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The Welsh Guards’ first 100 years has been vividly brought to life by military historian and author, Trevor Royle, in his new book, Bearskins, Bayonets and Body Armour. His excellent account of the Regiment is an outsider’s view focused on historical fact. Therefore, it was suggested that, as someone who served in the Army for much of the Welsh Guards’ existence and as an officer who owes much to the Regiment that taught him his trade, I might like to provide an inside view with a more personal recollection of what makes the Welsh Guards distinctive as a regiment. 

Any partisan observations will inevitably be perceived as biased. However, anyone expecting me to suggest that the Welsh Guards are the best regiment in the Household Division is likely to be disappointed, not because the Welsh Guards aren’t excellent - they are; but because the strength of the Household Division as a whole is that every regiment within it manifests the same exemplary standard. Upon their formation, and despite being the newest and youngest of the five Foot Guards regiments, the Welsh Guards were expected to be immediately as good as the rest. The burden of expectation placed upon them created an enormous pressure to do well. Maybe as a consequence of this the Regiment has always tried just a little bit harder. The Welsh Guards’ first action, at the Battle of Loos in September 1915, where an unfaltering line of Guardsmen achieved every objective asked of them, more than vindicated the decision to raise them.

What also makes this assignment challenging is that the Army, like society, has changed enormously over time. My experience as a junior platoon commander in the 1960s was very different from that of a young subaltern serving in Afghanistan in 2012. For example, when I joined many of the Guardsmen spoke Welsh as their first language. Nowadays few serving soldiers know a word of Welsh beyond ‘Cymru Am Byth’ or ‘Y Ddraig Goch Ddyry Cychwyn’. Upon closer inspection, some things haven’t changed. In the immediate post-war period, some officers were perceived to be less than totally professional when participating in exercises on Salisbury Plain. But the plain truth was that peacetime soldiering could not replicate the intense experience they had gained in combat during the Second World War. I am sure many Welsh Guardsmen who recently served in Afghanistan feel the same way; the difference is that they do not show it. 

Although there are few professions where the old and bold don’t think that their generation were superior to the present generation, the reality is that Guardsmen today are every bit as good if not better than their forebears, despite reduced budgets and increased commitments. When I visit the Battalion from time to time, the values that shaped my generation seem to be alive and kicking among the present generation. The highest standards of professionalism are still readily apparent and an inherent belief in the strength and purpose of the organisation remains undimmed. Ultimately, any military formation is only as good as its leaders. At various times during its history, a regiment will have outstanding commanders and at other times, less than perfect ones. Perhaps the best measure of a Regiment’s worth is its capacity to sustain its fitness for purpose over time. The Welsh Guards have certainly done this, not only through the quality of its officers, but equally through an exceptional cadre of non-commissioned officers. Consistency is what makes the Guards Division unique as a whole. Consistency is also a hallmark of the Welsh Guards, even though each rifle company is substantially different in character and composition.

It could be said that Welsh Guardsmen existed long before the Welsh Guards were actually formed, because the Grenadier Guards had actively recruited in Wales for many generations. Upon formation, more than 300 Grenadiers immediately transferred to the Welsh Guards, which explains why our customs were taken from them. Welsh pride and a Foot Guards heritage immediately laid the foundations for a powerful sense of identity.

One element unique to the Regiment and which attracted me to it was the character and spirit of the Welsh. Like other Celts, Welshmen make excellent fighting soldiers. They’re able to endure immense physical hardship and in difficult situations invariably display the mental fortitude that enables them to keep going. But, unlike the Scots or Irish, they are less naturally belligerent and tend to avoid a punch-up until it becomes absolutely necessary. The bitter fighting at Hechtel during late 1944 shows that, once roused, the Welsh have a fierce bloody mindedness that doesn’t yield until the battle is won.

The reputation of Welshmen in battle was established long before the 20th century. During the Hundred Years’ War, King Edward III and his son, Edward, the first Prince of Wales, also known as The Black Prince, relied on Welsh longbow men. At the Battles of Crécy in 1346 and Poitiers in 1356, they formed a substantial contingent of Edward’s army. Medieval Welsh archers were extremely large, fit and strong. Above all, they were extremely disciplined and competent in the use of their weapons. At the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, as Shakespeare records, Welsh longbow men wore leeks in their caps. In apocryphal history, the same men were so feared that if they were ever captured, the French would chop off their three bow fingers. The enthusiasm with which Welsh longbow men showed the advancing French that they possessed their bow fingers has been somewhat dubiously associated with the origin of the famous British V-sign. What is beyond doubt is the defence they mounted at Agincourt, which was so robust that they obliterated the numerically superior French cavalry and destroyed the nobility of France in the process. Today, achieving the highest marksmanship standards remains a deeply ingrained professional goal for every Welsh Guardsman.

In many ways analogous to battle, the Welsh’s love of rugby with an integral requirement for physical stamina, aggression and teamwork underscores the military prowess of Wales. Rugby is a huge part of the Welsh Guards’ ethos. The Regiment has reached the final of the Army Rugby Cup an impressive 25 times in the last century, winning on 13 occasions and being runner-up on 12.  Many former Welsh Guardsmen can recall what they did during certain rugby matches better than they can remember extraordinary feats of bravery during operational deployments.

For generations of Welshmen, joining the Welsh Guards was one of only two possible career choices. The other was to become a coal miner. Many did both. Until the industry’s demise, the Welsh national identity was rooted in coal mining and was something else that attested to the Welsh capacity to endure intense physical hardship. The constant dangers of mining and frequent pit accidents created immensely strong local communities that were close and supportive. In time of war, the Welsh easily adjusted to military service with a corresponding commitment to the task at hand, discipline and group cohesion.

The Welsh have a tremendously strong sense of family. The Regiment is fortunate enough to have had many successive generations of soldiers from the same families serve in its ranks. With several generations of Jones, Davies, and Evans, to name but a few, using the last two digits of a soldier’s number became an essential practice to identify individual Guardsman (and very often their wives too). As the present generation of Mott brothers shows, family ties to the Regiment run deep, with several members serving at the same time. No other military organisation has a better claim to the title ‘a family regiment’ and long may it continue.

One of the ways the Welsh cope with the ups and downs of military life is by singing. The choral tradition of Wales can be traced back to Tudor times, although the Welsh revival of 1904 did much to reinforce it, filling churches throughout the Principality with people and the sound of hymns. Although less associated with religious services today, singing continues to be a regimental pastime among all ranks. In the Sergeants’ Mess after a game of rugby, during a shining parade to prepare for an inspection, or when fatigue sets in during a 30-kilometre route march, singing has always had a profound effect on morale. One such example was after the Battle of Gouzeaucourt in 1917. The sound of melancholy Welsh Guardsmen lamenting the loss of more than 200 of their comrades was as moving as any dirge from Scottish or Irish bagpipes and brought a hush over everyone who witnessed it. Today, the Welsh Guards choir is well known throughout the Army.

Throughout its existence, the Regiment has produced a stream of distinguished soldiers. It has also attracted a number of remarkable civilians to its ranks. Had Rex Whistler not been killed during the Battle of Normandy in 1944, he might have become one of Britain’s greatest post war artists. Maurice Turnbull remains the only sportsman to have played rugby for Wales and cricket for England. Simon Weston overcame horrific injuries in the Falklands to lead a life that is an inspiration to others. Jock Lewes and Carol Mather were instrumental in establishing the Special Air Service. The Battalion continues to provide a steady stream of recruits for 22 SAS Regiment.

Several unsung heroes also deserve a mention. Brig Douglas Greenacre, who had owned the retail chain Greenacre’s in South Africa before the war, was appointed to command the 2nd Battalion when it converted into an armoured reconnaissance regiment. He was a controversial character, but his unorthodox training methods were hugely effective in forging the Battalion into a highly successful tank unit. Then there is Maj David Gibson-Watt whose repeated gallantry led to him being awarded the Military Cross and two bars with the 3rd Battalion in Italy. Maj Gen Peter Leuchars was another fine commander whose charm and modesty belied his strategic abilities, and Maj Gen Sir Philip Ward was the first Welsh Guards officer to command the Household Division. I was lucky enough to serve as Adjutant to both.

The 1st Battalion’s more recent deployments demonstrate that while the nature of warfare evolves, the qualities required to triumph in battle remain constant. The loss of the Commanding officer, Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe, in Helmand Province 2009 was every bit as devastating as the loss of two commanding officers within 24 hours in Normandy in 1944, or the bombing of the Sir Galahad during in the Falklands Campaign in 1982. In each case, the Regiment recovered itself and stubbornly continued to complete the tasks it had been assigned. Thus, leadership, perseverance and courage remain the enduring hallmarks of the Regiment and its Guardsmen. If the Welsh Guards started life as the Household Division’s poor relation, today they are an essential member of the Foot Guards family. For me part of the privilege of serving in the Welsh Guards was captured by former Grenadier Guards officer and British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, who said: the strength of the Guards Division is that it is infinitely bigger than any single person within it. This was certainly true of the Welsh Guards in 1915 and I believe it remains true today.

Field Marshal the Lord Guthrie is a former Chief of the Defence Staff, the Welsh Guards’ first Field Marshal and the most senior officer of the Regiment. He was Adjutant of the 1st Battalion when the Regiment celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 1965.

A Foxhound LPPV of 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, Elizabeth Barracks, Pirbright. April 2015	The Leek of the Welsh Guards. This is one of the oldest cap badges of the British Army dating back to the Battle of Crécy in 1346 where it was worn by Welsh longbowmen (College of Arms)