Click here to see Pathe News clip of HMS Euryalus 1976

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HMS Euryalus

The landing at Gallipoli was commemorated on 11 July 1934, when Admiral Sir R Burmeister, who
had been the captain of the fourth HMS Euryalus at Gallipoli, presented the ship’s bell to the First
Battalion, XX The Lancashire Fusiliers at Colchester.
Since the action, a strong affiliation has existed between the ship and the regiment whenever there
has been a Euryalus in commission. This affiliation is currently maintained by the HMS Euryalus
Association and The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers into which the Lancashire Fusiliers was
amalgamated in 1968. The ship's motto "Omnia Audax" is that of the Lancashire Fusiliers & was
adopted by Admiralty dispensation in the 1950s.

The Standard of the HMS Euryalus Association.
(note the crest of the Lancashire Fusiliers in the bottom corner)

Euryalus in Mythology
In the Aeneid a Latin Epic poem written by Virgil in the late 1st century BC, Euryalus was a Trojan
Warrior, who with his friend Nisus, soldiered under the command of Aeneas. Aeneas was at War
with the Rutulians and the Latinians. Whilst Aeneas was off on a separate sortie, Euryalus and
Nisus decided to go and find him.
Unfortunately their way was barred by a large party of Rutulians. Euryalus and Nisus, seeing the
enemy had posted no sentries and had caroused not wisely but too well decided to sneak through the
enemy camp, killing as many as they could. This they did with great effect, but unfortunately ran
into a group of 300 Latinian Horsemen. They decided to hide in the forest, but they were
discovered when the moonlight reflected off Euryalus's helmet.
Although surrounded they fought well but were eventually killed, though not before Nisus had
killed Volscens the leader of the Latinians. When the Rutulians discovered just how many men
Nisus and Euryalus had killed they hacked off their heads and mounted them on pikes for the rest of
the Trojans to see.

The 6 Ships named Euryalus

First Euryalus 1803-1850
Second Euryalus 1853-1867
Third Euryalus 1877-1897
Fourth Euryalus 1901-1920
Fifth Euryalus 1941-1959
Sixth Euryalus 1964-1989
Click on photos to enlarge them

The Euryalus Battle Honours
Trafalgar 1805 Baltic 1854 - 1855
Heligoland 1914 Dardanelles 1915
Malta Convoys 1941 - 1942 Mediterranean 1941 - 1943
Sirte 1942 Salerno 1943
Sicily 1943 Okinawa 1945

The Euryalus Bells
Click on photos to enlarge them

The bell from the 4th Euryalus, a Cressy Class armoured cruiser that took the Lancashire Fusiliers
ashore at Gallipoli, is with the 1st Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (1RRF) in Tidworth,
Hampshire.

Photos courtesy of Capt Matthew Clark and Capt Stuart Richardson 1RRF

The bell from the 5th Euryalus, a Dido Class light cruiser, is with the 2nd Battalion, The Royal
Regiment of Fusiliers (2RRF) in Hounslow, Middlesex.

Photos courtesy of Carol Valentine

The bell from the 6th Euryalus, a Leander Class frigate, is of silver gilt and is in the Fusiliers
Museum, Bury, Lancashire.


There is also a small Euryalus Dinner Bell in the museum
here being held by Helen Castle


The inscription on the silver plate is
Presented to the officers of the
First Battalion XX The Lancashire Fusiliers
by the Officers,
HMS Euryalus
at Aqaba on
Gallipoli Day 1951












































Gun Boat Diplomacy
HMS Euryalus and others support 1LF in the Middle East 1951 - 1952

When 1 LF landed in Egypt in 1950 the Middle East was in turmoil. Amongst the many flash points the Egyptians were planning to abrogate the Suez Canal Treaty; the Iranians wanted to nationalize the Anglo Iranian oil fields and the Jews in their newly established state of Israel had designs on the deep water port of Aqaba to give them access to the Red Sea.
To safeguard British interests some 80000 service personnel were stationed in the Canal Zone and these had the backing of the Mediterranean fleet based in Malta.

The first ship to give us direct support was HMS Loch Lomond when she came to stay for three days in the Gulf of Aqaba where we had the sea on our left, the Jews to our front, the mountains behind and the waterless deserts of Jordan to our right. With no heavy weapons to support us it was important that the opposition knew that should they decide to invade the might of the Royal Navy was close at hand.
She was a Frigate on patrol from her base in Malta. She had recently been taken out of mothballs and commissioned into the Med Fleet. Her visit not only showed the flag but also provided an enjoyable diversion for both the crew and our Battalion. We had many competitions; shooting, sports, film shows etc and of course all washed down with gallons of Stella.
God Bless the Andrew she stayed in the bay long enough to be repainted apparently they are not allowed to do this in Valletta harbor as it lowers the prestige of the Royal Navy

A few weeks later our very own HMS Euryalus a cruiser bristling with weapons paid us a visit.
It was a great occasion to be reunited on Gallipoli Day with the direct successor of the ship that carried the Battalion to Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 for the Lancashire Landing. As all Lancashire Fusiliers know we have always maintained the closest association and friendship with Her Majesty's ships of that name in commission. The Commanding Officers bugler carries a Silver Bugle presented by the 5th HMS Euryalus and of course the Ship's Bell of the 4th HMS Euryalus is with the Battalion and is struck every half-hour between Reveille and Lights Out. The partying and sports went on for days whilst across the Danert wire our Jewish friends were once again reminded of the might of the Royal Navy

We next saw HMS Euryalus on the 12th July 1951 when she passed through the Suez Canal on her way South to relieve HMS Mauritius in the Shatt El Arab as the Persian situation was rapidly deteriorating. The Battalion turned out in force to wave to her as she passed down and we had two hours with then when she tied up to let the North bound convoy through. Bands playing and flags waving. It was a happy day.
A week or so later A Coy HQ and a strong platoon flew from RAF Fayid to Basra and joined the ship they were to be the first ashore should the balloon go up. The rest of the Battalion's vehicles and weapons were also loaded on to aircraft at Fayid and ships in Suez.
The A Coy contingent were on board for Minden Day so the OC Major T P Shaw contacted the regimental contractor Shaab Din back in Egypt and ordered 100 roses for the Fusiliers to wear in their berets. Surprise, surprise when a bum boat approached the ship and was given permission to come alongside with roses for Major Shaw. He found himself to be the recipient of 100 bottles of Rose's Lime Juice which caused more than a few laughs that day. This event later featured in a Rose's Lime Juice advert.

Our last contact with HMS Euryalus was on 22nd September 1951 when she passed through the Canal heading for Turkey and back to Malta to prepare herself as an escort ship for the King and Queens visit to Australia. The A Coy contingent return by air from Basra

Picture; HMS Euryalus in the Gulf of Aqaba

The last occasion I can remember that the Royal Navy came to our aid was at the height of the rioting in Ismailia. We all had a big surprise when HMS Chequers steamed into Lake Timsah and dropped anchor. I don't think there was a thing she could really have done at the time but amazing the effect on the morale of the local population was considerable. It really was great in those far off days to know we had a splendid Royal Navy who like ourselves were always ready for a scrap.

Maurice Taylor