Dedicated to the Lancashire Fusiliers and the Royal Fusilier Regiment. By a commission dated 20 November 1688 the regiment was formed in Torbay, Devon under Sir Richard Peyton as Peyton's Regiment of Foot. (The regiment's name changed according to the name of the colonel commanding until 1751.) The regiment served in the Glorious Revolution under King William III and at the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690 and the Battle of Aughrim in 1691. During the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714), it aided in the capture of Spanish galleons at Battle of Vigo Bay in 1702.[3] The regiment distinguished itself at the Battle of Dettingen in June 1743, and at the Battle of Fontenoy in May 1745, and served in the Battle of Culloden in April 1746. In 1751, the regiment became the 20th Regiment of Foot, often written in Roman numerals 'XX Foot', (hence the nickname The Two Tens). During the Seven Years' War the regiment earned honour at the Battle of Minden on 1 August 1759, when, as an infantry formation, they stood up to and broke a French cavalry charge. During the American Revolutionary War the regiment was sent to Quebec in April 1776 and assisted in the relief of Quebec in May 1776. Serving under General John Burgoyne for the remainder of the Canadian campaign, they later surrendered along with General Burgoyne at Saratoga.
The regiment became the Lancashire Fusiliers in 1881. Under the 1881 Childers Reforms each county regiment had two Militia battalions attached to it: these were found by the 7th Royal Lancashire Militia, raised in 1855 and recruited from Bury, Manchester and Salford. This formed the 3rd and 4th Battalions of the Lancashire Fusiliers. In addition, Rifle Volunteer Corps were attached to their local regiments. In 1883 the 8th Lancashire Rifle Volunteers (raised at Bury on 22 August 1859) became the 1st Volunteer Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, and the 12th Lancashire Rifle Volunteers (originally the 24th, raised at Rochdale in February 1860) became the 2nd Volunteer Battalion. In 1886 the 56th Lancashire Rifle Volunteers (raised at Salford on 5 March 1860) was transferred from the Manchester Regiment to become the 3rd Volunteer Battalion. In common with other regiments recruited from populous urban areas, the Lancashire Fusiliers raised two further regular battalions, the 3rd in 1898, and the 4th in 1900. This necessitated adjustments to the numbers of the Militia battalions, which became the 5th and 6th battalions. However, the 3rd and 4th Regular battalions were disbanded in 1906. In 1898 the 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers took part in Kitchener's campaign to reconquer the Sudan and fought at the Battle of Omdurman. During the Second Boer War, the 2nd Battalion saw action at the Battle of Spion Kop in January 1900 and the Relief of Ladysmith in February 1900.
The 1st Battalion, which was based in Karachi in the early months of the war, returned to the United Kingdom in January 1915. It was prominent at the landing at Cape Helles on 25 April 1915 during the Gallipoli Campaign as part of the 86th Brigade in the 29th Division. The shore had been silent but as the first boat landed, Ottoman small-arms fire swept the British and caused many casualties. Six Victoria Crosses were awarded to 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers – 'the six VCs before breakfast'. The landing spot (W Beach) was later known as 'Lancashire Landing'. The battalion were evacuated in January 2016 and landed at Marseille in March 1916 and saw action on the Western Front. 6VCs before breakfast is a new exhibition to commemorate 100 years since the Lancashire Fusiliers landed on the beaches of the Gallipoli peninsula. See all six Victoria Crosses for the first time ever on display in this new exhibition as well as discover the stories behind the medal winners. 6VCs before breakfast is open now and will run until summer 2016. Disabled Toilets are located throughout the building. Special tours can be organised for visually impaired visitors where the tour guides tailor the tour to fulfil your needs and interests in the collection. Object handling using items from the handling collections can be arranged if prebooked in advance of your visit too. All interpretation boards have large print for the main titles and key information. There are lots of pictures and objects to see in the cases, mannequins dressed in period uniforms that you can touch, costume items to try on and hats to wear to bring the museum to life. The museum is fully wheelchair accessible. Carers admitted for Free.
Location : Moss St, Bury, BL9 0DF.
Transport: Metrolink Tram from Manchester. The Fusilier Museum is located 200 yards from the main bus station in Bury.
Opening Times: Monday - Friday 10:00 to 17:00 Saturday 10:00 to 16:00
Tickets: Adults £4.95 Concessions £3.95 Children £3.95.
Tel: 0161 763 8950
