HISTORY OF THE WELSH GUARDS

The creation of a Welsh Regiment of Foot Guards was authorised by Royal Warrant on 26th February 1915, though the order to raise the regiment had been given by the King to Earl Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, on 6th February. In the first instance officers and men came from the other Guards regiments and from the recruits at Caterham. The new regiment mounted guard at Buckingham Palace on St David’s Day, three days after the publication of the Royal Warrant. All this is described in the opening chapter which lists the first officers to join and the regiments from which they transferred. On 17th August 1915 the 1st Battalion sailed for France where it was allocated to 3rd Guards Brigade in the newly formed Guards Division.
The author is one of the most prolific writers of Great War histories – 53rd, 56th and 74th Divisions as well as the monumental (nearly 950 pages) history of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, and with this history of the Welsh Guards he has maintained his high standards. The story takes us through all the battles in which the battalion fought, describing in detail many individual actions, ending with its return to the UK from the Army of Occupation in March 1919. Appendices provide the nominal roll of all WOs NCOs and Men who served overseas with the 1st Battalion, indicating casualties (over 800 dead) and awards and the records of service of officers; examples of operation orders; a record of every move of the battalion from arrival in France on 18 August 1915 to arrival in Cologne on 20 December 1918; list of enemy divisions engaged; the story of the regimental choir, a most important element of the regiment – in short, this is an outstanding history.