Fusilier Battalions (Belgium) (original) (raw)

The term fusilier battalions (French: Bataillons de fusiliers, Dutch: Bataljon Fusiliers) denotes 57 separate military formations which were raised in Belgium to fight alongside the Western Allies in the final months of World War II. Unlike the Free Belgian Forces which were raised in exile, the fusilier battalions were raised within Belgium after its Liberation from German occupation in September 1944. In total, 57 battalions (each numbered between 1-39 and 45-62) with a total of 53,700 men were raised between October 1944 and June 1945.