The First Battalion, Lower Rhine Fusilier Regiment, No 39

The 39th Regiment had a relatively short history in the Prussian Army. Entering the army lists in 1818 as the 36th Regiment it had been formed from various elements of several garrison units. In 1820 it was redesignated the 39th Infantry Regiment and posted to garrison several cities in the Lower Rhine. In 1860 it was converted from line infantry to fusiliers and was retitled the Lower Rhine Fusilier Regiment, No 39.

It saw no action until the 1866 campaign when it formed part of the Beyer’s Division, Army of the Main, fighting at Hünfeld, Hammelburg, Helmstadt, Uettingen and Rossbrunn in the South German campaign, suffering 90 casualties in the fighting.

In the Franco-German War the regiment formed a part of 27th Brigade, 14th Division, VII Corps and was central in the fighting at Spicheren where it opened the action, suffering losses of 27 officers and 628 men, and the three companies of the third battalion that fought in for six hours in the Sriring Copse could count only 150 organised men in the ranks at nightfall from the 750 that went into action. It went on to participate in actions at, Colombey-Nouilly, Gravelotte-St. Privat, the Sieges of Metz, Thionville, Montmédy and Mézìeres, and at Mohon and at Ognon.

Although the regiment still retained the designation fusilier in its title by 1870 such titles meant little and there was no difference in the training of grenadiers and fusiliers from line troops. In fact in the early battles even the Jäger battalions were deployed and fought a line troops.

This representation of the 1st  Battalion, Lower Rhine Fusilier Regiment, No 39 has the black fusilier belts and its standards are in good condition.