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Lage Zwaluwe, Bren position, Spring 1945. |
THE 1ST FUSELIER BATTALION
1944 - 1945
SHORT HISTORY
The 1st Fuselier Battalion was raised at Casteau, Belgium, on October 11 1944.
On December 12 1944 the battalion came under operational command of the 21st Army Group.
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Lage Zwaluwe, Bren position, Spring 1945. |
From December 16 1944 it took up defensive positions at the Moerdijk, the Netherlands.
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Fort Sabina, Spring 1945. |
During the defensive operations at the Moerdijk the battalion occured 8 deaths and 31 wounded.
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May 8 1945, Etten, the Netherlands. Parade of the 1st Fuselier Battalion at the occasion of the end of hostilities in Europe |
On June 5
1945 the battalion returned to the camp of Brasschaat, near
Antwerpen, Belgium,
where it was to be transformed into the 1st Infantry Battalion of
the 6th Infantry
Brigade "DEYNSE".
Commanding
Officers:
Lieutenant-Colonel MAUROY until April 1945
Major LÉONARD from April 1945.
Major LÉONARD; second Commanding Officer
of the 1st Fuselier Battalion
FORMATION BADGES AND ARM TITLE
FORMATION BADGE
As the 1st
Fuselier Battalion was assigned to the 1st British Corps,
the battalion was allowed to wear the formation badge of the 1st
British Corps
A white spearhead on a scarlet diamond.
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| Printed | Woven |
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| Embroidered | Belgian workmanship |
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Lapel Badge worn on civilian clothing |
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Fuselier VANHEE Maurice. The spearhead formation badge can be seen on his left arm. |
FORMATION BADGE PROJECTS
While administratively
attached to the 11th Fuselier Brigade "DIKSMUIDE",
a project for a formation
badge has been made.
It simply remained a project, and only a few samples have been made.
The Formation Badge has never been worn.
A white spearhead in front
of a black capital letter "D",
the whole on a scarlett shield with black border.
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| Prototype of the Formation Badge of the 1st Fuselier Battalion. |
A second project existed but was also never fully realised.
It was the project for the 11th Fuselier Brigade "DIKSMUIDE".
A yellow lion ramping to the left on a black shield with scarlet border.
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| Prototype of the Formation Badge of the 11th Fuselier Brigade. |
However the project was
abandonned when the battalions attached to the 11th Fuselier Brigade
were reassigned to the 6th Infantry Brigade "DEYNSE".
Only a few samples are know to have been made.
ARM TITLE
When the battalion was
administratively attached to the 11th Fuselier Brigade "DIKSMUIDE",
it seems
that an arm title has been worn.
Black capital letters "DIKSMUIDE" in a black scroll on a white background.
Some sources even affirm
that the arm title has still been worn
when the 1st Fuselier Battalion became
the 1st Battalion of the 6th Infantry Brigade "DEYNSE",
but this has not been
confirmed.
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| Arm Title "DIKSMUIDE" worn by the 1st Fuselier Battalion. |
OTHER INSIGNIA
On the shoulder straps the crossed rifles and the "1" were worn.
The insignia were metal ones as the embroidered insignia were yet not in use when the battalion was raised.
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| Fuselier VAN NASTE André
during the instruction period. He already wears the shoulderstrap insignia but as the battlion is still not under the command of the 1st British Corps the formation badges is yet not worn. |
On the left sleeve a red "BELGIË" or"BELGIUM" was worn.
On the right sleeve the Belgian national colours were worn.
The Infantry flash was also worn on both sleeves.
