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The Royal Welsh Fusiliers |
 | 1689
- 2006
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Titles |
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pre 1881 |
post 1881 |
| 1st Battalion,
23rd Regiment of Foot |
1st Battalion,
The Royal Welsh Fusiliers |
| 2nd Battalion,
23rd Regiment of Foot |
2nd Battalion,
The Royal Welsh Fusiliers |
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Earliest recognised formation: |
1689; when raised as Lord Herbert's Regiment of Foot. (Became "The Royal
Regiment of Welch Fuzileers" in 1713, and the 23rd Regiment of Foot in
1743.) |
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| Motto: |
Nec Aspera Terrent = Difficulties be Damned |
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Regimental Journal: |
Y Ddraig Goch |
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| WWI: |
Battle Honours; 77 |
Victoria Crosses; 8 |
Died; 9800 |
| WWII: |
Battle Honours; 25 |
Victoria Crosses; 0 |
Died; ??? |
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| Amalgamated: |
2006, with The Royal Regiment of Wales to
form The Royal Welsh. (officially "united" rather than
amalgamated, RWF becoming the 1st battalion of the new regiment. |
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| | | | A 2nd Battalion was operational
1804-1814, 1842-1852 and 1857-1957. |
Egypt
Campaign 1801 (1st Battalion) Capture of Martinique (1st Battalion) and the Peninsula War 1808 -
1814 |
Military General Service Medal.
1793 - 1814 |
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1st |
2nd |
1st |
1st |
1st |
1st |
1st | |
clasp: |
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| number: |
31 | 68 |
77 | 121 |
84 | 120 |
118 |
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1st |
1st |
1st |
1st |
1st |
1st |
1st | |
clasp: |
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| number: |
117 | 107 |
30 | 53 |
37 | 130 |
140 |
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Battle Honours: Egypt 1801, Martinique
1809, Albuhera; Badajos; Corunna; Salamanca; Vittoria; Pyrenees;
Nivelle; Orthes; Toulouse; Peninsula. and a Sphinx superscribed Egypt was permitted to
be borne on the colours |
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Battle of Waterloo 1815 |
Waterloo Medal 1815 (names on roll, includes died, missing etc) |
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Number : |
712 |
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Casualties 16th, 17th & 18th June
1815 (extracted London Gazette 8/7/1815 & "Medals of the British
Army and how they were won" T. Carter 1861*) |
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Officers: 3 Captains and 2 Lieutenants killed. 1
Colonel, 1 Major, 1
Captain and 3 Lieutenants wounded. |
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*Sergeants, Trumpeters, Drummers, Farriers
and Rank and File: |
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Wounded |
Missing |
| Died of wounds |
Suffered
amputation |
Discharged |
Transferred to Veteran or Garrison Battalions |
Rejoined the
Regiment |
Remaining in hospitals in April 1816 |
Total |
Rejoined the
Regiment | Not
since heard of, supposed dead. |
| 10 |
8 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
56 |
7 |
75 |
1 |
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*Carter's figures are in
turn extracted from the return prepared by the Adjutant-Generals
office, 13th April 1816. |
Battle Honour; Waterloo. |
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Crimean War 1854 - 1856 | Crimea Medal 1854 -56 | | | | Clasp: → | ..none... |
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Total Medals | | | Number: → |
? | 834 |
32 | 557 |
? | >1286* | | | | |
*1286 = main roll figure only. | | | Battle Casualties; | | Action. | Killed | Died of Wounds | 'Wounded' | Dangerously
Wounded | Severely
Wounded | Slightly
Wounded | Missing | Total | |
The Battle of the Alma |
50 | - |
158 | - |
- | - |
- | 208 | | First bombardment of Sebastopol, first battle of Inkermann and minor actions |
1 | - |
12 | - |
- | - |
- | 13 | |
The Battle of Inkermann |
7 | 1 |
- | 5 |
7 | 9 |
13 | 42 | | Assault on the Quarries |
1 | - |
- | 2 |
2 | 5 |
- | 10 | | First Attack on the Redan |
- | - |
- | - |
1* | - |
- | 1 | | Final Attack on the Redan |
48 | - |
- | 33 |
48 | 63 |
25 | 217 | | 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & 5th Bombardments of Sebastopol and Minor Actions. |
26 | - |
- | 10 |
61 | 41 |
10 | 148 | | Magazine explosion at the French Siege Train |
2 | - |
- | 1 |
3 | 2 |
- | 8 | Grand Total: |
647 | | | |
* Lieut Colonel D. Lysons. | | | Men who served in the Crimea also eligible for: | Turkish Crimea Medal 1855 | | | |
VCs: 4; O'Connor, Bell, Sylvester, Shields.
see VC page
| | | | | Battle Honours:
Alma; Inkerman Sevastopol. |
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Indian Mutiny 1857-59
1st Battalion |
India Mutiny Medal. 1857 -59 |
| | | clasp: | ..none... |
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| (total) | | number: |
63 | 570 |
936 |
1037 |
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VCs: 2; Monger, Hackett.
see VC page
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Battle Honour: Lucknow |
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Ashanti War 1873-74 2nd Battalion | Ashanti Medal 1873-74 |
| | | clasp: | ...none.... |
| | numbers : |
617 | 302 | | | Battle Honour: Ashantee 1873-4 |
| | | | 1881: The
23rd Regiment now becomes "The Royal Welsh Fusiliers" | |
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Third Anglo-Burmese War 1885-87, and aftermath.
1st Battalion |
India General Service Medal 1854 - 95 | | |
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| clasp: |
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| number: |
? |
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Battle Honour: Burma 1885-7 |
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Anglo - Boer War 1899 - 1902. 1st Battalion, Nov 1899 to end
of the War |
Queen's South Africa Medal 1899-1902, with or without the
King's South Africa Medal 1901 - 1902 |
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Common clasps: Cape Colony, Orange Free State,
Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902; also: |
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* |
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*Small detachment which comprised a component of Barton's Fusilier Brigade: 2nd
Royal
Fusiliers (27 men), 2nd
Royal Irish Fusiliers (20 men), 1st Royal Welsh
Fusiliers (1 officer and 25 men), and the 2nd
Royal Scots Fusiliers (1
officer and 25 men). |
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Casualties: |
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Officers |
NCOs and Men |
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KIA & DOW/ DOD |
Wounded |
Missing / POW |
KIA & DOW |
Death from disease |
Wounded |
Missing / POW |
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5 / 1 |
17 |
1 |
48 |
61 |
160 |
30 |
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Battle Honours: Relief of Ladysmith, South Africa 1899-1902 |
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The Boxer Rebellion, China 1900-01 2nd Battalion |
China Medal 1900 |
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| clasp: |
none |
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| number: |
? |
300 |
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34 killed and 96 wounded in the campaign. |
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Battle Honour:
Pekin 1900 |
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The Great War 1914 - 1918
( 40 battalions; 22 served overseas:- ) |
Generally awarded the
British War Medal &
Victory Medal, men overseas prior to 1/1/1916 also a
1914 or
1914-15 Star. |
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Battalion → |
1* |
2 |
1/4 |
1/5** |
1/6** |
1/7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
13 |
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Denbighshire |
Flintshire |
Carnarvonshire & Anglesey |
Merioneth & Montgomery |
1st North Wales |
date of first overseas service.
(first theatre red
x ) |
7/10
1914 |
11/8
1914 |
6/11
1914 |
9/8
1915 |
9/8
1915 |
9/8
1915 |
16/7
1915 |
19/7
1915 |
27/9
1915 |
?/9
1915 |
?/12
1915 |
| France &
Flanders |
x |
x |
x |
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x |
x |
x |
x |
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Gallipoli |
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x
(Suvla Bay) |
x
(Suvla Bay) |
x
(Suvla Bay) |
x |
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Egypt & Palestine |
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x |
x |
x |
x |
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Italy | x |
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Mesopotamia | |
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x |
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Macedonia |
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x |
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Star
possible ? |
1914 or 1914-15 |
x |
x |
x |
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or 1914-15 only |
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x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
| VCs at
a glance: |
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died
Extracted from : "Soldiers / Officers
Died in the Great War" (consider approximate - in addition the
regiment as a whole lost an additional 168 officers who
are recorded with 'battalion not shown' or with battalions
not shown here, or who we have not yet allocated a
battalion.) |
1372 |
1124 |
370 |
258 |
270 |
358 |
477 |
759 |
794 |
192 |
596 |
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*In Malta at the start, returned first to the UK |
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** 1/5 & 1/6 Amalgamated to form 5/6th
Battalion 3/8/18 |
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Regular |
Territorial Force |
New Armies |
Garrison. |
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Territorial Force War Medal 1914-19
15 officers and 421 men of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers also qualified for this
medal. |
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VC's: 8; Barter, Davies (James), Hill, Davies
(Joseph), Weale, Collins, Waring, Doughty-Wylie
(Att. HQ MEF).
see VC page
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Battle Honours: Marne 1914; Ypres 1914, 1917,
1918; Somme 1916, 1918; Hindenburg Line; Vittorio Veneto; Doiran
1917, 1918; Gallipoli 1915-16; Egypt 1915-17; Gaza 1917; Baghdad.
Mons; Le Cateau; Retreat from Mons; Aisne 1914, 1918; La
Bassée 1914; Messines 1914, 1917; Armentières 1914; Langemarck 1914,
1917; Gheluvelt; Givenchy 1914; Neuve Chapelle; Aubers; Festubert
1915; Loos; Albert 1916, 1918; Bazentin; Delville Wood; Pozières;
Guillemont; FlersCourcelette; Morval; Le Transloy; Ancre Heights;
Ancre 1916, 1918; Arras 1917; Scarpe 1917; Arleux; Bullecourt;
Pilckem; Menin Road; Polygon Wood; Broodseinde; Poelcapelle;
Passchendaele; Cambrai 1917, 1918; St Quentin; Bapaume 1918; Lys;
Bailleul; Kemmel; Scherpenberg; Havrincourt; Epéhy; St Quentin
Canal; Beaurevoir; Selle; Valenciennes; Sambre; France and Flanders
1914-18; Piave; Italy 1917-1918; Macedonia 1915-18; Suvla; Sari
Bair; Landing at Suvla; Scimitar Hill; Rumani; El Mughar; Jerusalem;
Jericho; Tell'Asur; Megiddo; Nablus; Palestine 1917-18; Tigris 1916;
Kut al Amara 1917; Mesopotamia 1916-18. |
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The Great War 1914 - 1918 |
continued......... |
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Battalion → |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
19 |
24* |
25** |
1 |
2 |
4*** |
6 |
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26 |
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Denbighshire Yeomanry |
Montgomery & Welsh Horse Yeomanry |
Garrison |
date of first overseas service.
(first theatre red x
) | ?/12
1915 | ?/12
1915 | ?/12
1915 | ?/12
1915 | ?/6
1916 | 1/3
1917 | 4/3
1917 | ?/9
1915 | ?/3
1916 | ?/6
1916 | ?/1
1917 |
| France &
Flanders |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
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x |
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Gallipoli |
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Egypt & Palestine |
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x |
x |
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x |
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x |
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Gibraltar |
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x |
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Star
possible ? |
1914 or 1914-15 |
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or 1914-15 only |
x |
x |
x |
x |
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| VCs at a glance: |
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died
see above |
617 |
298 |
689 |
614 |
253 |
189 |
187 |
14 |
38 |
7 |
17 |
| 20 |
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*Formed in Egypt from the dismounted Denbighshire Yeomanry
1/3/17 |
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**Formed in Egypt from the dismounted Montgomery & Welsh
Horse Yeomanry 4/3/17 |
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***4th Garrison Battalion became 4th Garrison Guard
Battalion in May 1918, and on the 16th July 1918 became 26th (Service)
Battalion |
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Operations against the Waziris and Mahsuds, North West Frontier 1919 - 24
1st Battalion | India General Service Medal 1908 | | clasp: |
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| | numbers: | ? | ? | | | | |
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1921: title changed from 'The Royal Welsh Fusiliers' to 'The
Royal Welch Fusiliers' | | |
WW2 1939 - 1945 |
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Battalion → |
1st |
2nd |
4th |
6th |
7th |
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campaign ↓ |
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France and Belgium 1940.
(Dunkirk ) |
x |
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North Africa & Middle East |
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Burma |
x |
x |
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Sicily / Italy |
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N.W. Europe |
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x |
x |
x |
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Notes. |
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6th Infantry Brigade, which twice formed into an Independent
Infantry Brigade Group for operations in Burma and the Arakan |
In India at the start, moved to the UK, joined 29th Infantry
Brigade. Served Madagascar, East Africa and Burma. |
158th Brigade 3/9/39-3/8/44, landed NW Europe 23/6/44. |
158th Brigade 3/9/39-26/4/45, and 14/6/45-31/8/45. landed NW
Europe 23/6/44. (56th Infantry Brigade 28/4/45-13/6/45) |
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Transferred to 71st Brigade in theatre 5/8/44. |
Transferred to 161st Brigade in theatre 4/8/44. |
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WW2 Stars common to the Battalion. (excluding
39-45 star
)
Key: A =
Africa, P =
Pacific, B =
Burma, I =
Italy, F&G =
France and Germany |
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B |
B |
F&G |
F&G |
F&G |
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Most also entitled to the
1939-45 War Medal and many the
Defence Medal |
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Battle Honours: St Omer-La Bassée; Caen; Lower Maas;
Reichswald; Weeze; Rhine; Madagascar; Donbaik; North Arakan; Kohima.
Second World War: Dyle; Defence of Escaut; Esquay; Falaise;
Nederrijn Venlo Pocket; Ourthe; Rhineland; Goch; Ibbenburen; Aller;
North-West Europe 1940, 1944-5; Middle East 1942; Mandalay; Ava;
Burma 1943-5. |
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The Malaya Emergency: Operations against Communist insurgents. 1948-60
2nd Battalion (1954-?) | General Service Medal 1918 - 62 | | clasp: |
| | number: | ? | | | | |
| | | | 1957: Regulars reduced to a single battalion (the 1st) | | |
The Cyprus Emergency 1955 - 1960 1st Battalion
(May 1958- Dec 1959) | General Service Medal 1918-62 | | clasp: |
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| number: | ? |
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CO: Lt. Col R.O.F. Prichard |
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Northern Ireland "Operation
Banner" 1969-2007 1st Battalion (numerous tours 1972 -2005 ) | General Service Medal 1962- |
| | | clasp: |
| | numbers: | ? | | |
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Operations in Sierra Leone
2000-2001 1st Battalion | Operational Service Medal Sierra Leone 2000-02 |
| | | numbers: | ? | |
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The Iraq War, or Second Gulf War 2003, and Aftermath. 1st
Battalion. Operation Telic IV (April - November? 2004) | Iraq Medal 2003- | | clasp: |
....none.... | | number: |
? | |
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© This website and its contents are copyright. Images are digitally
watermarked. © North East Medals, All Rights Reserved |
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Selected Links |
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The Regimental Museum. (Located in ) |
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Selected Bibliography; |
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| Author/ Ed.. Etc. |
Title |
Publisher |
| Richard Cannon, Esq
Adjutant-General's Office, Horse Guards. |
Historical Record of The
Twenty-Third Regiment or The Royal Welsh Fusiliers;
containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in
1689, and of its subsequent Services to 1850. 187 pp. |
London: Parker,
Furnivall, & Parker, 1850 |
| Arranged by Major Rowland
Broughton-Mainwaring, in continuation of the compilation
published in 1850 by Richard Cannon |
Historical Record of' the
Royal Welch Fusiliers late The Twenty-Third Regiment, or
Royal Welsh Fusiliers (The Prince of Wales's Own Royal
Regiment of Welsh Fuzeliers; containing an Account of the
Formation of the Regiment in 1689, and of its subsequent
Services to 1889. 372 pp. |
London: Hatchards, 1889 |
| H. Avray Tipping |
The Story of The Royal
Welsh Fusiliers. 281 pp. |
London: Country Life
[1915] |
| Howel Thomas |
A History of the Royal
Welsh Fusiliers late The Twenty-Third Regiment. 288
pp. |
London: T. Fisher Unwin
Ltd. [1916] |
| Vol 1 & 2 Compiled
by A. D. L. Caiy & Stouppe McCance, Capt. Vol 3 & 4
Compiled by Major C. H. Dudley Ward. |
Regimental Records of the
Royal Welch Fusiliers (late the the 23rd Foot).
Vol. 1. 1689-1815. Vol. 2. 1816-1914 (July).
Vol. 3. 1914-1918. France and Flanders.
Vol. 4. 1915-1918. Turkey, Bulgaria, Austria. |
London: Forster, Groom &
Co. Ltd., 1921, 23, 28, 29. |
| Lt.-Commdr. P. K. Kemp and
J. Graves, with a Foreword by Gen. Sir Hugh Stockwell. |
The Red Dragon; the Story
of The Royal Welch Fusiliers, 1919-1945
414 pp. |
Aldershot: Gale & Polden
Ltd., 1960. |
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Royal Welch Fusiliers
Battle Honours. 62 pp. |
[Aldershot: Gale & Polden
Ltd., printers, 1913] |
| One of their Medical
Officers |
The War the Infantry Knew,
1914-1919. A Chronicle of Service in France and Belgium with
The Second Battalion His Majesty's Twenty-Third Foot, The
Royal Welch Fusiliers: founded on personal records,
recollections and reflections, assembled, edited and partly
written by One of their Medical Officers. |
London: P. S. King & Son,
Ltd., 1938 |
| Edited by Lieut.-Col. F.
N. Burton, assisted by Lieut. A. P. Comyns. |
The War Diary (1914-1918)
of 10th (Service) Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers. 100 pp |
Plymouth: William Brendon
& Sons, Ltd., 1926 |
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Additional Bibliography for this
Page. |
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| Author/Compiler |
Title |
Publisher |
| Officers of the
Regiment. |
Unpublished rolls in
the care of the National Archives; WO 100/ etc. |
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Additional bibliography
same as Northumberland Fusiliers
page |
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