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Pages from the diary of Captain Philip Townsend

A Soldier's Life

In Their Own Words: Captain Philip Townsend

Philip Townsend was an Irish gentleman. In 1756, he travelled to North America, where he fought against the French in the Seven Years War. His diary provides an insight into frontier warfare and the assault on Louisbourg.

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Battle of the Somme

The 1916 Somme offensive was one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War. But it provided the Army with a tough lesson in how to fight a large-scale modern war.

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Battle of Normandy

D-Day enabled the Allies to establish a foothold on the beaches of Normandy. But they still faced the task of breaking out, pushing the Germans back and liberating France.

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D-Day

D-Day, 6 June 1944, marked the start of the Allied invasion of Normandy and was the greatest amphibious operation in history.

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First World War

The First World War (1914-18) was the first truly global conflict. The fighting took place on land, at sea and - for the first time - in the air.

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British soldiers watching the bombing of an enemy position in Musa Qala, 2006

War in Afghanistan

Britain's most recent war in Afghanistan began in the wake of the '9/11' terrorist attacks on the United States. It continued for 13 years with the last combat troops leaving the country on 26 October 2014.

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The Royal Munster Fusiliers

This British Army infantry unit existed between 1881 and 1922. It recruited in Munster, a province in the south-west of Ireland.

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William Inglis: The original die-hard

Major-General Sir William Inglis had a long and successful career. But it was his actions in the Peninsular War, when he showed enormous personal courage and leadership under fire, that earned him national fame.

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The Royal Irish Regiment

This infantry regiment was formed in 1684. After almost 250 years of service with the British Army, it was disbanded in 1922 on the establishment of the Irish Free State.

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The Royal Dublin Fusiliers

The Royal Dublin Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, which recruited in the east of Ireland.

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The Prince of Wales’s Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians)

The Leinster Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, which recruited predominantly in central and eastern Ireland.

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The Connaught Rangers

The Connaught Rangers was an Irish infantry regiment of the British Army, which mainly recruited in the west of Ireland.

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The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)

The Black Watch can trace its origins back to the early 18th century. It went on to fight in nearly all the British Army's campaigns and is now part of The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

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