A Brief History of the Welsh Guards
The Welsh Guards was raised on 26 February 1915 by order of His
Majesty King George V, in order to include Wales in the national
complement of regiments of Foot Guards identified with the countries of
the United Kingdom. Two days later, the Battalion mounted its first
King’s Guard at Buckingham Palace on 1 March 1915 - St David’s Day.
On 17 March 1915 the 1st Battalion sailed for France and formed part of the Guards Division. Its first battle was fought at Loos on 27 September 1915 and the Regiment’s first Victoria Cross was won by Sergeant Robert Bye at Pilckem in July 1917. Between the wars, the 1st Battalion was stationed in Cologne, Egypt and Gibraltar, where it was at the outbreak of war in 1939.
The Regiment was expanded to three Battalions during World War II. The 1st Battalion fought in all the campaigns of North West Europe. The 2nd Battalion was formed in 1939 and fought in Boulogne in 1940, whilst the 1st Battalion was in Belgium as part of the British Expeditionary Force. In May 1940, at the Battle of Arras, the Regiment’s second Victoria Cross was won by Lieutenant the Hon Christopher Furness, who was killed in action. In 1941, a 3rd Battalion was raised and fought throughout the Tunisian and Italian Campaigns.
Meanwhile, the 1st and 2nd Battalion formed part of the Guards Armoured Division - the 1st Battalion as infantry and the 2nd Battalion as an Armoured Battalion. The two Battalions working together, were the first troops to re-enter Brussels on 3 September 1944 after an advance of 100 miles in one day, in what was described as ‘an armoured dash unequalled for speed in this or any other war’.
Shortly after the war, the 3rd Battalion was disbanded and the 2nd Battalion was placed in suspended animation. Since 1945, the 1st Battalion has served in the Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Palestine, Egypt, Germany, Aden, Cyprus and Belize. 1st Battalion has also exercised in many other parts of the world including Canada, Greece, Norway, Kenya, Belize, Macedonia and Poland.
In more recent years the 1st Battalion has carried out five six-month and one two-year operational tours in Northern Ireland and in 1982 formed part of the Task Force in the Falklands Campaign, the Battle Honour for which is now borne on the Colours.
The Motto of the Regiment is `CYMRU AM BYTH’ (Wales for Ever).
The capbadge is a Leek which is the National Emblem of Wales.
The Regimental Quick March is the ‘The Rising of the Lark’.
The Regimental Slow March is ‘Men of Harlech’.
Hanes y Gwarchodlu Cymreig yn Fyr
Lluniwyd y Gwarchodlu Cymreig ar 26 Chwefror 1915 drwy
Orchymyn Ei Fawrhydi y Brenin George V, er mwyn cynnwys
Cymru yn y llu cenedlaethol o gatrodau o Warchodwyr Troed
sy’n uniaethu â gwledydd y Deyrnas Gyfunol. Ddau ddiwrnod
yn ddiweddarach, yr oedd y Bataliwn yn Warchodwyr y Brenin
am y tro cyntaf ym Mhalas Buckingham ar 1 Mawrth 1915 -
Dydd Gðyl Dewi.
Ar 17 Mawrth 1915, hwyliodd y Bataliwn 1af i Ffrainc fel rhan
o’r Adran Gwarchodwyr. Y frwydr gyntaf oedd yn Loos ar 27
Medi 1915 ac enillwyd Croes Victoria gyntaf y Gatrawd gan y
Rhingyll Robert Bye yn Pilckem ym mis Gorffennaf 1917.
Rhwng y ddau ryfel, yr oedd y Bataliwn 1af yn byw yn Cologne,
yr Aifft a Gibraltar, a dyna lle’r oedd pan ddechreuodd y rhyfel
ym 1939.
Ehangwyd y Gatrawd yn dri Bataliwn yn ystod yr Ail Ryfel
Byd. Bu’r Bataliwn 1af yn ymladd ym mhob ymgyrch yng
Ngogledd Orllewin Ewrop. Lluniwyd yr Ail Fataliwn ym 1939 a
bu’n ymladd yn Boulogne ym 1940, ac yr oedd y Bataliwn 1af
yng Ngwlad Belg fel rhan o’r Llu Archwilio Prydeinig. Ym mis
Mai 1940, ym Mrwydr Arras, enillwyd ail Groes Victoria y
Gatrawd gan Lieutenant yr Anrh Christopher Furness, a
laddwyd yn y frwydr. Ym 1941, lluniwyd 3ydd Bataliwn a bu’n
ymladd drwy gydol Ymgyrchoedd Tunisia a’r Eidal.
Yn y cyfamser, yr oedd Bataliwn 1 a 2 yn rhan o Adran Arfog y
Gwarchodlu - y Bataliwn 1af fel gwþr traed a’r Ail Fataliwn fel
Bataliwn Arfog. Y ddau Fataliwn gyda’i gilydd oedd y milwyr
cyntaf i fynd yn ôl i Frwsel ar 3 Medi 1944 ar ôl ymosod am
100 milltir mewn diwrnod, yn yr hyn a ddisgrifiwyd fel
‘ymosodiad arfog di-ail o ran cyflymdra yn y rhyfel hwn nac
unrhyw ryfel arall’.
Yn fuan ar ôl y rhyfel, diddymwyd y 3ydd Bataliwn a rhoddwyd
yr Ail Fataliwn o’r neilltu. Er 1945, mae’r Bataliwn 1af wedi
gwasanaethu ym Mhrydain Fawr, Gogledd Iwerddon,
Palesteina, yr Aifft, yr Almaen, Aden, Cyprus a Belize. Mae’r
Bataliwn 1af hefyd wedi bod yn ymarfer mewn llawer rhan arall
o’r byd, gan gynnwys Canada, Gwlad Groeg, Norwy, Kenya,
Belize, Macedonia a Gwlad Pwyl.
Yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf, mae’r Bataliwn 1af wedi bod ar
deithiau gweithredol o chwe mis a dwy flynedd yng Ngogledd
Iwerddon, ac ym 1982 yr oedd yn rhan o’r Tasglu yn Ymgyrch
Ynysoedd Falkland, ac mae’r Anrhydedd am hynny nawr i’w
gweld ar y Faner.
Two Welsh Guardsmen on exercise in Belize
The following historical photographs were supplied by Brian Jones in memory of his father Cpl William Stanley Jones who served with the Welsh Guards 1924 - 1931 and with the Royal Artillery 1940 - 1945.
Cpl Jones in Alexandria, Egypt between 1929 and 1931.
Cpl Jones basic training probably in Pirbright, 1924.
Cpl Jones (far left with bandolier) at either Knightsbridge or Chelsea barracks, with Regimental mascots.
Cpl Jones (Cpl far right) with a group outside a hut.
Machine gun group (Cpl Jones back row in white jacket).
Regimental quick march - "The Rising of the Lark".
Regimental slow march - "Men of Harlech".