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{{for|other units with the same regimental number|102nd Regiment of Foot (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name= 102nd Regiment of Foot (Royal Madras Fusiliers)
|image=
|caption=
|dates= 1742–1881
|country=[[File:Flag of the British East India Company (1801).svg|23px]] [[East India Company]] (1742–1858) {{flag|United Kingdom}} (1858–1881)
|allegiance=
|branch=[[File:Flag of the British East India Company (1801).svg|23px]] [[Madras Army]] (1742–1862) {{army|United Kingdom}} (1862–1881)
|type=[[Infantry of the Line|Line Infantry]]
|role=[[Light Infantry]]
|size= One battalion (two battalions 1774–1799 and 1824–1830)
|garrison=[[Devoy Barracks|Naas Barracks]], [[County Kildare]]
|ceremonial_chief=
|ceremonial_chief_label=
|colonel_of_the_regiment=
|nickname=
|motto=
|colors= Blue Facings,
|march= '''Quick:''' '''Slow:'''
|mascot=
|battles=[[Carnatic Wars|Second Carnatic War]] [[Seven Years' War]] [[Carnatic Wars|Third Carnatic War]] [[Third Anglo-Mysore War]] [[Third Anglo-Maratha War]] [[First Anglo-Burmese War]] [[Second Anglo-Burmese War]] [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|Indian Rebellion]]
|notable_commanders=
|anniversaries=
}}

The '''102nd Regiment of Foot''' ('''Royal Madras Fusiliers''') was a [[regiment]] of the [[British Army]] raised by the [[East India Company|Honourable East India Company]] in 1742. It transferred to the command of the [[British Army]] in 1862. Under the [[Childers Reforms]] it amalgamated with the [[103rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Bombay Fusiliers)|103rd Regiment of Foot]] in 1881 to form the [[Royal Dublin Fusiliers]].

==History==
[[File:General Sir Robert John Hussey Vivian.png|thumb|left|General [[Robert Vivian|Sir Robert Vivian]], colonel of the regiment in the 1860s]]

===Formation===
The regiment was raised by the [[East India Company|Honourable East India Company]] as the '''Madras Europeans''' from independent companies in 1742 – "European" indicating it was composed of British soldiers, not Indian [[sepoy]]s.<ref name=regt>{{cite web|url=http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/102-862.htm |title=102nd Regiment of Foot (Royal Madras Fusiliers)|publisher= regiments.org |access-date=18 August 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060210173345/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/102-862.htm |archive-date=10 February 2006 }}</ref> It saw action at the [[siege of Arcot]] in autumn 1751 during the [[Carnatic Wars|Second Carnatic War]] and went on to fight at the [[Battle of Plassey]] in June 1757, the [[Battle of Condore]] in December 1758 and the [[Battle of Wandiwash]] in January 1760 during the [[Seven Years' War]].<ref name=locations>{{cite web|url=http://www.regiments.org/deploy/uk/reg-inf/102.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060222130407/http://www.regiments.org/deploy/uk/reg-inf/102.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 February 2006|title=102nd Regiment of Foot (Royal Madras Fusiliers): Locations|publisher=Regiments.org|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref> It also fought at the [[Siege of Pondicherry (1760)|siege of Pondicherry]] in September 1760 during the [[Carnatic Wars|Third Carnatic War]].<ref name=locations/> It became the '''1st Madras Europeans''', on formation of the [[105th Regiment of Foot (Madras Light Infantry)|2nd]] and [[108th (Madras Infantry) Regiment of Foot|3rd Madras Europeans]], in 1766.<ref name=regt/> It went on to become the '''1st Madras European Regiment''' in 1774.<ref name=regt/> After that it took part in the [[siege of Nundydroog]] in October 1791 and the [[Siege of Seringapatam (1792)|siege of Seringapatam]] in February 1792 during the [[Third Anglo-Mysore War]].<ref name=locations/>

===Early nineteenth century===
{{further|Invasion of the Spice Islands}}
[[File:Ternate Island.jpg|thumb|A view of [[Ternate]] occupied by the regiment in the early nineteenth century]]
The regiment next took part in expedition to the [[Dutch East Indies]] seeing action at the capture of [[Ambon Island|Amboyna]] in February 1796 and its recapture in February 1810, the capture of [[Ternate]] in April 1801 and its recapture in August 1810 and the capture of [[Banda Islands|Banda]] in March 1796 and its recapture in August 1810.<ref name=locations/>

===The Victorian era===
The regiment returned to India in 1816 and took part in the [[Battle of Mahidpur]] in December 1817 during the [[Third Anglo-Maratha War]].<ref name=locations/> It was deployed to [[Myanmar|Burma]] in 1824 for service in the [[First Anglo-Burmese War]]: it formed part of an army which advanced up the [[Irrawaddy River|River Irrawaddy]] to the [[Kingdom of Ava]].<ref name=locations/> It returned to India arriving in [[Chennai|Madras]] in 1826.<ref name=locations/> It transferred to [[Malacca]] in 1835<ref name=locations/> and became the '''1st Madras (European) Fusiliers''' in 1843.<ref name=regt/> After returning to India in early 1852 it was deployed to the Province of [[Bago, Myanmar|Pegu]] in April 1852 during the [[Second Anglo-Burmese War]].<ref name=locations/>

The regiment fought at the [[Siege of Lucknow|siege and relief of Lucknow]] in November 1857 during the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|Indian Rebellion]].<ref name=locations/> Three members of the regiment were awarded the [[Victoria Cross]] for their actions during the siege.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=22154|page=2958|date=18 June 1858}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=22212|page=5515|date=24 December 1858}}</ref> After the Crown took control of the [[Presidency armies]] in the aftermath of the Rebellion, the regiment became the '''1st Madras Fusiliers''' in July 1858 and then the '''1st Royal Madras Fusiliers''' in May 1861.<ref name=regt/> It was then renumbered as the '''102nd Regiment of Foot (Royal Madras Fusiliers)''' on transfer to the [[British Army]] in September 1862.<ref name=regt/>{{#tag:ref|"Her Majesty's Government have expressed an anxious desire to preserve the proud recollections of distinguished service which belong especially to the older Regiments of each Presidency, and to incorporate with Her Majesty's Army, Corps which have so greatly contributed to the acquisition and maintenance of Her Majesty's Dominions in the East. Her Majesty having graciously determined to mark Her estimation of the services of Her Indian Armies, by conferring the designation of "Royal" upon three of the European Regiments, and by selecting for this honour one Regiment from each Presidency...has much gratification in announcing that the following Regiments will henceforward bear the honourable designation of "Royal" Regiments... The 1st Madras Fusiliers. The...older Regiments in the several Presidencies will thus be converted into Regiments of Her Majesty's General Army, and will be numbered and designated as follows... The 102nd Regiment of Foot (Royal Madras Fusiliers).<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=22514 |date=28 May 1861 |pages=2252–2253 }}</ref>|group=Note}} The regiment embarked for England in 1870 and was then deployed to [[Gibraltar]] in April 1876 and to [[Sri Lanka|Ceylon]] in 1879.<ref name=locations/>

As part of the [[Cardwell Reforms]] of the 1870s, where single-battalion regiments were linked together to share a single depot and recruiting district in the United Kingdom, the 102nd was linked with the [[103rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Bombay Fusiliers)]], and assigned to district no. 66 at [[Devoy Barracks|Naas Barracks]] in [[County Kildare]].<ref name=training>{{cite web|url=http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/depot/1873.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060210172841/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/depot/1873.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 February 2006|title=Training Depots|publisher=Regiments.org|access-date=16 October 2016}}</ref> On 1 July 1881 the [[Childers Reforms]] came into effect and the regiment amalgamated with the 103rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Bombay Fusiliers) to form the [[Royal Dublin Fusiliers]].<ref name=regt/>

=== Plassey the tiger ===
[[File:Plassey the tiger.jpg|thumb|right|Plassey the tiger around 1870]]
{{Further|Military mascot}}
The 102nd kept a tiger, named Plassey, during their deployments in India and the regiment's garrison at [[Dover]]. Named after the Battle of Plassey, the [[Bengal tiger]] cub was among a pair captured by Captain Frank Thackwell of the [[5th Royal Irish Lancers]], and later gifted to the 102nd. Plassey was among the other mascots of the 102nd, that being a dog and an antelope. Plassey came to be such a symbol of the regiment that the [[cap badge]] showed him. After the regiment was shipped back to Europe, Plassey stayed with the Dover garrison, where he lived alongside a pair of [[leopards]]. However, after having "alarmed" residents, Plassey was sent to the [[London Zoo]], where he died in 1877.<ref>{{cite web |title='Plassey', the pet tiger of the Royal Madras Fusiliers, 1870 (c) {{!}} Online Collection {{!}} National Army Museum, London |url=https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=1964-08-341-2 |website=collection.nam.ac.uk |access-date=22 November 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=From terriers to tigers: British Army mascots {{!}} The Gazette |url=https://m.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/content/101144 |website=m.thegazette.co.uk |access-date=22 November 2022}}</ref>

==Battle honours==
Battle honours won by the regiment were:<ref name=regt/>

{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|
* [[Siege of Arcot|Arcot]]
* [[Battle of Plassey|Plassey]]
* [[Battle of Condore|Condore]]
* [[Battle of Wandiwash|Wandiwash]]
* [[Siege of Pondicherry (1760)|Pondicherry]]
* [[Siege of Nundydroog|Nundy Droog]]
* [[Ambon Island|Amboyna]]
* [[Ternate]]
* [[Banda Islands|Banda]]
* [[Battle of Mahidpur|Maheidpoor]]
* [[First Anglo-Burmese War|Ava]]
* [[Second Anglo-Burmese War|Pegu]]
* [[Siege of Lucknow|Lucknow]]
}}

==Victoria Crosses==
*Private [[Thomas Duffy (VC)|Thomas Duffy]], [[Indian Mutiny]] (6 September 1857)
*Private [[John Ryan (VC 1857)|John Ryan]], Indian Mutiny (26 September 1857)
*Private [[John Smith (private)|John Smith]], Indian Mutiny (16 November 1857)

==Colonels of the Regiment==
Colonels of the Regiment included:<ref name= regt/>

;102nd Regiment of Foot (Royal Madras Fusiliers)
*1862–1881: Gen. Sir [[Robert Vivian]], GCB

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=Note}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|last=Raikes|first=Thomas|title=102nd Regiment of Foot (Royal Madras Fusiliers) from 1842 to the present time|publisher=Smith, Elder, and Co.|year=1867}}

==External links==
*{{cite web |url=http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/102-862.htm |title=102nd Regiment of Foot (Royal Madras Fusiliers) |publisher=regiments.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080113060617/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/102-862.htm |archive-date=13 January 2008}}
{{Regiments of Foot}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:102nd Regiment Of Foot (Royal Madras Fusiliers)}}
[[Category:Royal Dublin Fusiliers]]
[[Category:Infantry regiments of the British Army]]
[[Category:Honourable East India Company regiments]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1742]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1881]]
[[Category:1742 establishments in British India]]
[[Category:Fusilier regiments]]

102nd Regiment of Foot Royal Madras Fusiliers - Revision history

SimonK54990761 at 00:07, 23 October 2025