Notre Dame de Rouen. The façade of the Gothic Church in France. Photographer: Hippo1947. Licence: SHUTTERSTOCK.

Monday 24 September 2018

Our Lady Of Ransom, Whose Feast Day Is Today, 24 September.


Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.

Our Lady of Ransom.
   Feast Day 24 September.

Greater-Double.

White Vestments.




Our Blessed Lady of Mercy.
The Web-Site of The Mercedarian Friars is at


The Blessed Virgin appeared in the 13th-Century to Saint Peter Nolasco (Feast Day 28 January), to Saint Raymund of Pennafort (Feast Day 23 January), and to James, King of Aragon, requesting them to found a Religious Institute with the object of delivering Christian captives from the barbarous Saracens (Collect), who then held a great part of Spain.

In consequence of this, on 10 August 1218, King James of Aragon established The Royal, Military and Religious Order of Our Lady of Ransom (Editor: The Mercedarian Friars), and granted to its Members the privilege of bearing on their breasts his own Coat-of-Arms.

Most of them were Knights, and while the Clerics recited The Divine Office in The Commanderies, they guarded the coasts and delivered prisoners. This pious work spread everywhere and produced heroes of Sanctity and men of incomparable Charity and Piety, who devoted themselves to the collection of Alms for The Ransom of Christians, and who often gave themselves up as prisoners to deliver captives.

This Feast, originally kept only by The Order, was extended to the whole Church by Pope Innocent XII in the 17th-Century.

Mass: Salve, Sancta Parens.
Creed.
Preface: Of The Blessed Virgin Mary: "Et te in Festivitáte".



Royal, Celestial and Military Order
of Our Lady of Mercy and The Redemption of Captives.
Ordo Beatae Mariae de Mercede redemptionis captivorum.




English: Coat-of-Arms of The Mercedarians.
Català: Escut de la Orde de la Mercè.
Español: Escudo de la Orden de la Merced.
Date: 6 April 2011.
Source: [1].
Author: Heralder.
(Wikimedia Commons)



The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia.

The Feast of Our Lady of Ransom is a Roman Catholic Liturgical Marian Feast on 24 September, a Double Major Ranking of Liturgical Days in The Roman Rite, commemorating The Foundation of The Mercedarians.

On 10 August 1223, The Mercedarian Order was legally constituted at Barcelona, Spain, by King James of Aragon, and was approved by Pope Gregory IX on 17 January 1235. The Mercedarians Celebrated their Institution on the Sunday nearest to 1 August (on which date, in the year 1233, The Blessed Virgin was believed to have shown Saint Peter Nolasco The White Habit of The Order), and this custom was approved by The Congregation of Rites on 4 April 1615 (Anal. Juris Pont., VII, 136).

But The Calendar of The Spanish Mercedarians of 1644 has it on 1 August as a Double. Proper Lessons were approved on 30 April 1616. The Feast was granted to Spain (The Sunday which was nearest to 1 August) on 15 February 1680; to France, 4 December 1690. On 22 February 1696, it was extended to the entire Latin Church, and the date changed to 24 September.



The Mercedarians keep this Feast as a Double of The First-Class, with a Vigil, Privileged Octave, and Proper Office, under the Title: "Solemnitas Descensionis B. Mariæ V. de Mercede".

Our Lady of Ransom is The Principal Patron of Barcelona: The Proper Office was extended to Barcelona (1868) and to all Spain (Double of The Second-Class, 1883).

Sicily, which had suffered so much from the Saracens, took up the old date of The Feast (Sunday nearest to 1 August) by permission of The Congregation of Rites, since 31 August 1805 (Double Major), Apparition of Our Lady to Saint Peter Nolasco in The Choir of Barcelona, on The Sunday after 24 September.

In England, The Devotion to Our Lady of Ransom was revived in modern times to obtain the rescue of England as Our Lady's Dowry.

Sunday 23 September 2018

Saint Linus. Pope And Martyr. Feast Day, Today, 23 September.


Text from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.




English: The Cupola of the Basilica of Saint Peter, Rome.
Italiano: Città del Vaticano - Cupola della Basilica di S. Pietro.
Photo: January 2006.
Source: Own work.
Author: MarkusMark.
(Wikimedia Commons)




Pope Linus (+ 79 A.D.)
Date: Copied from en: to he: by he:User:Ches.
Source: http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Linus2.jpg
Author: Unknown.
(Wikimedia Commons)

Pope Linus (+ 79 A.D.) was, according to several early sources, the second Bishop of Rome and is listed by The Catholic Church as the second Pope.

His Papacy lasted from circa 67 A.D., to his death, circa 79 A.D. According to other early sources, Pope Clement I was the second Pope; per the Annuario Pontificio, Clement was the fourth Pope. Among those considered by The Catholic Church to have held the position of Pope, only Clement, Linus and Peter are specifically mentioned in The New Testament.

The earliest witness, to Linus's status as Bishop, was Irenaeus, who, about the year 180 A.D., wrote: "The Blessed Apostles, then, having Founded and built up The Church, committed into the hands of Linus, The Office of The Episcopate."

The Oxford Dictionary of Popes interprets Irenaeus as classifying Linus as the First Bishop of Rome. Linus is presented, by Saint Jerome, as "the first, after Peter, to be in charge of The Roman Church", and, by Eusebius, as "the first to receive the Episcopate of The Church at Rome, after the Martyrdom of Saint Peter and Saint Paul". Saint John Chrysostom wrote: "This Linus, some say, was second Bishop of The Church of Rome, after Peter", while The Liberian Catalogue presents Peter as the first Bishop of Rome and Linus as his successor in the same Office.



The Liber Pontificalis also presents a List that makes Linus the second in the Line of Bishops of Rome, after Peter, while also stating that Peter Ordained two Bishops, Linus and Cletus, for the Priestly Service of the Community, devoting himself instead to Prayer and Preaching, and that it was to Clement that he entrusted The Church as a whole, appointing him as his successor.

Tertullian, too, wrote of Clement as the successor of Peter. Jerome classified Clement as "the fourth Bishop of Rome, after Peter" (i.e., fourth in a series that included Peter), adding that, "most of the Latins think that Clement was second after The Apostle."

The Apostolic Constitutions denote that Linus, who was Ordained by Paul, was the first Bishop of Rome and was succeeded by Clement, who was Ordained by Peter. Cletus is considered Linus's successor by Irenaeus, and the others cited above, who present Linus either as the first Bishop of Rome or, if they give Peter as the first, as the second.

The Liberian Catalogue and The Liber Pontificalis date Linus's Episcopate to 56 A.D. – 67 A.D., during the Reign of Nero, but Jerome dates it to 67 A.D. – 78 A.D., and Eusebius puts the end of his Episcopate at the second year of the Reign of Titus (80 A.D.).



Irenaeus identifies Linus with the Linus mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:21 as an associate of The Apostle Paul. Others, of the sources mentioned above, say the same.

According to The Liber Pontificalis, Linus was an Italian, born in Volterra, in the Tuscany Region. His father's name was recorded as Herculanus. The Apostolic Constitutions name his mother as Claudia (immediately after the name "Linus", in 2 Timothy 4:21, a Claudia is mentioned, but the Apostolic Constitutions do not explicitly identify that Claudia as Linus's mother).

According to Liber Pontificalis, Linus issued a Decree that women should cover their heads in Church, created the first fifteen Bishops, and that he died a Martyr and was buried on The Vatican Hill, next to Peter. It gives the date of his death as 23 September, the date on which his Feast is still Celebrated. His name is included in The Roman Canon of The Mass.

With respect to Linus's supposed Decree requiring women to cover their heads, J.P. Kirsch commented in The Catholic Encyclopedia: "Without doubt, this Decree is apocryphal, and copied by the author of The Liber Pontificalis from The First Epistle of Saint Paul to The Corinthians (11:5) and arbitrarily attributed to the first successor of The Apostle in Rome. The statement made, in the same source, that Linus suffered Martyrdom, cannot be proved and is improbable. For, between Nero and Domitian, there is no mention of any persecution of The Roman Church; and Irenaeus (1. c., III, iv, 3), from among the early Roman Bishops, designates only Telesphorus as a glorious Martyr."



The Roman Martyrology does not list Linus as a Martyr. The entry about him is as follows: "At Rome, Commemoration of Saint Linus, Pope, who, according to Irenaeus, was the person to whom The Blessed Apostles entrusted the Episcopal care of The Church, Founded in the City, and whom Blessed Paul the Apostle mentions as associated with him."

A tomb, found in Saint Peter's Basilica, in 1615, by Torrigio, was inscribed with the letters LINVS and was once taken to be Linus's tomb. However, a note by Torrigio shows that these were merely the last five letters of a longer name (e.g. Aquilinus or Anullinus). A Letter on The Martyrdom of Peter and Paul was once attributed to Linus, but, in fact, dates to the 6th-Century A.D.

The Feast Day of Pope Linus is 23 September.

[Editor: There is a famous Character, in the Strip Cartoon "Peanuts", named Linus van Pelt, who is Charlie Brown's blanket-toting best friend and Sally's love interest. Linus is the most insecure, but the smartest, out of all the Characters.]



The following Text is from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal.

Saint Linus.
   Pope and Martyr.
   Feast Day 23 September.

Semi-Double.

Red Vestments.


"At Rome," says The Roman Martyrology, "the triumph of Saint Linus, Pope and Martyr, who immediately succeeded Saint Peter in the government of The Church. He suffered Martyrdom, and was buried on The Vatican Hill, next to The Prince of The Apostles."

The name of Saint Linus is mentioned in The Canon of The Mass, after the names of The Apostles.

Mass: Státuit.
Collects: Of The Mass: Sacerdótes.
Commemoration: Of Saint Thecla.

Saturday 22 September 2018

Saint Thomas Of Villanova. Bishop And Confessor. Feast Day 22 September.


Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless stated otherwise.


Saint Thomas Of Villanova.
   Bishop And Confessor.
   Feast Day 22 September.

Double.

White Vestments.




Saint Thomas of Villanova.
Artist: Simone Cantarini (1612-1648).
Date: First half of the 17th-Century.
Current location: Pinacoteca Civica, Fano, Italy.
Source/Photographer: fondazionecarifano.it/
Progetti/cantarini/fano_per_cantarini_opere.html
(Wikimedia Commons)



Thomas was born in Spain in the 15th-Century. From his earliest childhood he had the tenderest compassion for The Poor. Having entered The Order of Hermits of Saint Augustine, he was soon made Superior, and, after having refused the Archbishopric of Granada, he was forced to accept that of Valencia.

He thus shared in the Eternal Priesthood of Christ (Introit, Epistle, Gradual, Offertory). He spent on The Poor the large revenues of his Church, and, on the day of his death, in 1555, he gave away his last Penny, and died on a bed which did not even belong to him.

The Church, therefore, Celebrates especially in this Pontiff "his extraordinary Charity towards The Poor" (Collect, Antiphon of The Benedictus).

Mass: Státuit.
Secret: Sancti Thomae.
Postcommunion: Deus fidélium.
Commemoration: Of Saint Maurice and Companions.


The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia.

Saint Thomas of Villanova O.S.A. (1488–1555) was a Spanish Friar of The Order of Saint Augustine, who was a noted Preacher, Ascetic and Religious Writer of his day. He became an Archbishop, who was famous for the extent of his care for The Poor of his See.

Friday 21 September 2018

Saint Matthew. Apostle And Evangelist. Feast Day, Today, 21 September.


Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless stated otherwise.

Saint Matthew.
   Apostle And Evangelist.
   Feast Day 21 September.

Double of The Second-Class.

Red Vestments.


English: The Inspiration of Saint Matthew.
Français: L'Inspiration de saint Matthieu.
Date: 1602.
Current location: Contarelli Chapel, Church of San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome, Italy.
(Wikimedia Commons)


Artist: René de Cramer.
"Copyright Brunelmar/Ghent/Belgium".
Used with Permission.

We read in the Gospel, Saint Matthew's own account of his conversion. The Epistle describes the famous vision, where Ezechiel saw four symbolical animals, which, from earliest Centuries, have been recognised as types of The Four Evangelists.

Saint Matthew is represented by the animal with a human face, because he commences his Gospel by tracing the human descent of Jesus. His object in writing this book, which is stamped by true wisdom (Introit), was to prove that Jesus realised The Prophecies relating to The Deliverance of Israel and that He is, therefore, The Messias.


After Pentecost, The Apostle Preached The Good News in Palestine and in Ethiopia, where he was Martyred.

The name of Saint Matthew is in The Canon of The Mass, in the group of The Apostles.

Every Parish Priest Celebrates Mass for the people of his Parish.

Mass: Os justi.
Epistle: Similitudo vultus.
Creed.
Preface: Of The Holy Apostles.

The 24th Regiment of Foot (The South Wales Borderers).




The 24th Regiment of Foot repelling the Zulu attack at Rorke's Drift in January 1879.
Artist: Alphonse de Neuville. (1836–1885).
Painting of The Battle of Rorke's Drift, which took place in Natal, South Africa, during
The Anglo-Zulu War in 1879. De Neuville based the painting on eye witness accounts
and it depicts several events of the Battle occurring at once. Defenders depicted in the painting are:
Lieutenant John Chard (to the Right at the barrier, in pale breeches, with rifle);
Corporal Scammell, of The Natal Native Contingent, incorrectly shown in 
The Uniform of


The 24th Regiment of Foot, or Corporal William Allen (handing cartridges to Chard);
Corporal Ferdinand Schiess (wearing a Bandoleer,
and stabbing a Zulu at the barrier with his Bayonet);
Chaplain George Smith (bearded man handing out cartridges from a haversack);
Acting Assistant Commissary James Dalton (sat in foreground with a wounded shoulder);
Surgeon James Reynolds (attending to Dalton's wound);
Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead (stood in the centre of the painting pointing to his Left);
Private Frederick Hitch (stood behind Bromhead);
Private Henry Hook (carrying Private John Connolly on his back, away from the burning hospital);
Assistant Commissary Walter Dunne (to the Left, holding a Biscuit Box).
(Sources: David, Saul [2005]. Zulu: The Heroism and Tragedy of The Zulu War of 1879
ISBN 9780141015699; Knight, Ian [1996] Rorke's Drift 1879:
"Pinned Like Rats in a Hole". ISBN 9781855325067).
Date: 1880.
Current location: Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Source/Photographer: https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/asset-viewer/5AFi-BKNCeU_VA
(Wikimedia Commons)





The Regimental Flag of The 24th Regiment of Foot.
Date: 1896.
Author: Frederick Edward Hulme.
Source: The Flags of the World: Their History, Blazonry, and Associations.
(Wikimedia Commons)



The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia.

The South Wales Borderers were a Line Infantry Regiment of The British Army, in existence for
280 years. They first came into existence, as The 24th Regiment of Foot, in 1689. Based at Brecon, Wales, The Regiment recruited from The Border Counties of Monmouthshire, Herefordshire, and Brecknockshire, but were not called The South Wales Borderers until The Childers Reforms of 1881.


The Regiment served in a great many conflicts, including The American Revolutionary War, various conflicts in India, The Zulu War, Second Boer War, and World War I and World War II.

In 1969, The Regiment were amalgamated with The Welch Regiment, to form The Royal Regiment of Wales.

The Regiment were formed by Sir Edward Dering, 3rd Baronet, as Sir Edward Dering's Regiment of Foot, in 1689, becoming known, like other Regiments, by the names of its subsequent Colonels.




British Infantryman of The 24th Regiment of Foot in 1742.
Date: 13 December 2006 (original upload date).
This File: 13 December 2006.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The Regiment served under The Duke of Schomberg, during The Williamite War, in Ireland, and then saw action again at The Battle of Schellenberg, in July 1704, and at The Battle of Blenheim, in August 1704, during The War of The Spanish Succession.

The Regiment were part of the amphibious expedition to The Caribbean, and participated in the disastrous British defeat at The Battle of Cartagena de Indias, in March 1741, during The War of Jenkins' Ear. The Regiment were ranked as 24th in The Infantry Order Of Precedence, in 1747, and became The 24th Regiment of Foot, in 1751.

The Regiment took part in The Siege of Fort Saint Philip, in Menorca, Spain, in April 1756, during The Seven Years' War. It was also part of the amphibious expedition against, or descent on, the Coast of France, and participated in the British defeat at The Battle of Saint Cast, in September 1758.

In June 1776, The Regiment was sent to Quebec, Canada, where it subsequently fought American rebels who had invaded the Province during their War of Independence. The Regiment were part of the 5,000 British and Hessian force, under the command of General John Burgoyne, that surrendered to the American rebels in The Saratoga Campaign, in Summer 1777, and remained imprisoned until 1783. In 1782, it became The 24th (The 2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot.





In Honoured Memory of Private James Cooper V.C.,
a Plaque in Warstone Lane Cemetery, Birmingham, England.
Private James Cooper V.C. 1840 – 1882,
2nd Battalion 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot.
Who gained his Country's highest Award for Valour on 7 May 1867,
in The Andaman Islands / Bay of Bengal, and is buried in Warstone Lane Cemetery,
Birmingham, England.

The Regiment were deployed to Egypt in the aftermath of The Battle of Abukir, in March 1801;
The 2nd Battalion was raised in 1804, which suffered heavy losses at The Battle of Talavera,
in July 1809, during The Peninsular War. The vast majority of The 1st Battalion were captured at sea by the French at the Action of 3 July 1810, near The Comoro Islands: The 1st Battalion of The 24th Regiment of Foot had been on The East Indiamen, Astell, Ceylon and Windham, when a French Frigate Squadron captured the last two ships. They were released the following year.

The 1st Battalion took part in The Anglo-Nepalese War, November 1814. The Regiment were deployed to Canada in 1829 and remained there until 1842.



Marble Memorial at Saint John's Church, Jhelum, Pakistan, In Memory of 

the


Soldiers of 
The 24th Regiment of Foot, killed there in July 1857 during The Indian Mutiny.
Date: 15 July 2007 (original upload date).
This File: 30 October 2007.
User: Tonkawa68.
(Wikimedia Commons)

Second Sikh War and The Indian Mutiny.

The Regiment returned to India in 1846 and saw action at The Battle of Chillianwala, in January 1849, where The Regiment fought off the enemy with bayonets, rather than rifles, and 255 of its men died during The Second Anglo-Sikh War.

Meanwhile, five Victoria Crosses were awarded to men of The Regiment, who rescued their colleagues from cannibals on The Andaman Islands, India, in May 1857. Some thirty-five soldiers of The Regiment were killed by mutineers at their garrison in Jhelum, Pakistan, in July 1857, during The Indian Rebellion.




Zulu War.


In 1879, both Battalions took part in The Anglo-Zulu War, begun after a British invasion of Zululand, ruled by Cetshwayo. The 24th Regiment of Foot took part in The Crossing of The Buffalo River on
11 January 1879, entering Zululand. The first engagement (and the most disastrous for the British) came at Isandlwana. The British had pitched Camp at Isandlwana and not established any fortifications due to the sheer size of the Force, the hard ground, and a shortage of entrenching tools.


The 24th Regiment of Foot provided most of the British Force and when the overall Commander, Lord Chelmsford, split his Forces on 22 January to search for the Zulus, the 1st Battalion
(five Companies) and a Company of the 2nd Battalion were left behind to guard the Camp, under the Command of Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Pulleine (Commanding Officer of The 1/24th Foot).

A Zulu force of some 20,000 warriors attacked a portion of the British Main Column, consisting of about 1,800 British, Colonial, and Native Troops, and perhaps 400 Civilians. During the battle, Lieutenant-Colonel Pulleine ordered Lieutenants Coghill and Melvill to save The Queen's Colour —the Regimental Colour was located at Helpmekaar, with G Company. The two Lieutenants attempted to escape by crossing The Buffalo River, where The Colour fell and was lost downstream, later being recovered. Both Officers were killed. At this time, The Victoria Cross (VC) was not awarded posthumously. This changed in the early 1900s when both Lieutenants were awarded posthumous Victoria Crosses for their bravery. The Battle of Isandlwana was dramatised in the 1979 movie "Zulu Dawn".



"Zulu".
Available on YouTube at

After The Battle of Isandlwana, some 4,000 to 5,000 Zulus headed for Rorke's Drift, a small Missionary Post garrisoned by a Company of The 2/24th Regiment Of Foot, Native Levies, and others, under the command of Lieutenant Chard, Royal Engineers. The Most Senior Officer of The 24th Regiment of Foot present being Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead. Two Boer Cavalry Officers, Lieutenants Adendorff and Vane, arrived to inform the garrison of the defeat at Isandlwana. The Acting Assistant Commissary, James Dalton, persuaded Bromhead and Chard to stay, and the small garrison frantically prepared rudimentary fortifications.


"Zulu".
Final Attack.
Available on YouTube at

The Zulus first attacked at 4:30 p.m. Throughout the day, the garrison was attacked from all sides, including rifle fire from the heights above the garrison, and bitter hand-to-hand fighting often ensued. At one point, the Zulus entered the hospital, which was stoutly defended by the wounded inside, until it was set alight and eventually burnt down. The battle raged on into the early hours of 23 January, but, by Dawn, the Zulu Army had withdrawn. Lord Chelmsford and a Column of British Troops arrived soon afterwards.


The garrison had suffered fifteen killed during the battle (two died later) and eleven defenders were awarded The Victoria Cross for their distinguished defence of The Post, seven Victoria Crosses going to Soldiers of The 24th Foot. The Stand at Rorke's Drift was immortalised in the 1964 Movie "Zulu".




"Zulu".
Final Appearance and Salute Scene.
Available on YouTube at


"Zulu".
1964.
Full Movie.
Available on

Third Anglo-Burmese War and Second Boer War.

The Regiment was not fundamentally affected by The Cardwell Reforms of the 1870s, which gave it a Depot at The Barracks, Brecon, Wales, from 1873, or by The Childers Reforms of 1881 – as it already possessed two Battalions, there was no need for it to amalgamate with another Regiment.

Under The Reforms, The 24th Regiment Of Foot had its name changed, and became The South Wales Borderers on 1 July 1881. This, understandably, led to The Regiment having close links with South Wales. The 2nd Battalion was deployed to Burma and saw action in November 1885 during The Third Anglo-Burmese War. The 2nd Battalion then arrived in Cape Colony South Africa, in early February 1900, and saw action at The Battle of Elands River in September 1901 during The Second Boer War.

A 3rd (Militia) Battalion, formed of the former Royal South Wales Borderers Militia, was embodied in January 1900, and the following month embarked for Service in South Africa, arriving in Cape Town on the SS Cheshire in March 1900. A 4th (Militia) Battalion, formed of the former Royal Montgomery Rifles, was embodied in May 1900 and disembodied in December the same year.

In 1908, The Volunteers and Militia were re-organised Nationally, with the former becoming The Territorial Force and the latter The Special Reserve; The Regiment now had one Reserve Battalion and one Territorial Battalion.


First World War.



Lieutenant-Colonel Sidney John Wilkinson, 10th Battalion, The South Wales Borderers,
Killed-in-Action during The First World War.

Lt-Colonel Wilkinson was educated at Wellington School. He received his Commission to
The West Yorkshire Regiment in 1900 and served in The Second Anglo-Boer War.
In 1910, he achieved the Rank of Captain. As Lieutenant-Colonel, he transferred to
The Welsh Regiment and, subsequently, to The South Wales Borderers.
Lt-Colonel Wilkinson was Posted to The Western Front in 1915. He was Mentioned in Despatches and awarded The Distinguished Service Order in January 1916.
He was Killed-in-Action on 7 July 1916 during The Battle of the Somme.
He is Commemorated on The Thiepval Memorial.
Faces of the First World War.
Find out more about this First World War Centenary Project at www.1914.org/faces.
This image is from IWM Collections.


An excellent Regimental History and an essential component of every library of The Zulu War.
Illustration: LEONAUR


Regular Army.

The 1st Battalion landed at Le Havre as part of 3rd Brigade1st Division, with The British Expeditionary Force, in August 1914, for Service on The Western Front. The 2nd Battalion landed at Laoshan Bay China, for Operations against the German Territory of Tsingtao, in September 1914, and saw Action at The Siege of Tsingtao in October 1914. After returning home in January 1915, The 2nd Battalion landed at Cape Helles, as part of 87th Brigade29th Division, in April 1915; it was evacuated from Gallipoli in January 1916 and landed at Marseille, France, in March 1916, for Service on The Western Front.

File:Queens Colour-2Bn-24th Foot.png


The Queen's Colour.
2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot
(The South Wales Borderers).
Date: 13 September 2013.
Source: Own work.
Author: Wally Wiglet.
(Wikimedia Commons)

Territorial Force.


1/1st Brecknockshire Battalion landed in Bombay, India, as part of 44th (Home Counties) Division, in October 1914, and moved to Aden in December 1914, before returning to Bombay in August 1915.

New Armies.

4th (Service) Battalion landed in Gallipoli, as part of 40th Brigade13th (Western) Division, in July 1915; it was evacuated from Gallipoli in January 1916 and moved to Egypt, and then to Mesopotamia. 5th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers) landed at Le Havre, France, as part of 58th Brigade19th (Western) Division, in July 1915, for Service on The Western Front.

6th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers) landed at Le Havre, as part of 76th Brigade, 25th Division, in September 1915, for Service on The Western Front. 7th (Service) Battalion and 8th (Service) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, as part of 67th Brigade22nd Division, in September 1915, for Service on The Western Front, but moved to Salonika, Greece, in October 1915.

10th (Service) Battalion (1st Gwent) and 11th (Service) Battalion (2nd Gwent) landed at Le Havre as part of 115th Brigade38th (Welsh) Division, in December 1915, for Service on The Western Front. 12th (Service) Battalion (3rd Gwent) landed at Le Havre as part of 119th Brigade, 40th Division, in June 1916, for Service on The Western Front. Welsh Poet and Language Activist, Saunders Lewis, Served in The 12th Battalion during The First World War.



The Seven-Button Tunic for The 24th Regiment of Foot (South Wales Borderers),
circa 1879, which was worn for "Home Service".
All the features 
of the Jackets are the same as the originals.
All the Lace and Linings are to original grade specification.
Price includes Sword/Belt Hook support. These superb Replicas are made
with 
Military Grade Wool. Unfortunately, Collar Badges are currently unavailable.
Illustration: PIPE BAND WEAR SHOP


Inter-War.

The 1st Battalion embarked for Ireland, in June 1920, to maintain order during The Irish War of Independence, and to Waziristan, in February 1937, in connection with disturbances on The Frontier. Meanwhile, the 2nd Battalion was deployed to Palestine, in 1936, returning home at the end of the year.


Second World War.

The 1st Battalion, as part of 10th Indian Infantry Division, were sent to Iraq to quell a German-inspired uprising in November 1941. The Battalion saw subsequent service in Iran. The Battalion sustained enormous casualties in Libya, near Tobruk, when they lost around 500 Officers and Men, captured or killed during a General Retreat.


The Battalion found itself cut off when the German Forces outflanked them. The Commanding Officer, Lt.-Col. F. R. G. Matthews, decided to attempt to escape around the enemy and break through to British Lines. It turned into a disaster, with only four Officers and around one hundred Men reaching Sollum. To the surprise of the survivors, the Battalion was ordered to disband in Cyprus, and the remnants of the Battalion were transferred, with the exception of a small Cadre that returned to The United Kingdom, to 1st Battalion, The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster). A few months later, the Battalion was re-formed from the Cadre and 4th Battalion, Monmouthshire Regiment

Upon the outbreak of The Second World War, in September 1939, 2nd Battalion was serving in Derry, Northern Ireland, under command of Northern Ireland District, having been there since December 1936. In December 1939, the Battalion left Northern Ireland and was sent to join 148th Infantry Brigade, 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division, a Territorial Formation. In April 1940, the Battalion was again transferred to the newly-created 24th Guards Brigade (Rupertforce), and took part in The Norwegian Campaign, and were among the first British Troops to see Action against The German Army in The Second World War.




Boxed Figure: The 24th Regiment of Foot.
Illustration: MONKEY DEPOT

The Norwegian Campaign failed, and The 24th Guards Brigade (Rupertforce) had to be evacuated. Casualties in The Battalion, however, had been remarkably light, with only thirteen wounded and six killed, and two Distinguished Conduct Medals (DCMs) had been awarded.

The 2nd Battalion returned to The United Kingdom, and, on 7 December 1941 (the day The United States entered The War), transferred to 37th Independent Infantry Brigade (re-designated
7th Infantry Brigade the day after).

On 1 March 1944, The Battalion were transferred to the newly-created 56th Independent Infantry Brigade, alongside which were 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment and 2nd Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, and trained for The Invasion of Normandy.



50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division
(also known as The Tyne Tees Division).
Date: 28 May 2015.
Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30071791
Author: Mliu92.
(Wikimedia Commons)

The 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division was an Infantry Division of The British Army that saw distinguished Service in The Second World War. Pre-War, the Division was part of The Territorial Army (TA) and the two Ts in The Divisional Insignia represent the three main rivers of its recruitment area, namely the Rivers Tyne, Tees and Humber.

The 50th Division was one of two British Divisions (the other being 3rd Infantry Division) to land in Normandy, on D-Day, 6 June 1944, where it landed on Gold Beach. Four men of the Division were awarded The Victoria Cross during the War, more than any other Division of The British Army during The Second World War.

2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers, had the distinction of being the only Welsh Battalion to take part in The Normandy Landings on 6 June 1944, landing at Gold Beach, under command of 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division and fought in The Battle of Normandy, under command of 7th Armoured Division for a few days in June 1944, before reverting to 50th Division.



Afterwards, 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers, enjoyed a short rest, and, on 22 September 1944, moved to join the rest of 21st Army Group fighting in Belgium. In October 1944, shortly after the failure of Operation Market Garden, the Division was sent to garrison 'The Island', the area of land between Arnhem and Nijmegen, where it remained throughout the Winter of 1944.

The last major Action for the 2nd Battalion was in April 1945, when, with the rest of the Division, they fought in The Second Battle of Arnhem. The Battalion ended its War in Germany, and remained there, as part of The Occupation Forces, until 1948, when it returned home.

6th Battalion, South Wales Borderers, Served in The Burma Campaign, with 72nd Infantry Brigade, 36th British Infantry Division, previously a Division of The British Indian Army before being re-designated The 36th British Division.




The Band of The 1/24th Regiment of Foot, photographed in 1878 in South Africa,
played cheery, morale-boosting melodies as The Regiment marched to
The Killing Fields of Zululand.
Out of the entire Band, only two Bandsmen survived.
Illustration: WWW.1879ZULUWAR.COM


Post-War.

1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers, were deployed to Palestine to deal with the volatile uprising there in October 1945, and then moved to Cyprus, in April 1946. The 2nd Battalion was disbanded in May 1948 as a consequence of Defence Cuts implemented shortly after The Second World War.

The Regiment deployed to The Sudan in March 1949 and became part of the Occupation Force in Eritrea, a former Italian Colony that was ruled by a British Military Administration, in January 1950. The Regiment arrived in Brunswick, West Germany, as part of British Army of The Rhine (BAOR), in January 1953, and was then deployed to Malaya, in December 1955, as part of the response to The Malayan Emergency.


The Regiment's conduct during The Malayan Emergency compelled Field Marshal Sir Gerald Templer, a distinguished British Officer and a man who was instrumental in the defeat of the Communist Terrorists during The Emergency, to state that: "There has been no better Regiment in Malaya during the ten years of The Emergency and very few as good".

The Regiment were Posted to Minden, Germany, in June 1959, and returned home three years later. It arrived at Stanley Fort, in Hong Kong, in November 1963, to perform Internal Security Duties. It returned home to Lydd, in Kent, in June 1966, before deploying to Aden, in January 1967. The Regiment were amalgamated with The Welch Regiment, to form The Royal Regiment of Wales (24th/41st Foot), in June 1969.

Thursday 20 September 2018

The Vigil Of Saint Matthew. Apostle And Evangelist. 20 September.


Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless stated otherwise.

The Vigil Of Saint Matthew.
   Apostle And Evangelist.
   20 September.

Simple.

Violet Vestments.




English: The Inspiration of Saint Matthew.
Français: L'Inspiration de saint Matthieu.
Date: 1602.
Current location: Contarelli Chapel, Church of San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome, Italy.
(Wikimedia Commons)

In order to honour the high dignity of The Apostles (Secret), The Church prepares us for their Feasts by a Vigil. She therefore Commemorates on this day Saint Matthew by special Collects and by The Last Gospel of The Mass in which Saint Luke relates the call of this Apostle.

A Galilean by birth, his name before his conversion was Levi; he was a publican. This profession was that of a collector of The Roman Taxes and was very odious to the Jews, who were thus reminded of their dependence.

Generally harsh and greedy, the publican was considered by the Pharisees to be the type of the sinner. Wherefore The Church shows us Jesus as the healer of Souls, whom He calls to Penance (Gospel).

Mass: Ego autem.

Saint Eustace And His Companions. Martyrs. Feast Day 20 September.


Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless stated otherwise.

Saint Eustace And His Companions.
   Martyrs.
   Feast Day 20 September.

Double.

Red Vestments.




English: Saint Eustace.
Français: Saint Eustace.
Русский: Евстафий Плакида.
Date: 17th-Century.
Author: Anonymous.
(Wikimedia Commons)

Eustace, also called Placidus, was illustrious at Rome, for his birth, his riches, and his Military valour. "One day," says the Legend, "while he was hunting a stag of extraordinary size, the animal suddenly turned and between its horns was seen a Crucifix."

Called by The Saviour, Eustace henceforth only pursued immortal life and, with his wife and two children, he enrolled himself in The Christian Militia. The Benedictine Abbey of Subiaco possessed for a long time the mountain where, according to Tradition, was shown the spot where the apparition had taken place.

Made a General in the Army by The Emperor Trajan, Eustace returned victorious from an expedition, but, having refused to thank the gods for this triumph, he was arrested and exposed to the Lions with his wife and children. The wild beasts, however, did them no harm.

"They were then shut up in a red-hot brazen bull," declares The Martyrology. "and their Martyrdom was completed by this torture." This was under Emperor Hadrian in 120 A.D.

Saint Eustace is one of The Fourteen Auxiliary Saints (see The Feast Day for 25 July).

Mass: Sapiéntiam.
Commemoration: Of The Vigil of Saint Matthew.
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