Editing Royal Welch Fusiliers (section)

==History==
[[File:Henry Herbert Soest.jpg|thumb|left|150px|[[Henry Herbert, 4th Baron Herbert of Chirbury]], founder of the regiment]]

===Formation; 1689 to 1773===
The regiment was raised by [[Henry Herbert, 4th Baron Herbert of Chirbury|Henry Herbert]] at [[Ludlow]] on 16 March 1689, following the 1688 [[Glorious Revolution]] and exile of [[James II of England|James II]].<ref>Cannon, p. 1</ref><ref name = Frederick302>Frederick, pp. 302–6.</ref><ref name = RegtsRWF>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060103213315/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/023RWF.htm RWF at Regiments.org.]</ref> It served throughout the 1689 to 1691 [[Williamite War in Ireland]], including the [[Battle of the Boyne]] in July 1690,<ref>Cannon, p. 5</ref> and the [[Battle of Aughrim]] in 1691 which brought the campaign to an end.<ref name=cannon13>Cannon, p. 13</ref> It joined Allied forces fighting in the [[Nine Years War]] and at [[Siege of Namur (1695)|Namur]] in August 1695, took part in the attack on the Terra Nova earthwork that inspired the song '[[The British Grenadiers]].'<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Lenihan|first1=Padraig|title=Namur Citadel, 1695: A Case Study in Allied Siege Tactics|journal=War in History|date=2011|volume=18|issue=3|page=298|doi=10.1177/0968344511401296|hdl=10379/6195|s2cid=159682220 |hdl-access=free}}</ref>

On the outbreak of the [[War of the Spanish Succession]] in 1702, it became the '''Welch Regiment of Fuzilieers;''' this denoted [[Fusilier|units equipped with light-weight muskets]] or 'fusils' used to protect the artillery, although the distinction later became obsolete.<ref name="The Royal Welch Fusiliers">{{cite web |title=The Royal Welch Fusiliers |url=https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/royal-welch-fusiliers |website=National Army Museum |access-date=30 March 2019}}</ref> It served throughout [[John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough|Marlborough]]'s campaigns in the Low Countries, including the battles of [[Battle of Schellenberg|Schellenberg]], [[Battle of Blenheim|Blenheim]] and [[Battle of Ramillies|Ramillies]].<ref>{{cite web |title=23rd Foot |url=http://www.kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=23rd_Foot |website=Seven Years War Project |access-date=31 March 2019}}</ref>

In 1714, [[George I of Great Britain|George I]] gave it the title of the '''Prince of Wales's Own Royal Regiment of Welsh Fusiliers.''' The next 28 years were spent on garrison duty in England and Scotland, until it returned to [[Flanders]] in 1742 for the [[War of the Austrian Succession]]. At [[Battle of Dettingen|Dettingen]] in June 1743, it rallied after being driven back by the [[Maison militaire du roi de France|elite French Maison du Roi cavalry]]; its steadiness was a major contribution to what is considered a fortunate victory.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fortescue |first1=John H |title=History of the British Army; Volume II |date=1899 |pages=99–100}}</ref> It incurred 323 casualties at [[Battle of Fontenoy|Fontenoy]] in May 1745, before a brief period in [[Scotland]] during the [[Jacobite rising of 1745|1745 Rising]]. Over 240 members of the regiment were lost at [[Battle of Lauffeld|Lauffeld]] in July 1747, a defeat that led to the [[Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)|Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle]].<ref name="Fortescue, p. 161">Fortescue, p. 161</ref>
[[File:Colored Print Battle of Minden 1785.jpeg|thumb|right|250px|[[Battle of Minden|Minden]], 1 August 1759, an action still celebrated as [[Minden Day]]]]
Following the 1751 reforms that standardised naming and numbering of regiments, it became the '''23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welsh Fuzileers)'''.<ref name="The Royal Welch Fusiliers"/> In the opening battle of the [[Seven Years' War]], it was part of the [[Battle of Minorca (1756)|Minorca garrison]] that surrendered to the French in June 1756; given free passage to Gibraltar, from 1758 it campaigned in Germany. At [[Battle of Minden|Minden]] in August 1759, it was one of the infantry units that routed the French cavalry, an achievement still celebrated as [[Minden Day]] by their successor unit, the [[Royal Welsh]].<ref name="Fortescue, p. 161"/> Between 1760 and 1762, it fought in the battles of [[Battle of Warburg|Warburg]],<ref>Cannon, p. 83</ref> [[Battle of Kloster Kampen|Kloster Kampen]] 1760<ref>Cannon, p. 84</ref> and [[Battle of Wilhelmsthal|Wilhelmsthal]] in June 1762, before the war ended with the [[Treaty of Paris (1763)|1763 Treaty of Paris]].<ref name = WestlakeWelsh>Westlake, ''English & Welsh Regiments'', pp. 75–6</ref>

When the [[American Revolutionary War]] began in 1773, the regiment was posted to [[British North America|North America]].<ref>Cannon, p. 89</ref> The [[light infantry]] and [[grenadier]] companies took heavy losses at the [[Battle of Bunker Hill]] in June 1775;<ref>Cannon, p. 93</ref> it participated in nearly every campaign up to the [[Siege of Yorktown]] in September 1781.<ref>Cannon, p. 113</ref> At Yorktown, it was the only British regiment not to surrender its colours, which were smuggled out by a junior officer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mikelynaugh.com/Yorktown/pages/IMG_3076.htm|title=Sign at the Royal Welch Fusiliers Redoubt in Yorktown, Virginia|access-date=24 May 2014}}</ref>

In the early stages of the [[French Revolutionary Wars]], it was posted to the [[West Indies]] in 1794 and participated in the 1795 capture of [[Port-au-Prince]] before returning home in 1796.<ref>Cannon, p. 117</ref> As part of the expeditionary force assigned to the 1799 [[Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland]], it fought at [[Battle of Alkmaar (1799)|Alkmaar]] in October 1799.<ref>Cannon, p. 120</ref>
[[Image:23rd royal welsh fusiliers.JPG|thumb|left|130px| 23rd Royal Welch Fusilier guarding a statue of [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington]] in London.]]

===19th century===
[[File:Invasion of Martinique (1809) Monument, St. George's Church, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg|thumb|Monument to Royal Welch Fusiliers who died in the [[Military history of Nova Scotia#Invasion of Martinique (1809)|Invasion of Martinique (1809)]], [[St. George's (Round) Church, Halifax, Nova Scotia]]]]
Apart from [[Egypt]] and the [[Battle of Alexandria (1801)|Battle of Alexandria]] in 1801 and the [[Invasion of Martinique (1809)|Invasion of Martinique]] in 1809 the regiment saw little action in the [[Napoleonic Wars]] until being sent to the [[Peninsular War|Peninsula]] in 1810.<ref>Cannon, p. 134</ref> Between 1811 and 1814, it fought in many of [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Wellington]]'s actions, including the battles of [[Battle of Albuera|Albuera]], [[Second Siege of Badajoz (1811)|Badajoz]], [[Battle of Salamanca|Salamanca]], [[Battle of Nivelle|Nivelle]] and [[Battle of Toulouse (1814)|Toulouse]].<ref>Cannon, pp.136–150</ref> At the [[Battle of Waterloo]] in June 1815, it was part of [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant Colonel]] [[Hugh Henry Mitchell|Hugh Mitchell]]'s 4th Brigade in the 4th Infantry Division.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.garethglovercollection.com/PrivateThomasJeremiah.htm |title=A Short Account of the Life and adventures of Private Thomas Jeremiah 23rd or Royal Welch Fusiliers 1812–37 |publisher=The Gareth Glover Collection |access-date=24 May 2014 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090402070835/http://www.garethglovercollection.com/PrivateThomasJeremiah.htm |archive-date=2 April 2009 }}</ref>

In the nineteenth century, the regiment took part in the [[Crimean War]], the [[Second Opium War]], the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|Indian Mutiny]] and the [[Third Anglo-Burmese War]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/illustration/third-anglo-burmese-war-royal-welsh-royalty-free-illustration/1154126750|title=The Storming of Zeedaw: Royal Welch Fusiliers lying down in position for the attack before dawn|date=7 June 2019 |publisher=Getty Images|access-date=6 October 2020}}</ref>

The [[Cardwell Reforms]] of 1872 linked most infantry regiments in pairs, but because the 23rd already had two battalions it was unaffected. Cardwell also introduced 'Localisation of the Forces', which established permanent regimental depots in county towns and brigaded the regular regiments with their local [[Militia (United Kingdom)|Militia]] and [[Volunteer Force|Volunteer]] battalions.<ref>Spiers, pp. 195–6.</ref> For the 23rd, this included:<ref name = Frederick302/><ref name = List>''Army List'', various dates.</ref>
* 23rd Brigade Depot at [[Hightown Barracks]] in [[Wrexham]] from 1873<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/depot/1873.htm |title=Training Depots 1873–1881 |publisher=Regiments.org |access-date=16 October 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060210172841/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/depot/1873.htm |archive-date=10 February 2006 }}</ref>
* Royal Anglesey Light Infantry – ''converted to Engineers in 1877''<ref name = FrederickMil>Frederick, pp. 162–4.</ref>
* [[Royal Flint Rifles]]<ref name = Frederick302/><ref name = FrederickMil/>
* [[Royal Denbigh and Merioneth Rifles]]<ref name = Frederick302/><ref name = FrederickMil/>
* [[Royal Carnarvon Rifles]]<ref name = Frederick302/><ref name = FrederickMil/>
* [[1st Administrative Battalion, Denbighshire Rifle Volunteers]]<ref name = Frederick302/><ref name = WestlakeDen>Westlake, ''Rifle Volunteers'', pp. 57–8.</ref><ref name = RegtsDen>[https://web.archive.org/web/20051226171148/http://regiments.org/regiments/uk/volmil-wales/vinf/rwf-4.htm 4th Bn RWF at Regiments.org.]</ref>
* [[1st Flintshire Rifle Volunteers#Volunteer Force|1st Administrative Battalion, Flintshire & Carnarvonshire Rifle Volunteers]]<ref name = Frederick302/><ref name = WestlakeCarn>Westlake, ''Rifle Volunteers'', pp. 37–8.</ref><ref name = RegtsCarn>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060117162151/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/volmil-wales/vinf/carnarvn.htm Carnarvonshire & Anglesey Volunteers at Regiments.org.]</ref><ref name = WestlakeFlint>Westlake, ''Rifle Volunteers'', pp. 89–90.</ref><ref name = RegtsFlint>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060117171929/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/volmil-wales/vinf/flint.htm Flintshire Volunteers at Regiments.org.]</ref>

The [[Childers Reforms]] of 1881 took Cardwell's reforms further. The regiments were given names rather than numbers the regiment officially became '''The Royal Welsh Fusiliers''' on 1 July 1881,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=24992|pages=3300–3301|date=1 July 1881}}</ref> although "Welch" was used informally until restored in 1920 by Army Order No.56.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fortyfirst.org/the-regiment-1719-to-now.html|title=The Regiment, 1719 to Now|first=Jim |last=Yaworsky|publisher=The Forty First|access-date=31 March 2019}}</ref> The depot became the 23rd Regimental District depot, and the militia and volunteers became numbered battalions of their linked regiment (though the Royal Flint Rifles joined the [[King's Royal Rifle Corps]]<ref name = FrederickMil/><ref>Frederick, pp. 242–3.</ref>): 
* [[3rd (Royal Denbigh and Merioneth Militia) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers|3rd (Royal Denbigh and Merioneth Militia) Battalion]] – ''3rd (Royal Denbigh and Flint Militia) Battalion from 1889''<ref name = Frederick302/><ref name = FrederickMil/>
* [[4th (Royal Carnarvon Militia) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers|4th (Royal Carnarvon Militia) Battalion]] – ''4th (Royal Carnarvon and Merioneth Militia) Battalion from 1889''<ref name = Frederick302/><ref name = FrederickMil/>
* [[1st Volunteer Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers]] – ''from 1st Denbighshire Volunteers'''<ref name = Frederick302/><ref name = WestlakeDen/><ref name = RegtsDen/>
* [[2nd Volunteer Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers]] – ''from 1st Flintshire & Carnarvon Volunteers'''<ref name = Frederick302/><ref name = WestlakeFlint/><ref name = RegtsFlint/>
* [[3rd Volunteer Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers]] – ''formed in 1897 from the Carnarvonshire companies of the 2nd VB''<ref name = Frederick302/><ref name = WestlakeCarn/><ref name = RegtsCarn/><ref name = WestlakeFlint/><ref name = RegtsFlint/>

The 1st battalion served in the 1899 to 1902 [[Second Boer War]];<ref name = WestlakeWelsh/> and returned home from South Africa on the SS ''Ortona'' in January 1903.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Naval & Military intelligence - Troops returning Home|date=22 January 1903 |page=8 |issue=36984}}</ref>

The 2nd battalion was stationed at [[Hong Kong]] from 1898 to 1902, and served in the multinational force involved in the [[Boxer Rebellion]] in China in 1900.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/royal-welch-fusiliers |title=The Royal Welch Fusiliers | publisher=National Army Museum|access-date=31 March 2022}}</ref> They fought alongside the [[United States Marine Corps]] (see pages 32–33 in official USMC paper published in 1995).<ref name=usmc>{{cite web|url=https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/A%20Different%20War-Marines%20in%20Europe%20and%20North%20Africa%20%20PCN%2019000312500.pdf|title=A Different War-Marines in Europe and North Africa%20 PCN 19000312500.pdf|publisher=Marine Corps Historical Center|year=1994}}</ref> They transferred to [[British Raj|India]] in October 1902, and were stationed at [[Chakrata]].<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Naval & Military intelligence|date=10 October 1902 |page=9 |issue=36895}}</ref>

===20th century===
[[File:Colour of the Royal Welch Fusiliers.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Regimental Colour]] of the 6th (Caernarvonshire and Anglesey) Battalion, a Territorial unit of the Royal Welch Fusiliers<ref>{{cite web |title=6th (Caernarvonshire and Anglesey) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers |url=https://wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/battalion.php?pid=880 |website=Wartime Memories |access-date=1 April 2019}}</ref>]]
[[File:5th_Battalion,_Royal_Welsh_Fusiliers_Cigarette_Card.jpg|thumb|Player's cigarette card showing a [[Pioneer (military)|pioneer]] of the 5th (Flintshire) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers in 1908 in full dress uniform.]]
The [[Haldane Reforms]] of 1908 converted the remaining Militia into the [[Special Reserve]] (SR) and the Volunteers into the [[Territorial Force]] (TF).<ref>Dunlop, Chapter 14.</ref><ref>Spiers, Chapter 10.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1908/mar/31/territorial-and-reserve-forces-act-1907|title=Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907|work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|date=31 March 1908|access-date=20 June 2017|archive-date=12 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812022930/http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1908/mar/31/territorial-and-reserve-forces-act-1907|url-status=live}}</ref> The battalions were now numbered sequentially within their regiment. The TF battalions of the RWF were given subtitles in 1909:<ref name = Frederick302/><ref name = List/><ref name = RegtsRWF/>
* [[3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers|3rd (Reserve) Battalion]] (SR) at [[Poyser Street drill hall, Wrexham|Poyser Street]] in [[Wrexham]]
* [[4th (Denbighshire) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers|4th (Denbighshire) Battalion]] (TF) at Poyser Street, Wrexham<ref name = WestlakeDen/><ref name = RegtsDen/>
* [[5th (Flintshire) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers|5th (Flintshire) Battalion]] (TF) at Castle Precinct in [[Flint, Flintshire|Flint]] (since demolished)<ref name = WestlakeFlint/><ref name = RegtsFlint/>
* [[6th (Caernarvonshire and Anglesey) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers|6th (Carnarvonshire & Anglesey) Battalion]] (TF) at [[Caernarfon Barracks]] in [[Caernarfon]]<ref name = WestlakeCarn/><ref name = RegtsCarn/>
* [[7th (Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers|7th (Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire) Battalion]] (TF) at [[Back Lane drill hall, Newtown|Back Lane Drill Hall]] in [[Newtown, Powys|Newtown, Montgomeryshire]] – ''transferred from the [[South Wales Borderers]]''<ref name = WestlakeMont>Westlake, ''Rifle Volunteers'', p. 185.</ref><ref name = RegtsM&M>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060117170415/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/volmil-wales/vinf/merimont.htm Merionethshire & Montgomeryshire Volunteers at Regiments.org.]</ref>

The four TF Battalions constituted the [[158th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|North Wales Brigade]] in the [[53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division|Welsh Division]].<ref name = Becke53>Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 117–23.</ref><ref name = TrailRWF>[http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/royal-welsh-fusiliers/ Royal Welsh Fusiliers at Long, Long Trail.]</ref><ref name = Trail53>[http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/53rd-welsh-division/ 53rd (Welsh) Division at Long, Long Trail.]</ref>

====First World War; Regular Army====
The 1st and 2nd battalions served on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] from 1914 to 1918 and took part in some of the hardest fighting of the war, including [[Mametz Wood Memorial|Mametz Wood]] in 1916 and [[Battle of Passchendaele|Passchendaele or Third Ypres]] in 1917.<ref name=James>James, pp. 66–8.</ref><ref name=trail>{{cite web|url=http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/royal-welsh-fusiliers/|title=Royal Welch Fusiliers|publisher=The Long, Long Trail|access-date=3 July 2016}}</ref> Claims in 2008 they participated in the semi-mythical [[Christmas truce|Christmas 1914 Football Game]] with the Germans have since been disproved.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.christmastruce.co.uk/frelinghien.html |title=Frelinghien |publisher=Christmas Truce |access-date=3 July 2016 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091228090201/http://www.christmastruce.co.uk/frelinghien.html |archive-date=28 December 2009 }}</ref>

A number of writers fought with the regiment in France and recorded their experiences; [[David Cuthbert Thomas|David Thomas]] (killed 1916), [[Robert Graves]] and [[Siegfried Sassoon]] all served with the 1st Battalion. [[Bernard Adams (writer)|John Bernard Pye Adams]], a captain with the 1st Battalion, was wounded in 1916, and while on medical leave, wrote ''Nothing of Importance'', his recollections of trench life. Adams did not live to see its publication — after returning to the front in January 1917, he died in action a month later.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.beckenhamhistory.co.uk/world-war-one-archive/item/7-adams-john-bernard-pye | title =Adams, John Bernard Pye | website =Beckenham History | access-date =2022-05-03}}</ref> His book, published a few months after his death, was the only memoir of trench experiences published in Great Britain during the war<ref name=cas>{{cite web | url =http://www.stanwardine.com/cgi-bin/malvernww1.pl?id=2Adams | title =Captain John Bernard Pye Adams  | website =Malvern College First World War Casualty  | access-date =2022-05-03}}</ref> and was well received by both ''[[The Times]]'' and the ''[[Daily Telegraph]]''.<ref name=malvernian>{{cite journal | title =Nothing of Importance by Bernard Adams | journal =The Malvernian | issue =364 | pages =572 | publisher =[[Malvern College]] | date =November 1917 | url =https://www.malverniansocietyarchives.co.uk/Filename.ashx?systemFileName=Malvernian1917_0364.pdf&origFilename=Malvernian1917_0364.pdf | access-date = 2022-05-03}}</ref>

[[J. C. Dunn|J C Dunn]], a medical officer with the 2nd Battalion who had also served in the [[Second Boer War|1899–1902 Boer War]], published ''The War the Infantry Knew'' in 1931. A collection of letters and diary entries from over 50 individuals, it is considered a classic by military historians for its treatment of daily life and death in the trenches.<ref>{{cite web |title=The War the Infantry Knew: 1914–1919, by Captain J.C. Dunn |url=https://www.educationumbrella.com/curriculum-vital/book-review-the-war-the-infantry-knew-by-captain-jc-dunn |website=Educationumbrella |access-date=16 July 2019}}</ref>

''[[Good-Bye to All That]]'' by Robert Graves was first published in 1929 and has never been out of print; in one anecdote, he records the Regimental Goat Major being charged with 'prostituting the Royal Goat' in return for a [[Stud (animal)|stud fee]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Graves |first1=Robert |title=Goodbye to All That |date=1929 |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=978-0141184593 |page=71}}</ref> Graves also edited ''Old Soldiers Never Die'', published in 1933; a rare example of the war seen by an ordinary soldier, it was written by [[Francis Philip Woodruff|Frank Richards]], a pre-war regular recalled in 1914, who served on the Western Front until the end of the war.<ref>{{cite book|last=Richards|first=Frank|title=Old Soldiers Never Die|publisher=Naval & Military Press|date=2001|isbn=978-1843420262}}</ref> The poets [[David Jones (artist-poet)|David Jones]] and [[Hedd Wyn]], killed at Passchendaele in 1917, were members of Kitchener battalions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/rhagor/article/1920/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090820074913/http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/rhagor/article/1920/|archive-date=2009-08-20|title=Welsh bard falls in the battle fields of Flanders |publisher=Museumwales.ac.uk |date=2007-04-25 |access-date=2014-05-19}}</ref>

[[File:Hedd Wyn Grave at Artillery Wood Cemetery 7.jpg|thumb|upright|left|150px|The grave of Welsh poet [[Hedd Wyn]], killed at Passchendaele in 1917]]

====First World War; Territorial and War Service====
The TF battalions raised 2nd and 3rd Line battalions; in addition, the regiment raised over a dozen 'war service' battalions, informally known as [[Kitchener's Army|Kitchener]] or [[Pals battalion]]s.<ref name = James/><ref name = trail/><ref>Peter Simkins, ''Kitchener's Army: The Raising of the New Armies 1914 – 1916'' (2007)</ref>

The 4th (Denbighshire) Battalion was one of the first TF units to see active service, landing in France in November 1914, where it remained until January 1919.<ref name = James/><ref name = trail/><ref>{{cite web |title=4th Denbighshire Battalion |url=https://wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/battalion.php?pid=878 |website=Wartime Memories Project |access-date=2 April 2019}}</ref> Between 1915 and 1918, another ten Royal Welch Kitchener battalions also fought on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]], including the battles of [[Battle of Loos|Loos]], [[Battle of the Somme|the Somme]] and [[Battle of Passchendaele|Passchendaele]]; a number of these were disbanded in early 1918 due to manpower shortages. The poets [[David Jones (artist-poet)|David Jones]] and [[Hedd Wyn]] served with The 11th (Service) Battalion landed in [[Thessaloniki|Salonika]] in November 1915, where it remained for the duration of the war.<ref name=James /><ref>{{cite web |title=11th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers |url=https://wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/battalion.php?pid=7380|website=Wartime Memories Project |access-date=2 April 2019}}</ref>

The 5th, 6th, 7th Territorial battalions fought at [[Gallipoli Campaign|Gallipoli]] as part of the [[53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division|53rd (Welsh) Division]]; by January 1916, it contained 162 officers and 2,428 men, approximately 15% of full strength.<ref name = Becke53/><ref name = Trail53/> The 8th Kitchener Battalion was also at Gallipoli as part of [[13th (Western) Division]]. They remained in the Middle East until the end of the war, the 53rd (Welsh) taking part in the [[Sinai and Palestine Campaign]] and the 13th (Western) in the [[Mesopotamian campaign]].<ref name = Becke53/><ref name = Trail53/><ref name = James/><ref name = trail/><ref>{{cite web |title=7th (Merioneth & Montgomery) |url=https://wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/battalion.php?pid=881|website=Wartime Memories Project |access-date=2 April 2019}}</ref>

====Interwar====
The TF was reformed in 1920 and reorganised as the [[Territorial Army (United Kingdom)|Territorial Army]] (TA) the following year. In 1938 the 5th (Flintshire) Battalion was converted into [[60th (Royal Welch Fusiliers) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery]]. Just before the outbreak of World War II the Territorial Army was doubled in size and the battalions created duplicates:<ref name = Frederick302/><ref>Frederick, pp. 920–2.</ref>
* [[8th (Denbighshire) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers|8th (Denbighshire) Battalion]] – ''from the 4th Bn''
* [[9th (Caernarvonshire and Anglesey) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers|9th (Caernarvonshire & Anglesey) Battalion]] – ''from the 6th Bn''
* [[10th (Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers|10th (Merionethshire & Montgomeryshire) Battalion]] – ''from the 7th Bn''
* [[70th (Royal Welch Fusiliers) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery|70th Anti-Tank Regiment]] – ''from the 60th Rgt; granted Royal Welch Fusiliers subtitle in 1942)''

====Second World War; Regular Army====
The regiment was awarded 27 [[battle honour]]s for [[World War II]], with more than 1,200 fusiliers killed in action or died of wounds.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.royalwelsh.org.uk/regiment/history-regiment-timeline.htm|title=Timeline|publisher=Royal Welsh|access-date=3 July 2016}}</ref>

[[File:The British Army in France 1940 F2913.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Men of the 1st Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers celebrate St David's Day, 1 March 1940]]

During the Second World War, the 1st Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers was a [[Regular army|Regular Army]] unit and part of the [[6th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|6th Infantry Brigade]], assigned to the [[2nd Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|2nd Infantry Division]]. It served in France in 1940 with the [[British Expeditionary Force (World War II)|British Expeditionary Force]].<ref>Joslen, p. 240</ref> The battalion fought in the short but fierce battles of [[Battle of France|France]] and [[Battle of Belgium|Belgium]] and was forced to retreat and be evacuated during the [[Dunkirk evacuation]]. After two years spent in the United Kingdom, waiting and preparing for the invasion that never came ([[Operation Sea Lion]]), the 1st RWF and the rest of 2nd Division were sent to [[British Raj|British India]] to fight the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] after a string of defeats inflicted upon the British and Indian troops. The battalion was involved in the [[Burma Campaign]], particularly the [[Battle of Kohima]], nicknamed ''[[Battle of Stalingrad|Stalingrad]] of the East'' due to the ferocity of fighting on both sides, that helped to turn the tide of the campaign in the [[South-East Asian theatre of World War II|South East Asian theatre]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.burmastar.org.uk/stories/2nd-british-division/|title=2nd British Division|publisher=Burma Star Association|access-date=3 July 2016|archive-date=29 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929081558/https://www.burmastar.org.uk/stories/2nd-british-division/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The 2nd Battalion was part of [[29th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|29th Independent Infantry Brigade]] throughout the war. In 1942, it fought in the [[Battle of Madagascar]], then part of [[Vichy French]], before being transferred to the [[South-East Asian Theatre of World War II|South-East Asian Theatre]]. In 1944, the battalion and brigade became part of [[36th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|36th British Infantry Division]], previously an Indian Army formation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk/webeasycms/hold/uploads/bmh_document_pdf/36_Indian_Infantry_Division.pdf|title=36th Division|publisher=British Military History|access-date=3 July 2016|archive-date=23 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923194908/http://www.britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk/webeasycms/hold/uploads/bmh_document_pdf/36_Indian_Infantry_Division.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:The British Army in Burma 1944 SE2889.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Royal Welsh Fusiliers move forward on a jungle path near Pinbaw, [[Burma]], December 1944]]

Both battalions came under the command of [[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-General]] [[William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim|Bill Slim]], commander of the [[Fourteenth Army (United Kingdom)|British Fourteenth Army]]. This was known as the 'Forgotten Fourteenth,' allegedly because it fought in a theatre that seemed largely unnoticed and had little importance to the war.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/articles/2008/09/19/lord_slim_feature.shtml|title=The Greatest Commander of the 20th Century?|publisher=BBC|access-date=3 July 2016}}</ref>

====Second World War; Territorial and War Service====
[[File:Fusilier Tom Payne from 11 Platoon, 'B' Company, 6th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, Normandy, 12 August 1944. B9005.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Fusilier Tom Payne of 11 Platoon, 'B' Company, 6th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers, [[Normandy]], 12 August 1944]]

The 4th, 6th and 7th Battalions, all [[Army Reserve (United Kingdom)|Territorial]] units, served in [[158th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|158th (Royal Welch) Brigade]] assigned to the [[53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division]].<ref>Joslen, p. 346</ref> They took part in the [[Operation Overlord|Battle of Normandy]] at [[Operation Jupiter (1944)|Hill 112]], where the 53rd Division suffered heavy casualties. Due to heavy fighting and casualties in Normandy, some of the battalions were posted to different brigades within the division. The 53rd again suffered heavily during [[Operation Veritable]] (the Battle of the Reichswald) under command of the [[First Canadian Army]], in which action the British and Canadians, and the 53rd Division in particular, endured some of the fiercest fighting of the entire European Campaign against [[Fallschirmjäger (World War II)|German paratroops]].<ref>Barclay, p. 125</ref>

The 8th, 9th and 10th Battalions were 2nd Line Territorial battalions raised in 1939 as duplicates of the 4th, 6th and 7th Battalions respectively. The battalions initially served in the [[115th Brigade (United Kingdom)|115th (Royal Welch Fusiliers) Brigade]], [[38th (Welsh) Infantry Division|38th (Welsh) Division]], itself a 2nd Line duplicate of the 53rd (Welsh) Division.<ref>Joslen, pp. 87–88</ref>

The 8th and 9th battalions never saw action abroad, remaining in the UK throughout the war in a training role, supplying trained replacements to units overseas. In this capacity, the 9th battalion served with the [[80th Infantry (Reserve) Division (United Kingdom)|80th Infantry (Reserve) Division]] and the 38th Infantry (Reserve) Division.<ref>Joslen, p. 374</ref>
[[File:The British Army in North-west Europe 1944-45 B12617.jpg|thumb|right|180px|[[3-inch mortar]] of the 7th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 8 December 1944]]
In the summer of 1942, the 10th battalion was converted into the [[6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion|6th (Royal Welch) Battalion]], [[Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)|Parachute Regiment]].<ref>Horn, p. 270</ref> The 6th Parachute Battalion was assigned to the [[2nd Parachute Brigade (United Kingdom)|2nd Parachute Brigade]], alongside the [[4th Battalion, Parachute Regiment|4th]] and [[5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion|5th]] Parachute battalions, originally part of the [[1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom)|1st Airborne Division]]. The battalion played a small part in the [[Allied invasion of Italy]] during [[Operation Slapstick]], an amphibious landing aimed at capturing the port of Taranto. After that, the 2nd Para Brigade became an independent brigade group. The brigade took part in [[Operation Dragoon]], the Allied invasion of Southern France, being the only British troops to do so (see [[2nd Parachute Brigade in Southern France]]).<ref>Harclerode, pp. 425–426</ref> In late 1944, the brigade was sent to Greece to support pro-Western forces in the [[Greek Civil War]], a forgotten but brutal episode now seen as the first act of the post-1945 [[Cold War]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nachmani |first1=Amikam |title=Civil War and Foreign Intervention in Greece: 1946–49 |journal=Journal of Contemporary History |date=1990 |volume=25 |issue=4 |pages=490–494 |doi=10.1177/002200949002500406 |jstor=260759 |s2cid=159813355 }}</ref>

In 1938, the 5th Battalion transferred to the [[Royal Artillery]] as 60th Anti-Tank Regiment and in 1939, added a 2nd-Line duplicate, 70th Anti-Tank Regiment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nigelef.tripod.com/regtsumm.htm|title=Field Artillery Formations and Regiments of the Royal Artillery in World War 2|access-date=27 February 2017}}</ref> Unlike 1914–1918, there were relatively few service battalions, one being 11th (Home Defence) Battalion, raised in 1939 as part of the [[Home Guard (United Kingdom)|Home Guard]].<ref name = RegtsRWF/> Formed in 1940, the 12th battalion became [[116th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery]] in January 1942 and served with [[53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division|53rd (Welsh) Division]] until disbanded in December 1944.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ware |first1=Jonathan |title=116 (Royal Welch) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment |url=http://www.jonathanhware.com/116-rw-light-anti-aircraft-regiment.html |website=Jonathan Ware |access-date=1 April 2019 |archive-date=1 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401110054/http://www.jonathanhware.com/116-rw-light-anti-aircraft-regiment.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Barton|first1=Derek|title=116 Light AA Regiment RA(TA)|url=http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/laa/page110.html|website=The Royal Artillery 1939–1945|access-date=27 February 2017}}</ref>

===Post Second World War===
The 2nd Battalion Royal Welch remained overseas after the Second World War, with a posting to Burma (still a colony until 4 January 1948) and performed internal security duties. On 7 March 1947 a party aboard a train were ambushed by bandits and seven soldiers were killed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2084605/william-gordon-burgoyne/#&gid=2&pid=1|title=Commonwealth War Graves Commission}}</ref><ref>Epilogue in Burma, 1945-48", McEnery J.H. Published 1990</ref>

The regiment did not take part in the [[Gulf War]], but did perform several tours in [[Northern Ireland]] ([[Operation Banner]]) before being deployed to the Balkans.<ref name=nam>{{cite web|url=http://www.nam.ac.uk/research/famous-units/royal-welch-fusiliers|title=Royal Welch Fusiliers|publisher=National Army Museum|access-date=24 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225230345/http://www.nam.ac.uk/research/famous-units/royal-welch-fusiliers|archive-date=25 February 2014}}</ref>

During the [[Yugoslav Wars]], the regiment came to attention when 33 of their men and 350 other [[United Nations|UN]] servicemen part of [[UNPROFOR]] were taken hostage by Bosnian Serbs at [[Goražde]] on 28 May 1995.<ref>{{cite hansard | house=House of Commons |title=Sittings of the House| url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199495/cmhansrd/1995-05-31/Debate-1.html | date = 31 May 1995 | column_start = 999 | column_end = 1009}}</ref><ref name="nyt">{{cite news|title=Conflict in the Balkans: The Peacekeepers|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/30/world/conflict-in-the-balkans-the-peacekeepers-at-risk-british-troops-keep-watch.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=30 May 1995}}</ref> The situation caused some political debate as the UN troops had been given orders only to "deter attacks" and did not have a mandate or adequate equipment to fully defend the mainly Muslim town of Goražde, which was initially declared "safe" by the UN, thus rendering them exposed when armed members of the [[Army of Republika Srpska]] ([[Bosnian Serb]] Army) ignored the [[NATO]] ultimatum and attacked the town without warning. The regiment managed to hold off the Bosnian Serbs until they were forced to retreat into [[bunker]]s – those who did not make it quickly enough were taken hostage – and remained trapped underground while [[Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina|BiH Army]] reinforcements arrived and fought back. The [[commanding officer]], Lt Col [[Jonathon Riley (British Army officer)|Jonathon Riley]] (later promoted to Lieutenant General), broke with protocol and directly reported to then Prime Minister [[John Major]] about the situation over the phone while in the bunker.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Commander in Bosnia mission impossible|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/2534831.stm|publisher=BBC|date=5 December 2002}}</ref> All the men were eventually safely rescued. An unprecedented five gallantry awards, seven [[Mention in Despatches|mentions in despatches]] and two [[Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service|Queen's Commendations for Valuable Service]] were awarded to the regiment.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bosnia's troops' tally of medal set a record|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/bosnia-troops-tally-of-medals-sets-a-record-1346463.html|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=10 May 1996}}</ref> Although the incident was largely unreported at that time, the regiment was credited in hindsight by observers for saving the town from a possible genocide—after failing to take Goražde, the Bosnian Serbs continued north to [[Srebrenica]], where they would [[Srebrenica massacre|massacre]] over 8,000 [[Bosniak]]s.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Fusiliers' battle to save Bosnians|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/2535155.stm|publisher=BBC|date=5 December 2002}}</ref>

===Amalgamation===
It was one of only five line infantry regiments never to have been amalgamated in its entire history, the others being [[Royal Scots|The Royal Scots]], [[Green Howards|The Green Howards]], [[Cheshire Regiment|The Cheshire Regiment]], and [[King's Own Scottish Borderers|The King's Own Scottish Borderers]]. However, in 2004, it was announced that, as part of the restructuring of the infantry, the Royal Welch Fusiliers would merge with the [[Royal Regiment of Wales]] to form a new large regiment, the [[Royal Welsh]].<ref name=nam/>

To honour the links between the regiment and the United States Marine Corps on the 16 September 1945 a set of Marine colours were presented to the regiment at the parish church in Wrexham to commemorate their close connection (see page 32 in official USMC paper published in 1995).<ref name=usmc/>

The regiment has a chapel within St Giles Parish Church Wrexham containing their colours and other items.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://stgilesparishchurchwrexham.org.uk/index.php/history |title=History|publisher=St Giles Parish Church Wrexham|access-date=31 March 2022}}</ref> There is an image available taken in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hdrcreme.com/photo-gallery/57305/st-giles-parish-church-wrexham?q=gallery |title=St Giles Parish Church Wrexham|publisher=hdrcreme|access-date=31 March 2022}}</ref>