The Royal Welch Fusiliers ( cy, Ffiwsilwyr Brenhinol Cymreig) was a

line infantry Line infantry was the type of infantry that composed the basis of European land armies from the late 17th century to the mid-19th century. Maurice of Nassau and Gustavus Adolphus are generally regarded as its pioneers, while Turenne and Monte ...

regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales' Division, that was founded in 1689; shortly after the

Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...

. In 1702, it was designated a

fusilier Fusilier is a name given to various kinds of soldiers; its meaning depends on the historical context. While fusilier is derived from the 17th-century French language, French word ''fusil'' – meaning a type of flintlock musket – the term has ...

regiment and became the Welch Regiment of Fusiliers; the prefix "Royal" was added in 1713, then confirmed in 1714 when George I named it the Prince of Wales's Own Royal Regiment of Welsh Fusiliers. In 1751, after reforms that standardised the naming and numbering of regiments, it became the 23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welsh Fuzileers). In 1881, the final title of the regiment was adopted. It retained the archaic spelling of ''Welch'', instead of '' Welsh'', and ''Fuzileers'' for ''Fusiliers''; these were engraved on swords carried by regimental officers during the Napoleonic Wars. After the 1881

Childers Reforms The Childers Reforms of 1881 reorganised the infantry regiments of the British Army. The reforms were done by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers during 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell Reforms. The reorganisation was ...

, normal spelling was used officially, but "Welch" continued to be used informally until restored in 1920 by Army Order No.56. It should not be confused with the Welch Regiment, a different unit (formed in 1881 from the 41st and 69th) which recruited in South and West, rather than North Wales, and became part of the Royal Regiment of Wales or RRW in 1969. One of the few regiments to retain its original title, in March 2006 the Royal Welch Fusiliers was amalgamated with the RRW and became 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh, with RRW as the 2nd Battalion.

History

Formation; 1689 to 1773

The regiment was raised by Henry Herbert at Ludlow on 16 March 1689, following the 1688

and exile of

James II James II may refer to: * James II of Avesnes (died c. 1205), knight of the Fourth Crusade * James II of Majorca (died 1311), Lord of Montpellier * James II of Aragon (1267–1327), King of Sicily * James II, Count of La Marche (1370–1438), King C ...

.Frederick, pp. 302–6.RWF at Regiments.org.
/ref> It served throughout the 1689 to 1691 Williamite War in Ireland, including the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690, and the Battle of Aughrim in 1691 which brought the campaign to an end.Cannon, p. 13 It joined Allied forces fighting in the Nine Years War and at

Namur Namur (; ; nl, Namen ; wa, Nameur) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Namu ...

in August 1695, took part in the attack on the Terra Nova earthwork that inspired the song ' The British Grenadiers.' On the outbreak of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1702, it became the Welch Regiment of Fuzilieers; this denoted units equipped with light-weight muskets or 'fusils' used to protect the artillery, although the distinction later became obsolete. It served throughout Marlborough's campaigns in the Low Countries, including the battles of Schellenberg, Blenheim and Ramillies. In 1714, George I gave it the title of the Prince of Wales's Own Royal Regiment of Welsh Fusiliers. The next 28 years were spent on garrison duty in England and Scotland, until it returned to Flanders in 1742 for the War of the Austrian Succession. At Dettingen in June 1743, it rallied after being driven back by the elite French Maison du Roi cavalry; its steadiness was a major contribution to what is considered a fortunate victory. It incurred 323 casualties at Fontenoy in May 1745, before a brief period in Scotland during the

1745 Rising The Jacobite rising of 1745, also known as the Forty-five Rebellion or simply the '45 ( gd, Bliadhna Theàrlaich, , ), was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It took pl ...

. Over 240 members of the regiment were lost at Lauffeld in July 1747, a defeat that led to the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.Fortescue, p. 161 Colored Print Battle of Minden 1785

Following the 1751 reforms that standardised naming and numbering of regiments, it became the 23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welsh Fuzileers). In the opening battle of the Seven Years' War, it was part of the Minorca garrison that surrendered to the French in June 1756; given free passage to Gibraltar, from 1758 it campaigned in Germany. At

Minden Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the greatest town between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district (''Kreis'') of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detm ...

in August 1759, it was one of the infantry units that routed the French cavalry, an achievement still celebrated as Minden Day by their successor unit, the Royal Welsh. Between 1760 and 1762, it fought in the battles of Warburg, Kloster Kampen 1760 and

Wilhelmsthal Wilhelmsthal is a municipality in the district of Kronach in Bavaria, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, an ...

in June 1762, before the war ended with the

1763 Treaty of Paris The Treaty of Paris, also known as the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763 by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement, after Great Britain and Prussia's victory over France and Spain during the S ...

.Westlake, ''English & Welsh Regiments'', pp. 75–6 When the American Revolutionary War began in 1773, the regiment was posted to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. The

light infantry Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often fought ...

and

grenadier A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word '' grenade'') was originally a specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in battle. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when grenadiers were recruited fr ...

companies took heavy losses at the

Battle of Bunker Hill The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peripherally involved in ...

in June 1775; it participated in nearly every campaign up to the Siege of Yorktown in September 1781. At Yorktown, it was the only British regiment not to surrender its colours, which were smuggled out by a junior officer. In the early stages of the French Revolutionary Wars, it was posted to the West Indies in 1794 and participated in the 1795 capture of

Port-au-Prince Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...

before returning home in 1796. As part of the expeditionary force assigned to the 1799

Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland The Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland (or Anglo-Russian expedition to Holland, or Helder Expedition) was a military campaign from 27 August to 19 November 1799 during the War of the Second Coalition, in which an expeditionary force of British and ...

, it fought at

Alkmaar Alkmaar () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland, about 30 km north of Amsterdam. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination. The ...

in October 1799.

19th century

Apart from Egypt and the

Battle of Alexandria Battle of Alexandria, Raid on Alexandria, or Siege of Alexandria may refer to one of these military operations fought in or near the city of Alexandria, Egypt: * Siege of Alexandria (169 BC), during the Syrian Wars * Siege of Alexandria (47 BC), ...

in 1801 and the Invasion of Martinique in 1809 the regiment saw little action in the Napoleonic Wars until being sent to the

Peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

in 1810. Between 1811 and 1814, it fought in many of Wellington's actions, including the battles of

Albuera La Albuera is a village southeast of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. it had a population of c. 2,000 inhabitants. History It was scene of the Battle of Albuera (16 May 1811) between Spanish, Portuguese and British troops under William Carr Ber ...

, Badajoz, Salamanca, Nivelle and Toulouse. At the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, it was part of Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Mitchell's 4th Brigade in the 4th Infantry Division. In the nineteenth century, the regiment took part in the Crimean War, the

Second Opium War The Second Opium War (), also known as the Second Anglo-Sino War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a colonial war lasting from 1856 to 1860, which pitted the British Empire and the French Emp ...

, the

Indian Mutiny The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...

and the Third Anglo-Burmese War. The

Cardwell Reforms The Cardwell Reforms were a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell between 1868 and 1874 with the support of Liberal prime minister William Ewart Gladstone. Gladstone paid little attention ...

of 1872 linked most infantry regiments in pairs, but because the 23rd already had two battalions it was unaffected. Cardwell also introduced 'Localisation of the Forces', which established permanent regimental depots in county towns and brigaded the regular regiments with their local Militia and Volunteer battalions. For the 23rd, this included:''Army List'', various dates. * 23rd Brigade Depot at

Hightown Barracks Hightown Barracks is a military installation in Wrexham, Wales. History The barracks were built in the Fortress Gothic Revival Style and completed in 1877. Their creation took place as part of the Cardwell Reforms which encouraged the locali ...

in Wrexham from 1873 * Royal Anglesey Light Infantry – ''converted to Engineers in 1877''Frederick, pp. 162–4. *

Royal Flint Rifles The Flintshire Militia, later the Royal Flint Rifles was an auxiliary regiment reorganised in the Welsh county of Flintshire during the 18th Century from earlier precursor units. Primarily intended for home defence, it served in all of Britain ...

Royal Denbigh and Merioneth Rifles The Denbighshire Militia, later the Royal Denbighshire Rifles was an auxiliary regiment reorganised in the Welsh county of Denbighshire during the 18th Century from earlier precursor units. Primarily intended for home defence, it provided a con ...

* Royal Carnarvon Rifles *

1st Administrative Battalion, Denbighshire Rifle Volunteers The 1st Denbighshire Rifle Volunteers, later 4th (Denbighshire) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers, was a Welsh unit of the British Army's auxiliary forces. First raised in 1860, it served as a pioneer battalion with the 47th (2nd London) Division o ...

Westlake, ''Rifle Volunteers'', pp. 57–8.4th Bn RWF at Regiments.org.
/ref> * 1st Administrative Battalion, Flintshire & Carnarvonshire Rifle VolunteersWestlake, ''Rifle Volunteers'', pp. 37–8.Carnarvonshire & Anglesey Volunteers at Regiments.org.
/ref>Westlake, ''Rifle Volunteers'', pp. 89–90.
/ref> The

of 1881 took Cardwell's reforms further. The regiments were given names rather than numbers the regiment officially became The Royal Welsh Fusiliers on 1 July 1881, although "Welch" was used informally until restored in 1920 by Army Order No.56. The depot became the 23rd Regimental District depot, and the militia and volunteers became numbered battalions of their linked regiment (though the Royal Flint Rifles joined the

King's Royal Rifle Corps The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United St ...

): * 3rd (Royal Denbigh and Merioneth Militia) Battalion – ''3rd (Royal Denbigh and Flint Militia) Battalion from 1889'' * 4th (Royal Carnarvon Militia) Battalion – ''4th (Royal Carnarvon and Merioneth Militia) Battalion from 1889'' *

1st Volunteer Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers The 1st Denbighshire Rifle Volunteers, later 4th (Denbighshire) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers, was a Welsh unit of the British Army's auxiliary forces. First raised in 1860, it served as a pioneer battalion with the 47th (2nd London) Division o ...

– ''from 1st Denbighshire Volunteers *

2nd Volunteer Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers The 1st Flintshire Rifle Volunteers, later 5th (Flintshire) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers, was a Welsh unit of the British Army's auxiliary forces. First raised in 1860, it fought as infantry at Gallipoli), in Egypt and Palestine during World ...

– ''from 1st Flintshire & Carnarvon Volunteers *

3rd Volunteer Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers The 6th (Caernarvonshire & Anglesey) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers, was a Welsh unit of the British Army's auxiliary forces. Formed in 1908, from Volunteer units that dated back to 1860, it fought at Gallipoli), in Egypt and Palestine during ...

– ''formed in 1897 from the Carnarvonshire companies of the 2nd VB'' The 1st battalion served in the 1899 to 1902 Second Boer War; the 2nd battalion was stationed at Hong Kong until October 1902, when they transferred to India and were stationed at Chakrata. The 2nd battalion served in the multinational force involved in the

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...

in China in 1900. They fought alongside the United States Marine Corps (see pages 32-33 in official USMC paper published in 1995).

20th century

5th_Battalion,_Royal_Welsh_Fusiliers_Cigarette_Card

The

Haldane Reforms The Haldane Reforms were a series of far-ranging reforms of the British Army made from 1906 to 1912, and named after the Secretary of State for War, Richard Burdon Haldane. They were the first major reforms since the " Childers Reforms" of the ...

of 1908 converted the remaining Militia into the Special Reserve (SR) and the Volunteers into the Territorial Force (TF). The battalions were now numbered sequentially within their regiment. The TF battalions of the RWF were given subtitles in 1909: * 3rd (Reserve) Battalion (SR) at Poyser Street in Wrexham * 4th (Denbighshire) Battalion (TF) at Poyser Street, Wrexham * 5th (Flintshire) Battalion (TF) at Castle Precinct in Flint (since demolished) * 6th (Carnarvonshire & Anglesey) Battalion (TF) at Caernarfon Barracks in Caernarfon * 7th (Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire) Battalion (TF) at Back Lane Drill Hall in

Newtown, Montgomeryshire Newtown ( cy, Y Drenewydd) is a town in Powys, Wales. It lies on the River Severn in the community of Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn, within the historic boundaries of Montgomeryshire. It was designated a new town in 1967 and saw population grow ...

– ''transferred from the South Wales Borderers''Westlake, ''Rifle Volunteers'', p. 185.Merionethshire & Montgomeryshire Volunteers at Regiments.org.
/ref> The four TF Battalions constituted the North Wales Brigade in the

Welsh Division The 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought in both the First and Second World Wars. Originally raised in 1908 as the Welsh Division, part of the Territorial Force (TF), the division saw service in ...

.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 117–23.Royal Welsh Fusiliers at Long, Long Trail.
/ref>53rd (Welsh) Division at Long, Long Trail.
/ref>

First World War; Regular Army

The 1st and 2nd battalions served on the

Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers *Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...

from 1914 to 1918 and took part in some of the hardest fighting of the war, including

Mametz Wood The Mametz Wood Memorial commemorates an engagement of the 38th (Welsh) Division of the British Army during the First Battle of the Somme in France in 1916. The memorial The memorial, erected in 1987 by Welsh sculptor David Petersen, is a ...

in 1916 and Passchendaele or Third Ypres in 1917.James, pp. 66–8. Claims in 2008 they participated in the semi-mythical Christmas 1914 Football Game with the Germans have since been disproved. A number of writers fought with the regiment in France and recorded their experiences; David Thomas (killed 1916),

Robert Graves Captain Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was a British poet, historical novelist and critic. His father was Alfred Perceval Graves, a celebrated Irish poet and figure in the Gaelic revival; they were both Celtic ...

and

Siegfried Sassoon Siegfried Loraine Sassoon (8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967) was an English war poet, writer, and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World War. His poetry both describ ...

all served with the 1st Battalion. John Bernard Pye Adams, a captain with the 1st Battalion, was wounded in 1916, and while on medical leave, wrote ''Nothing of Importance'', his recollections of trench life. Adams did not live to see its publication — after returning to the front in January 1917, he died in action a month later. His book, published a few months after his death, was the only memoir of trench experiences published in Great Britain during the war and was well-received by both '' The Times and the ''

Daily Telegraph Daily or The Daily may refer to: Journalism * Daily newspaper, newspaper issued on five to seven day of most weeks * ''The Daily'' (podcast), a podcast by ''The New York Times'' * ''The Daily'' (News Corporation), a defunct US-based iPad new ...

''. J C Dunn, a medical officer with the 2nd Battalion who had also served in the 1899–1902 Boer War, published ''The War the Infantry Knew'' in 1931. A collection of letters and diary entries from over 50 individuals, it is considered a classic by military historians for its treatment of daily life and death in the trenches. '' Good-Bye to All That'' by Robert Graves was first published in 1929 and has never been out of print; in one anecdote, he records the Regimental Goat Major being charged with 'prostituting the Royal Goat' in return for a stud fee. Graves also edited ''Old Soldiers Never Die'', published in 1933; a rare example of the war seen by an ordinary soldier, it was written by Frank Richards, a pre-war regular recalled in 1914, who served on the Western Front until the end of the war. The poets David Jones and Hedd Wyn, killed at Passchendaele in 1917, were members of Kitchener battalions. Hedd Wyn Grave at Artillery Wood Cemetery 7

Hedd Wyn Grave at Artillery Wood Cemetery 7

First World War; Territorial and War Service

The TF battalions raised 2nd and 3rd Line battalions; in addition, the regiment raised over a dozen 'war service' battalions, informally known as

Kitchener Kitchener may refer to: People * Earl Kitchener, a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom ** Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener (1850–1916), British Field Marshal and 1st Earl Kitchener ** Henry Kitchener, 2nd Earl Kitchener (1846–1937) ...

or Pals battalions. The 4th (Denbighshire) Battalion was one of the first TF units to see active service, landing in France in November 1914, where it remained until January 1919. Between 1915 and 1918, another 10 Royal Welch Kitchener battalions also fought on the

, including the battles of Loos, the Somme and Passchendaele; a number of these were disbanded in early 1918 due to manpower shortages. The poets David Jones and Hedd Wyn served with The 11th (Service) Battalion landed in Salonika in November 1915, where it remained for the duration of the war. The 5th, 6th, 7th Territorial battalions fought at

Gallipoli The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...

as part of the

53rd (Welsh) Division The 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought in both the First and Second World Wars. Originally raised in 1908 as the Welsh Division, part of the Territorial Force (TF), the division saw service in ...

; by January 1916, it contained 162 officers and 2,428 men, approximately 15% of full strength. The 8th Kitchener Battalion was also at Gallipoli as part of

13th (Western) Division The 13th (Western) Division was one of the Kitchener's Army divisions in the First World War, raised from volunteers by Lord Kitchener. It fought at Gallipoli, in Mesopotamia (including the capture of Baghdad) and Persia. War service 1914– ...

. They remained in the Middle East until the end of the war, the 53rd (Welsh) taking part in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign and the 13th (Western) in the Mesopotamian campaign.

Interwar

The TF was reformed in 1920 and reorganised as the Territorial Army (TA) the following year. In 1938 the 5th (Flintshire) Battalion was converted into

60th (Royal Welch Fusiliers) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery The 1st Flintshire Rifle Volunteers, later 5th (Flintshire) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers, was a Wales, Welsh unit of the British Army's auxiliary forces. First raised in 1860, it fought as infantry at Gallipoli campaign, Gallipoli), in Sultan ...

. Just before the outbreak of World War II the Territorial Army was doubled in size and the battalions created duplicates: * 8th (Denbighshire) Battalion – ''from the 4th Bn'' * 9th (Caernarvonshire & Anglesey) Battalion – ''from the 6th Bn'' * 10th (Merionethshire & Montgomeryshire) Battalion – ''from the 7th Bn'' * 70th Anti-Tank Regiment – ''from the 60th Rgt; granted Royal Welch Fusiliers subtitle in 1942)''

Second World War; Regular Army

The regiment was awarded 27 battle honours for World War II, with more than 1,200 fusiliers killed in action or died of wounds. The British Army in France 1940 F2913

During the Second World War, the 1st Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers was a Regular Army unit and part of the 6th Infantry Brigade, assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division. It served in France in 1940 with the British Expeditionary Force. The battalion fought in the short but fierce battles of France and Belgium and was forced to retreat and be evacuated during the

Dunkirk evacuation The Dunkirk evacuation, codenamed Operation Dynamo and also known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, or just Dunkirk, was the evacuation of more than 338,000 Allied soldiers during the Second World War from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, in the ...

. After two years spent in the United Kingdom, waiting and preparing for the invasion that never came ( Operation Sea Lion), the 1st RWF and the rest of 2nd Division were sent to British India to fight the Imperial Japanese Army after a string of defeats inflicted upon the British and Indian troops. The battalion was involved in the Burma Campaign, particularly the Battle of Kohima, nicknamed ''

Stalingrad Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stal ...

of the East'' due to the ferocity of fighting on both sides, that helped to turn the tide of the campaign in the

South East Asian theatre The South-East Asian Theatre of World War II consisted of the campaigns of the Pacific War in the Commonwealth of the Philippines, Philippines, Thailand, Dutch East Indies, Indonesia, Indochina, British rule in Burma, Burma, British Raj, India ...

. The 2nd Battalion was part of 29th Independent Infantry Brigade throughout the war. In 1942, it fought in the Battle of Madagascar, then part of Vichy French, before being transferred to the

South-East Asian Theatre The South-East Asian Theatre of World War II consisted of the campaigns of the Pacific War in the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Indochina, Burma, India, Malaya and Singapore between 1941 to 1945. Japan attacked British and American terr ...

. In 1944, the battalion and brigade became part of

36th British Infantry Division The 36th Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during the Second World War. The division was subsequently redesignated as a British Army formation, the 36th Infantry Division in September 1944. It served in India an ...

, previously an Indian Army formation. The British Army in Burma 1944 SE2889

Both battalions came under the command of

Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Bill Slim Field Marshal William Joseph Slim, 1st Viscount Slim, (6 August 1891 – 14 December 1970), usually known as Bill Slim, was a British military commander and the 13th Governor-General of Australia. Slim saw active service in both the First an ...

, commander of the

British Fourteenth Army The British Fourteenth Army was a multi-national force comprising units from Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries during the World War II, Second World War. As well as British Army units, many of its units were from the British Indian ...

. This was known as the 'Forgotten Fourteenth,' allegedly because it fought in a theatre that seemed largely unnoticed and had little importance to the war.

Second World War; Territorial and War Service

The 4th, 6th and 7th Battalions, all Territorial units, served in 158th (Royal Welch) Brigade assigned to the

53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division The 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought in both the First and Second World Wars. Originally raised in 1908 as the Welsh Division, part of the Territorial Force (TF), the division saw service in ...

. They took part in the Battle of Normandy at Hill 112, where the 53rd Division suffered heavy casualties. Due to heavy fighting and casualties in Normandy, some of the battalions were posted to different brigades within the division. The 53rd again suffered heavily during Operation Veritable (the Battle of the Reichswald) under command of the

First Canadian Army The First Canadian Army (french: 1reArmée canadienne) was a field army and a formation of the Canadian Army in World War II in which most Canadian elements serving in North-West Europe were assigned. It served on the Western Front from July 1944 ...

, in which action the British and Canadians, and the 53rd Division in particular, endured some of the fiercest fighting of the entire European Campaign against German paratroops. The 8th, 9th and 10th Battalions were 2nd Line Territorial battalions raised in 1939 as duplicates of the 4th, 6th and 7th Battalions respectively. The battalions initially served in the 115th (Royal Welch Fusiliers) Brigade,

38th (Welsh) Division The 38th (Welsh) Division (initially the 43rd Division, later the 38th (Welsh) Infantry Division and then the 38th Infantry (Reserve) Division) of the British Army was active during both the First and Second World Wars. In 1914, the division w ...

, itself a 2nd Line duplicate of the 53rd (Welsh) Division. The 8th and 9th battalions never saw action abroad, remaining in the UK throughout the war in a training role, supplying trained replacements to units overseas. In this capacity, the 9th battalion served with the 80th Infantry (Reserve) Division and the 38th Infantry (Reserve) Division. The British Army in North-west Europe 1944-45 B12617

The British Army in North-west Europe 1944-45 B12617

In the summer of 1942, the 10th battalion was converted into the 6th (Royal Welch) Battalion, Parachute Regiment. The 6th Parachute Battalion was assigned to the

2nd Parachute Brigade The 2nd Parachute Brigade was an airborne forces brigade formed by the British Army during the Second World War. The 2nd Parachute Brigade was the second parachute infantry brigade to be formed by the British Army in 1942; it was initially pa ...

, alongside the

4th Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...

and

5th Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a contagious rash tha ...

Parachute battalions, originally part of the

1st Airborne Division 1st Division may refer to: Military Airborne divisions *1st Parachute Division (Germany) *1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom) *1st Airmobile Division (Ukraine) *1st Guards Airborne Division Armoured divisions *1st Armoured Division (Australi ...

. The battalion played a small part in the Allied invasion of Italy during Operation Slapstick, an amphibious landing aimed at capturing the port of Taranto. After that, the 2nd Para Brigade became an independent brigade group. The brigade took part in

Operation Dragoon Operation Dragoon (initially Operation Anvil) was the code name for the landing operation of the Allied invasion of Provence (Southern France) on 15August 1944. Despite initially designed to be executed in conjunction with Operation Overlord, th ...

, the Allied invasion of Southern France, being the only British troops to do so (see

2nd Parachute Brigade in Southern France The British 2nd Parachute Brigade (United Kingdom), 2nd Parachute Brigade was part of the Operation Rugby airborne landings in August 1944. The operation was carried out by an ad hoc airborne formation called the 1st Airborne Task Force. Operat ...

). In late 1944, the brigade was sent to Greece to support pro-Western forces in the

Greek Civil War The Greek Civil War ( el, ο Eμφύλιος �όλεμος ''o Emfýlios'' 'Pólemos'' "the Civil War") took place from 1946 to 1949. It was mainly fought against the established Kingdom of Greece, which was supported by the United Kingdom ...

, a forgotten but brutal episode now seen as the first act of the post-1945

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

. In 1938, the 5th Battalion transferred to the Royal Artillery as 60th Anti-Tank Regiment and in 1939, added a 2nd-Line duplicate, 70th Anti-Tank Regiment. Unlike 1914–1918, there were relatively few service battalions, one being 11th (Home Defence) Battalion, raised in 1939 as part of the Home Guard. Formed in 1940, the 12th battalion became

116th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery The 116th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (116th LAA Rgt) was a Welsh mobile air defence unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery (RA) during World War II. It served with the 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division in the campaign in North West Europe. O ...

in January 1942 and served with

until disbanded in December 1944.

Post Second World War

The 2nd Battalion Royal Welch remained overseas after the Second World War, with a posting to Burma (still a colony until 4 January 1948) and performed internal security duties. On 7 March 1947 a party aboard a train were ambushed by bandits and seven soldiers were killed. The regiment did not take part in the Gulf War, but did perform several tours in Northern Ireland ( Operation Banner) before being deployed to the Balkans. During the Yugoslav Wars, the regiment came to attention when 33 of their men and 350 other UN servicemen part of UNPROFOR were taken hostage by Bosnian Serbs at

Goražde Goražde ( cyrl, Горажде, ) is a city and the administrative center of Bosnian-Podrinje Canton Goražde of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of Drina river. As of 2 ...

on 28 May 1995. The situation caused some political debate as the UN troops had been given orders only to "deter attacks" and did not have a mandate or adequate equipment to fully defend the mainly Muslim town of Goražde, which was initially declared "safe" by the UN, thus rendering them exposed when armed members of the Army of Republika Srpska ( Bosnian Serb Army) ignored the NATO ultimatum and attacked the town without warning. The regiment managed to hold off the Bosnian Serbs until they were forced to retreat into bunkers – those who did not make it quickly enough were taken hostage – and remained trapped underground while BiH Army reinforcements arrived and fought back. The

commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...

, Lt Col Jonathon Riley (later promoted to Lieutenant General), broke with protocol and directly reported to then Prime Minister

John Major Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, and as Member of Parliament ...

about the situation over the phone while in the bunker. All the men were eventually safely rescued. An unprecedented five gallantry awards, seven

mentions in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

and two Queen's Commendations for Valuable Service were awarded to the regiment. Although the incident was largely unreported at that time, the regiment was credited in hindsight by observers for saving the town from a possible genocide—after failing to take Goražde, the Bosnian Serbs continued south to Srebrenica, where they would massacre over 8,000

Bosniak The Bosniaks ( bs, Bošnjaci, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia, which is today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who share a common Bosnian ancestry, cu ...

Amalgamation

It was one of only five line infantry regiments never to have been amalgamated in its entire history, the others being The Royal Scots,

The Green Howards The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment), frequently known as the Yorkshire Regiment until the 1920s, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, in the King's Division. Raised in 1688, it served under vario ...

, The Cheshire Regiment, and The King's Own Scottish Borderers. However, in 2004, it was announced that, as part of the restructuring of the infantry, the Royal Welch Fusiliers would merge with the Royal Regiment of Wales to form a new large regiment, the Royal Welsh. To honour the links between the regiment and the United States Marine Corps on the 16 September 1945 a set of Marine colours were presented to the regiment at the parish church in Wrexham to commemorate their close connection (see page 32 in official USMC paper published in 1995). The regiment has a chapel within St Giles Parish Church Wrexham containing their colours and other items. There is an image available taken in 2013.

Regimental museum

The Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum is located in Caernarfon, Wales.

Battle honours

The regiment was awarded the following battle honours: *Namur 1695, Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde, Malplaquet, Dettingen, Minden, Egypt *''Peninsular War'': Corunna, Martinique 1809,

Albuhera The Battle of Albuera (16 May 1811) was a battle during the Peninsular War. A mixed British, Spanish and Portuguese corps engaged elements of the French Armée du Midi (Army of the South) at the small Spanish village of Albuera, about south ...

, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Orthes, Toulouse, Peninsula *''Napoleonic War'':

Waterloo Waterloo most commonly refers to: * Battle of Waterloo, a battle on 18 June 1815 in which Napoleon met his final defeat * Waterloo, Belgium, where the battle took place. Waterloo may also refer to: Other places Antarctica *King George Island (S ...

* ''Crimean War'': Alma, Inkerman, Sevastopol * Lucknow, Ashantee 1873–1874, Burma 1885–1887, Relief of Ladysmith, South Africa 1899–1902, Pekin 1900 *''First World War'':

Mons Mons (; German and nl, Bergen, ; Walloon and pcd, Mont) is a city and municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the province of Hainaut, Belgium. Mons was made into a fortified city by Count Baldwin IV of Hainaut in the 12th century. T ...

, Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914 '18, La Bassée 1914, Messines 1914 '17 '18, Armentières 1914, Ypres 1914 '17 '18, Langemarck 1914 '17, Gheluvelt, Givenchy 1914, Neuve Chapelle, Aubers, Festubert 1915, Loos, Somme 1916 '18, Albert 1916 '18, Bazentin, Delville Wood, Pozières, Guillemont, Flers-Courcelette, Morval, Le Transloy, Ancre Heights, Ancre 1916 '18, Arras 1917, Scarpe 1917, Arleux, Bullecourt, Pilckem, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Cambrai 1917 '18, St. Quentin, Bapaume 1918, Lys, Bailleul, Kemmel, Scherpenberg, Hindenburg Line, Havrincourt, Épéhy, St. Quentin Canal, Beaurevoir, Selle, Valenciennes, Sambre, France and Flanders 1914–1918, Piave, Vittorio Veneto, Italy 1917–1918, Doiran 1917 '18, Macedonia 1915–1918, Suvla, Sari Bair, Landing at Suvla, Scimitar Hill, Gallipoli 1915–1916, Rumani, Egypt 1915–1917, Gaza, El Mughar, Jerusalem, Jericho, Tell 'Asur, Megiddo, Nablus, Palestine 1917–1918, Tigris 1916, Kut al Amara 1917, Baghdad, Mesopotamia 1916–1918 *''Second World War'': Dyle, Defence of Escaut, St. Omer-La Bassée, Caen, Esquay, Falaise, Nederrijn, Lower Maas, Venlo Pocket, Ourthe, Rhineland, Reichswald, Goch, Weeze, Rhine, Ibbenburen, Aller, North-West Europe 1940 '44–45, Madagascar, Middle East 1942, Donbaik, North Arakan, Kohima, Mandalay, Ava, Burma 1943–1945

Victoria Crosses

The following members of the regiment were awarded the Victoria Cross: * Captain Edward William Derrington Bell, Crimean War (20 September 1854) * Lieutenant Thomas Bernard Hackett, Indian Rebellion of 1857 (18 November 1857) * Company Sergeant Major

Frederick Barter Captain Frederick Barter VC MC (17 January 1891 – 15 May 1952) was a British Army officer and a Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to ...

, First World War (16 May 1915) * Corporal

John Collins John Collins may refer to: Arts and entertainment * John Collins (poet) (1742–1808), English orator, singer, and poet * John Churton Collins (1848–1908), English literary critic * John H. Collins (director) (1889–1918), American director an ...

, First World War (31 October 1917) * Corporal

James Llewellyn Davies James Llewellyn Davies VC (16 March 1886 – 31 July 1917) was a Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Da ...

, First World War (31 July 1917) * Corporal

Joseph John Davies Staff-Sergeant Joseph John Davies (28 April 1889 − 16 February 1976) was a British Army soldier and a British recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awar ...

, First World War (20 July 1916) * Lt-Colonel Charles Doughty-Wylie, First World War (26 April 1915) * Private Albert Hill, First World War (20 July 1916) * Colour-Sergeant

Luke O'Connor Major-General Sir Luke O'Connor, (20 January 1831 – 1 February 1915) was an Irish soldier who served in the British Army. He was the first soldier to receive the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy. ...

, Crimean War (20 September 1854) * Lance-Sergeant

William Herbert Waring William Herbert Waring VC MM (13 October 1885 – 8 October 1918) was a Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth f ...

, First World War (18 September 1918) * Lance-Corporal Henry Weale, First World War (26 August 1918)

Colonels-in-Chief

The Colonels-in-Chief of the Regiment were: *1901: King George V *1936:

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...

*1953:

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

Regimental Colonels

The Colonels of the Regiment were: *1689: Col. Henry Herbert, 4th Baron Herbert of Chirbury *1689–1691: Col. Charles Herbert *1691–1692: Col.

Toby Purcell Toby Purcell or Tobias Purcell was an Irish soldier in the Williamite War in Ireland. He served in the forces of William of Orange during the conflict. Purcell was in command of the garrison of Newry in 1689, when it was attacked by a Jacobite ...

*1692–1693: Col. Sir John Morgan, 2nd Baronet *1693–1705: Lt-Gen. Richard Ingoldsby ;The Royal Regiment of Welch Fuzileers (1723) *1705–1739: Gen. Joseph Sabine *1739–1743: Col. Newsham Peers *1743–1761: Gen. John Huske *1761–1775: Lt-Gen. Hon George Boscawen *1775–1786: Gen. Sir William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, KB *1786–1823: Gen.

Richard Grenville Sir Richard Grenville (15 June 1542 – 10 September 1591), also spelt Greynvile, Greeneville, and Greenfield, was an English privateer and explorer. Grenville was lord of the manors of Stowe, Cornwall and Bideford, Devon. He subsequently ...

*1823–1851: Gen. Sir James Willoughby Gordon, Bt., GCB, GCH *1851–1855: Lt-Gen. Sir George Charles D'Aguilar, KCB *1855–1860: Lt-Gen.

Henry Rainey Henry Thomas Rainey (August 20, 1860 – August 19, 1934) was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party from Illinois, he served in the United States House of Representatives from 1903 to 1921 and from 1923 to his death. He rose t ...

, CB, KH *1860–1875: Gen. Sir William Codrington, GCB *1875–1898: Gen.

Charles Crutchley Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

;The Royal Welsh Fusiliers (1881) *1898–1910: Gen. Sir Edward Earle Gascoigne Bulwer, GCB *1910–1914: Maj-Gen. Hon. Sir Savage Lloyd Mostyn, KCB *1914–1915: Maj-Gen. Sir

, VC, KCB ;The Royal Welch Fusiliers (1921) *1915–1926: Lt-Gen. Sir Francis Lloyd, GCVO, KCB, DSO *1926–1938: Lt-Gen. Sir

Charles Macpherson Dobell Lieutenant General Sir Charles Macpherson Dobell (22 June 1869 – 17 October 1954) was a Canadian soldier who served with the Royal Welch Fusiliers of the British Army. Career Born in Quebec City, the son of Richard Reid Dobell, an MP, and a g ...

, KCB, CMG, DSO *1938–1942: Maj-Gen. John Randle Minshull-Ford, CB, DSO, MC *1942–1947: Maj-Gen. Nigel Maitland Wilson, CB, DSO, OBE *1947–1948: Brig. Llewellyn Augustus Arthur Alston, CBE, DSO, MC *1948–1952: Brig. Sir Eric Ommanney Skaife, CB, OBE *1952–1965: Maj-Gen. Sir

Hugh Charles Stockwell General Sir Hugh Charles Stockwell, (16 June 1903 – 27 November 1986) was a senior British Army officer most remembered for commanding the Anglo-French ground forces during the Suez Crisis and his service as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Eur ...

, KBE, CB, DSO *1965–1974: Col. John Edward Theodore Willes, MBE *1974–1984: Maj-Gen. Peter Raymond Leuchars, CBE *1984–1990: Brig. Anthony Chester Vivian, CBE *1990–1997: Maj-Gen. Richard Morgan Llewellyn, CB, OBE *1997–2001: Brig. David John Ross, CBE *2001–2005: Maj-Gen. Brian Peter Plummer, CBE *2005–2006: Maj-Gen. Jonathon Peter Riley, DSO *''2006: Regiment amalgamated with The Royal Regiment of Wales to form

The Royal Welsh The Royal Welsh (R WELSH) ( cy, Y Cymry Brenhinol) is an armoured infantry regiment of the British Army. It was established in 2006 from the Royal Welch Fusiliers (23rd Foot) and the Royal Regiment of Wales (24th/41st Foot). History The ...

Regimental mascot

As with the Royal Regiment of Wales, the regiment traditionally had a goat, never called a mascot. The tradition dated back to at least 1775, and possibly to the regiment's formation. The goat was always named 'Billy'.

Uniform

Soldiers of this regiment were distinguishable by the unique feature of the "flash", consisting of five overlapping black silk ribbons (seven inches long for soldiers and nine inches long for officers) on the back of the uniform jacket at neck level. This is a legacy of the days when it was normal for soldiers to wear pigtails. In 1808, this practice was discontinued but when the order was issued the RWF were serving in Nova Scotia and had not received the instruction when the regiment departed to join an expedition to the West Indies. In 1834 the officers of the 23rd Foot were finally granted permission by William IV to wear this non-regulation item as a distinction on the full dress uniform as "a peculiarity whereby to mark the dress of that distinguished regiment". This was extended to all ranks in 1900. Khaki service dress replaced the scarlet tunic as the principal uniform, and the Army Council attempted to remove the flash during the First World War, citing the grounds that it would help the Germans identify which unit was facing them. As Fusilier officer

reported, "the regiment retorted by inquiring on what occasion since the retreat from Corunna, when the regiment was the last to leave Spain, with the keys of the town postern in the pocket of one of its officers, had any of His Majesty's enemies seen the back of a Royal Welch Fusilier?," and the matter remained "in abeyance throughout the war." The efforts of the regiment to retain the distinction was further reinforced at a medal ceremony when King George V saw an officer of the regiment in the line. He ordered an About Turn and seeing the flash still on the tunic said '' sotto voce'', "don't ever let anyone take it from you!" The wearing of the flash on service dress was extended to other ranks in 1924. As a

regiment, the RWF wore a hackle, which consisted of a plume of white feathers mounted behind the cap-badge of the modern beret. The full dress of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, as worn by the entire regiment until 1914, included a racoon-skin hat (bearskin for officers) with a white hackle and a scarlet tunic with the dark blue facings of a Royal regiment. This uniform continued to be worn by the RWF's Corps of Drums and the Regimental Pioneers until the merger of 2006.

Notes

Bibliography

* * Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2a: The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56)'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1935/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, . * * * Col John K. Dunlop, ''The Development of the British Army 1899–1914'', London: Methuen, 1938. * J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, . * J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol II, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, . * * * * Edward M. Spiers, ''The Army and Society 1815–1914'', London: Longmans, 1980, . * Ray Westlake, ''Tracing the Rifle Volunteers'', Barnsley: Pen and Sword, 2010, . *