Welch Regiment

The Welch Regiment
Badge of the Welsh Regiment (before 1921)
Active	1881–1969
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Line Infantry
Size	1–2 Regular Battalions 1 Militia and Special Reserve Battalion Up to 4 Territorial and Volunteer Battalions Up to 27 Hostilities-only Battalions
Garrison/HQ	Cardiff
Motto	Gwell angau na Chywilydd (Better Death than Dishonour)
March	Quick: Ap Siencyn (Son of Jenkin)
Mascot	Goat
Anniversaries	Gheluvelt, 31 Oct

The Welch Regiment (or "The Welch") was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1969.

History

It was formed as the Welsh Regiment during the Childers Reforms of 1881, by the amalgamation of the 41st (Welsh) Regiment of Foot and the 69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot. It was the county regiment of Carmarthenshire, Glamorganshire and Pembrokeshire and recruited from South and West Wales throughout its existence. It should not be confused with the Royal Welch Fusiliers (23rd Foot), which recruited generally from Mid Wales and North Wales.

On 1st January 1921, the name of the regiment was officially changed to the Welch Regiment, reflecting the 'Old English' spelling.

It originally consisted of two regular battalions (the 41st Foot and 69th Foot becoming the 1st and 2nd battalions respectively), one Militia battalion (the Royal Glamorgan Light Infantry) and four Volunteer battalions (1st (Pembrokeshire), 2nd (Glamorgan) and 3rd (Glamorgan) Volunteer Battalions and the 3rd Glamorganshire Volunteer Rifle Corps). A further 44 battalions were raised at various points in time for Territorial, Volunteer and War service.

1960 to 1963

The 1st Battalion was stationed in Berlin at Brook Barracks in Spandau. This was at the height of the Cold War and in 1961 came the erection of the infamous Berlin Wall. The Battalion incurred numerous duties within the defence parameters of the City such as the Ice Keller duties of an armoured escort to a 8 year old boy from his home on the Iron Curtain border to his school in Spandau and return. The Corps of Drums were trained to become a Mines and Explosives response team (EOD) to help the Royal Engineers in time of trouble. After the shooting of Peter Fechter who was left to die on the wall, the allied forces arranged for a military ambulance to be stationed on Checkpoint Charlie in the American Zone. This was crewed by members of the Corps of Drums together with the RAMC staff and they would have to enter East Berlin and risk their lives to rescue any persons shot on the east side of the wall by the East German guards {VOPOS - Volkspolizei} and take them to an East Berlin hospital. Also the Battalion contributed to the guarding of the famous Berlin Train, that operated through East Germany to Berlin.

1963 to 1965

The 1st Battalion became the Demonstration Battalion stationed first at Netheravon and then Warminster in Wiltshire.

1965 to 1968

The 1st Battalion took up their last overseas posting to Hong Kong and were stationed at Stanley Fort. Here they carried out internal security duties, Border patrol and ceremonial duties.

1969

The 1st Battalion The Welch Regiment amalgamated with The 1st Battalion The South Wales Borderers to form the 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Wales 24th/41st. The traditions of both Regiments were handed to the Royal Regiment of Wales and the battle honours carried into the new Regiment.

Regimental holders of The Victoria Cross

(Prior to 1881)

• Lieutenant Ambrose MADDEN VC (Sergeant-Major in 41st (the Welsh) Regiment of Foot)
• General Sir Hugh ROWLANDS VC KCB (Captain in 41st (the Welsh) Regiment of Foot)

(Post 1881)

• Sergeant William Charles FULLER VC (Lance-Corporal in 2nd Bn)
• Private Hubert William LEWIS VC (Private in 11th Bn)
• Captain Edgar Kinghorn MYLES VC DSO (Second Lieutenant in 8th Bn)
• Major Sir Tasker WATKINS VC GBE PC (Lieutenant in 1/5th Battalion)

Battle honours

The Regiment was awarded the following battle honours:

• From the 41st Regiment of Foot: Detroit, Queenstown, Miami, Niagara, Ava, Candahar 1842, Ghuznee 1842, Cabool 1842, Alma, Inkerman, Sevastopol

• From the 69th Regiment of Foot: Bourbon, Java, Waterloo, India

• Belleisle¹, Martinique 1762¹, The Saints², St Vincent¹, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, South Africa 1899-1902

• The Great War: Mons, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914 '18, Ypres 1914 '15 '17, Langemarck 1914 '17, Gheluvelt, Nonne Bosschen, Givenchy 1914, Gravenstafel, Saint-Julien, Frezenberg, Bellewaarde, Aubers, Loos, Somme 1916 '18, Albert 1916 '18, Bazentin, Pozières, Flers-Courcelette, Morval, Ancre Heights, Ancre 1916 '18, Messines 1917 '18, Pilckem, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Cambrai 1917 '18, St. Quentin, Bapaume 1918, Lys, Estaires, Hazebrouck, Bailleul, Kemmel, Béthune, Scherpenberg, Arras 1918, Drocourt-Quéant, Hindenburg Line, Épéhy, St. Quentin Canal, Beaurevoir, Selle, Valenciennes, Sambre, France and Flanders 1914-18, Struma, Doiran 1917 '18, Macedonia 1915-18, Suvla, Sari Bair, Landing at Suvla, Scimitar Hill, Gallipoli 1915, Egypt 1915-17, Gaza, El Mughar, Jerusalem, Jericho, Tell 'Asur, Megiddo, Nablus, Palestine 1917-18, Tigris 1916, Kut al Amara 1917, Baghdad, Mesopotamia 1916-18

• The Second World War: Falaise, Lower Maas, Reichswald, North-West Europe 1944-45, Benghazi, North Africa 1940-42, Sicily 1943, Coriano, Croce, Rimini Line, Ceriano Ridge, Argenta Gap, Italy 1943-45, Crete, Canea, Withdrawal to Sphakia, Middle East 1941, Kyaukmyaung Bridgehead, Maymyo, Rangoon Road, Sittang 1945, Burma 1944-45

• Post-War: Korean War 1951-52

1. Awarded for the services of the 69th Foot.

2. Awarded in 1909 for the services of the 69th Foot, with the badge of a Naval Crown superscribed 12th April 1782.

External links

• 41st at regiments.org
• 69th at regiments.org
• Royal Glamorgan Light Infantry
• The Welch Regiment at regiments.org
• The Royal Welsh at regiments.org
• Museums of the Royal Regiment of Wales (24th/41st)
• Wm Fuller at victoriacross.org

Preceded by 41st (Welsh) Regiment of Foot

The Welsh Regiment 1881–1969

Succeeded by Royal Regiment of Wales