THE FUSELIER BATTALIONS

& BRIGADES

Immediately after the Liberation of Belgium, the Belgian Government started with
the recruitment of volunteers for raising 6 battalions.

Numbers 1-3 of Flemish speaking origin, numbers 4-6 of French speaking origin.

They received a shortened training, and by half December 1944
they were put under operational command of the Allied High Command.

The 5th and the 6th Fuselier Battalion were immediately used for front duty,
and participated in the Battle of the Bulge.

Because the War in Europe seemed to last longer then originally foreseen, the Allied High Command
asked the Belgian Government to raise a greater number of Fuselier Battalions.

Despite the accomodation and other logistical problems, the Belgian Government succeeded
in raising 62 battalions, from which 39 before the end of hostilities in Europe.

They performed guard duties, patrols in the rear combat zone,
they took up defensive positions, they cleared towns and countryside,
they were used for Nazi hunting operations, and several battalions even took part in offensive operations.

One of the battalions even crossed the Rhine on the third day of the Remagen bridgehead.

Remagen Bridge

On May 8th 1945 the Belgian Fuselier Battalions were located in Belgium, the Netherlands,
Germany, and Czechoslovakia where they liberated the town of Pilsen.

The Belgian Fuselier Battalions were practically all assigned to
the 21st Army Group and the 12th US Army Group.

FUSELIER
BATTALIONS
& BRIGADES