the previous post.

[Stanley_C_Jenkins]

The article, "Lord Claud John Hamilton 1843-1925", in the Great Eastern Railway Journal Vol 139 (Jan 2009), says that he was in the Grenadier Guards from 1862 until 1867, when he joined the 5th Inniskillings. As he became an MP in 1865 this cannot be correct, and my initial feeling was that he cannot have been a regular soldier for very long. I assumed that he would have been in a Volunteer unit or (as seems likely) a militia regiment.