Royal Welch Fusiliers

Flag of the 6th Battalion

Royal Welch Fusiliers combat knife from the First World War

The Royal Welch Fusiliers (translated Royal Welsh Fusiliers ) were a regiment of the British Army from 1689 to 2006.

It was 1689 by Wilhelm III. founded by England as the 23rd Regiment of Foot . In 1702 it received the title The Welch Regiment of Fusiliers and in 1713 the addition Royal . The designation as a fusilier was just a special distinction, contrary to what this suggests, the regiment did not belong to the light , but to the line infantry . The ancient spelling Welch (instead of Welsh for Welsh ) was abolished around 1900, but officially reintroduced in 1920. Important waypoints in the regiment's over 300-year history included:

• Nine Years War
• War of the Spanish Succession
• War of the Austrian Succession
• Seven Years War
• American War of Independence
• Coalition wars
• Crimean War
• Second opium war
• Indian uprising of 1857
• Boxer Rebellion
• Second Boer War
• First and Second World War

As part of the restructuring of the British Army, the regiment was transformed into the 1st Battalion , The Royal Welsh . The 2nd Battalion of this association was formed from the former Royal Regiment of Wales (24th / 41st Regiment of Foot).

The regiment seat was Wrexham in north Wales and the regimental museum is in Caernarfon .

See also

• History of the British Army
• List of British infantry regiments of the early modern period

Web links

Commons : Royal Welch Fusiliers  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• The Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum