# A new Regiment, The Royal Welsh



## big bad john (2 Mar 2006)

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/HistoryAndHonour/StDavidsDayBringsFormationOfNewRegimentInWales.htm

St David's Day brings formation of new Regiment in Wales
1 Mar 06 
St David's Day 2006 heralds a new era for the Army as a new Regiment, The Royal Welsh, brings together the Infantry in Wales.


The new cap badge of the Royal Welsh
Picture: Army
Formed from the Royal Welch Fusiliers, The Royal Regiment of Wales and the Royal Welsh Regiment, the Royal Welsh embraces over six hundred years of tradition and offers an exciting and varied new opportunity for Wales’s soldiers, both Regular and Territorial, and Army Cadets. 

History was made on the afternoon of 1 March 2006 at St David’s Hall, Cardiff when a Drumhead Service was held to inaugurate the new Regiment. The Service saw the whole Regiment come together to honour the past service, commitment, sacrifices and traditions of the Regiments and focus them into the future of The Royal Welsh.

900 Regular and Territorial Army soldiers and Army Cadets were on parade, together with Regimental Goat Mascots, the Regimental Pioneers, the Regimental Band and Drums and Regimental Comrades and Standards.

Brigadier Roddy Porter MBE, Colonel of the Regiment, said:

"The Formation of The Royal Welsh today, Saint David’s Day 2006, is a unique and significant occasion for the Army in Wales. We want to dedicate ourselves publicly to following in the footsteps of our predecessor’s faithful and professional service and thank them for the heritage they gave us. 

"We look forward to our future as the Infantry Regiment of Wales and to the many opportunities that will arise to make our Nation proud."


The new Officers / Warrant Officers cloth cap badge
Picture: Army
Soldiers from across the seven Battalions of The Royal Welsh, marched through Cardiff, past the castle to City Hall, where a Salute was taken by the Right Honourable The Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Councillor Freda Salway and Brigadier Roddy Porter. 

The parade, numbering around 250 personnel, will be led by the Regimental Goat Mascots, the Regimental Pioneers and the Regimental Band and Drums. The saluting dais will be lined by Standards carried by Regimental Comrades.



The Battalions of the Regiment are serving as follows:

1st Battalion: Aldershot, moving to Cyprus in March/ April. 
2nd Battalion: Tidworth, Wiltshire. 
3rd Battalion: TA Battalion based across Wales.
Titles in respect of the newly formed regiment are:

1st Battalion The Royal Welsh (The Royal Welch Fusiliers) 
2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh (The Royal Regiment of Wales) 
3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh 
Clwyd Army Cadet Force (4th Cadet Battalion The Royal Welsh) 
Glamorgan Counties Army Cadet Force (5th Cadet Battalion The Royal Welsh) 
Gwynedd Army Cadet Force (6th Cadet Battalion The Royal Welsh) 
Gwent Army Cadet Force (7th Cadet Battalion The Royal Welsh)


Former titles of the regiments were:

The Royal Welch Fusiliers 
The Royal Regiment of Wales (24th/ 41st Foot) 
The Royal Welsh Regiment 

The new cap badge, with hackle, for soldiers of the Royal Welsh
Picture: Army
The Antecedent Regiments 

The Royal Welsh is a union of three Regiments, two of long standing and one much newer. They are The Royal Welch Fusiliers, The Royal Regiment of Wales (24th/ 41st Foot) and the Royal Welsh Regiment.

The Royal Welch Fusiliers, 23rd Foot, was one of the five longest serving unamalgamated Regiments of the British Army, having been formed by Royal Warrant in 1689 by Henry, 4th Lord Herbert of Cherbury at Ludlow, for service in Ireland. They have served with distinction in all the major wars and campaigns since then, from the Battle of the Boyne to the campaigns of Marlborough and Wellington, the Crimea and both World Wars and into the present in NI, Bosnia and Iraq. The first of its 14 Victoria Crosses was won by Sgt Luke O’Connor at the Battle of the Alma in 1854; he was immediately commissioned in the field and later became Colonel of the Regiment. The Regiment raised 42 Battalions for the First World War and 13 for the Second, serving across the theatres of war.

The RWF had a number of distinctions, including: the highly distinctive Flash, black ribbons dating from the abolition of the queue in 1808, worn on the collar of the jacket; the fusilier grenade worn on the cap and collar badge; and the hackle, another mark of a Fusilier Regiment. Its Officers and Sergeants were exempt from standing to toast the monarch, having been granted this distinction by King George IV, following their demonstration of loyalty to the Crown at the time of the Mutiny at the Nore in 1797.


The Royal Regiment of Wales was an amalgamation of The South Wales Borderers and the Welch Regiment, founded in 1689 and 1719 respectively. Raised in Pluckley by Sir Edward Dering, the South Wales Borderers, designated the 24th Foot, fought in Marlborough’s Wars, for much of the time with the Duke as Colonel of the Regiment and continued to serve with distinction throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. It raised 18 Battalions for the First World War and the 2nd Battalion was the only Welsh Battalion to land on D Day. The Welch Regiment was raised as a Regiment of Invalids before being raised to the Line in 1787- joined for a short time by Sir Arthur Wellesley in 1788. It fought in North America, India, the Crimea and Afghanistan before raising 34 battalions for the First World War and eleven for the Second World War. The 69th Regiment of Foot was raised as a Battalion of the 24th before gaining an independent existence in 1758. It served as a Regiment of Marines in many battles before joining the 41st of Foot to form the Welch Regiment in 1881. It had the distinction of fighting shoulder to shoulder with a young Nelson at his first great success, the Battle of the Saints.

The most well known battle of the Royal Regiment of Wales is undoubtedly the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, immortalised by Stanley Baker and Michael Caine in ZULU. The Regiment won more Victoria Crosses in a day than at any other action in saving Natal following the defeat at Isandlwana and was awarded a Silver Wreath of Immortelles which is still borne on the Queen’s Colour.

The Royal Welsh Regiment was the Territorial Infantry Regiment for Wales, formed in 1999 from 3rd Battalion The Royal Welch Fusiliers and 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Wales. It had two RWF and two RRW Companies based in Wrexham and Colwyn Bay and Swansea and Pontypridd respectively, with RHQ in Cardiff. In its short existence the RWR gained a strong reputation amongst the public in Wales and deployed many soldiers on operations.


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## RangerRay (2 Mar 2006)

I see that the Welsh regiments have suffered the same fate as the Scottish regiments...


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## big bad john (2 Mar 2006)

Consolidation and mergers the fate of the army today.  At least it is alive and kicking!


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## Kat Stevens (2 Mar 2006)

Amalgamation beats disbandment, any day.


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## big bad john (14 Mar 2006)

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/WelshReservistsFirstToWearNewRegimentalHeaddressOnOperations.htm

Welsh reservists first to wear new regimental headdress on operations
13 Mar 06 
Reservists from the newly formed Infantry Regiment, the 3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh, serving in Basrah, southern Iraq are the first soldiers to wear their new hackles and cap badges in an operational theatre.



The new Regiment - formed from the seven battalions of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, the Royal Regiment of Wales and the Royal Welsh Regiment - has brought together the infantry in Wales.

As the eight soldiers from the new 3rd Battalion were unable to attend the drumhead service held on 1 March 2006 to inaugurate the new Regiment at St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Lieutenant Colonel Simon Leader, the Commanding Officer of their Regiment, presented them with their hackles during a brief visit to see the soldiers at Basrah. 

The soldiers, serving a six-month tour in Iraq, are all attached to Cambrai Company, based at Basrah Air Station. Their role involves providing force protection to the Headquarters of the Multi National Division (South East). The work includes carrying out patrols across southern Iraq in support of the Multi National Forces mission.

Private Simon Crewe, 25, from Swansea, is a university student in civilian life. He said of the new Regiment:

"I feel proud and honoured to wear our new cap badge. And to wear the hackle whilst we are serving on an operational tour is an added bonus as we are out here representing our Regiment. 

"Working out here in Iraq means that I am doing the job I have trained for and am using the skills I have acquired during my time during the two years I have been a member of the Territorial Army. I feel that I am doing an important job – representing Britain and working to help the Iraqi people."

The new dress of The Royal Welsh is a three feather badge on a khaki beret with green edging and a hackle. The new stable belt is blue over green with a red divide and a leather buckle. 

The Royal Welsh Regiment was formerly the Territorial Army Infantry Regiment for Wales. The Regiment was formed in 1999 from the 3rd Battalion the Royal Welch Fusiliers and 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Wales. It has two Royal Welsh Fusiliers and two Royal Regiment of Wales Companies based in Wrexham and Colwyn Bay and Swansea and Pontypridd respectively, with its Regimental Headquarters in Cardiff. In its short existence the Royal Welsh Regiment gained a strong reputation amongst the public in Wales and deployed many soldiers on operations. 

To celebrate St David’s Day, soldiers wore leeks in their lapels on patrols and around Basrah Air Station, sparking much interest amongst the local people.

Photo 1) The soldiers of 3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh wearing their new headdress and hackles at Basrah Air Station, southern Iraq. From left; Front row (kneeling) Private Paul Davies, Private Simon Crewe, Private Daniel Wall, Private Neil Eddington, Private Daniel Hodgson. Back row (standing), Private Ronald Evans, Corporal Richard Gilgar, Private Mark O'Sullivan. [Picture: LA(Phot) Dave Griffiths, Press Information Centre, Basrah.]


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## orange.paint (14 Mar 2006)

Thanks alot for the post.Passing this along to the welshman i call a father in law.

Diolch!


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