Editing Royal Welch Fusiliers (section)

==Uniform==
Soldiers of this regiment were distinguishable by the unique feature of the "flash", consisting of five overlapping black silk ribbons (seven inches long for soldiers and nine inches long for officers) on the back of the uniform jacket at neck level.<ref name=cemetery>{{cite web|url=http://british-cemetery-elvas.org/fusiliers.html|title=23rd Foot – 7th Foot|access-date=23 May 2014}}</ref> This is a legacy of the days when it was normal for soldiers to wear [[pigtail]]s. In 1808, this practice was discontinued but when the order was issued the RWF were serving in [[Nova Scotia]] and had not received the instruction when the regiment departed to join an expedition to the West Indies.<ref>British Army Uniforms & Insignia of World War Two; Brian L. Davis</ref> In 1834 the officers of the 23rd Foot were finally granted permission by [[William IV of the United Kingdom|William IV]] to wear this non-regulation item as a distinction on the full dress uniform as "a peculiarity whereby to mark the dress of that distinguished regiment".<ref>{{cite book|last=Mainwaring|first=Rowland Broughton|author-link=Rowland Mainwaring|title=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|year=1889|publisher=Hatchards|page=147}}</ref> This was extended to all ranks in 1900.<ref>{{cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions: What is "The Flash"?|url=http://www.rwfmuseum.org.uk/en_faq.html|publisher=Royal Welch Fusiliers Regimental Museum|access-date=19 June 2013}}</ref>

[[Khaki]] service dress replaced the scarlet tunic as the principal uniform, and the [[Army Council (1904)|Army Council]] attempted to remove the flash during the [[First World War]], citing the grounds that it would help the Germans identify which unit was facing them. As Fusilier officer [[Robert Graves]] reported, "the regiment retorted by inquiring on what occasion since the retreat from Corunna, when the regiment was the last to leave Spain, with the keys of the town postern in the pocket of one of its officers, had any of His Majesty's enemies seen the back of a Royal Welch Fusilier?," and the matter remained "in abeyance throughout the war."<ref>{{cite book|title=Goodbye to All That|author-link=Robert Graves|page=85|last=Graves|first=Robert|year=1929|publisher=Anchor}}</ref> The efforts of the regiment to retain the distinction was further reinforced at a medal ceremony when [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V]] saw an officer of the regiment in the line. He ordered an About Turn and seeing the flash still on the tunic said ''[[sotto voce]]'', "don't ever let anyone take it from you!"<ref>{{cite book|title=The Great War and Modern Memory|last=Fussell|first=Paul|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=9780199971978|year=2013}}</ref> The wearing of the flash on service dress was extended to other ranks in 1924.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Wearing of the Flash. Royal Welch Fusiliers' Distinction. |date=29 January 1924|newspaper=[[The Times]]|page=14}}</ref>

As a [[fusilier]] regiment, the RWF wore a [[hackle]], which consisted of a plume of white feathers mounted behind the cap-badge of the modern beret.<ref name=cemetery/> The full dress of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, as worn by the entire regiment until 1914, included a racoon-skin hat (bearskin for officers) with a white hackle and a scarlet tunic with the dark blue facings of a Royal regiment. This uniform continued to be worn by the RWF's Corps of Drums and the Regimental Pioneers until the merger of 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nyc-techwriters.com/militaria/british_helmets1.htm|title=British Headdress (1856–current)|access-date=23 May 2014}}</ref>