Royal Munster Fusiliers History (Continued 3)

The Regiment formed part of the Army of the Indus during the campaign in �Affghanistan, 1839,� when they marched with Keane to Kandahar, 1,005 miles, under circumstances of the greatest difficulty and privation, with great scarcity of water. At the storming of �Ghuznee,� 23rd July 1839, they formed the bulk of the assaulting column, under Colonel Orchard, of the Regiment: who was wounded, as were also 8 other officers and 51 rank and file, only one man being killed. In November 1840, the Court of Directors rewarded the services of the Regiment in this campaign by forming it into Light Infantry, to be designated the 1st BENGAL EUROPEAN LIGHT INFANTRY.�

On 29th July 1839 a General Order was published by the Government of India, ordering the formation of the 2nd EUROPEAN REGIMENT, volunteers from the 1st European Regiment being called for to form a nucleus. A 2ND Bengal European Regiment had been raised in 1765 and disbanded in 1803; another was raised in 1824 and was amalgamated with the 1st Bengal European Regiment on 1st January 1830.               More>>