• Territorial Battalions

    Territorial battalions of the RWF 1908-2008 


    Volunteer Ancestors

    Because of the deep-seated distrust of France and the comparative weakness of the British Regular Army many Rifle Volunteer Corps were formed between 1859 and 1863 as “home defence” units. Such units were raised in the counties of North Wales - in Carnarvonshire, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire. In 1881, as part of the Army Reforms, the first three of these units were affiliated to the Royal Welch Fusiliers and the remaining two to the South Wales Borderers. In 1884 the Denbighshires became the 1st (Volunteer) Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers and the Carnarvonshires and Flintshires the 2nd. In 1897 a 3rd Battalion was formed.

    Under the reorganisation of the Army in 1908 the 1st, 2nd and 3rd (Volunteer) Battalions became the 4th, 5th and 6th Battalions of the Royal Welch Fusiliers in the newly created Territorial Force. The 5th (Volunteer) Battalion of the South Wales Borderers became the 7th Battalion The Royal Welch Fusiliers. In the following year these battalions were given a territorial designation in their titles and became the 4th (Denbighshire), 5th (Flintshire), 6th (Carnarvonshire and Anglesey) and 7th (Merioneth and Montgomery) Battalions The Royal Welch Fusiliers (TF).

    World War One 1914-1918

    During the Great War the Regiment experienced an incredible expansion. Having started the war in 1914 with seven battalions—two Regular, one Special Reserve and four Territorial Force—another thirty-three bore the Royal Welch Fusiliers’ title before it ended. Each of the Territorial battalions raised Second and Third Line units known as the 2/4th, 3/4th, 2/5th etc.
    Although they had no obligation to do so, such was the enthusiasm of the “Terriers” for the war in its early days that the majority signed up for overseas service. The 4th (Denbighshire) Battalion (TF) was one of the few Territorial units ready for immediate service overseas at the outbreak of war. It arrived in France on 5th November 1914 and, assigned to 1st Division it spent the winter in trenches at Festubert. In May 1915 the 4th took part in the unsuccessful assault on Aubers Ridge and suffered heavily. In September 1915 the Battalion was transferred to 47th (London) Division and a new role as Pioneers, due no doubt to the large number of miners in its ranks. It spent the remainder of the war digging and repairing trenches, roads and tramway lines, often in the Front Line and in hazardous situations.

    The 5th (Flintshire), 6th (Carnarvonshire & Anglesey) and 7th (Merioneth & Montgomery) Battalions (TF) were in the Welsh Division, which in May 1915 became 53rd (Welsh) Division and they all took part in the ill-fated Gallipoli Campaign of summer 1915. All suffered heavily, as much from disease as from enemy action, and by October the 5th and 6th were so depleted in strength that they were linked together as a temporary entity. In November the three battalions were in the front line when flash floods caused by a thunderstorm washed the trenches away. This was followed immediately by blizzards and intense cold causing many casualties from frostbite and trench foot.
    After the withdrawal from Gallipoli 53rd Division went to Egypt and Palestine and 5th, 6th and 7th Battalions were brought back up to strength. They continued to serve alongside each other taking part in the Battle of Rumani (in Egypt) in August 1916, in the three Battles of Gaza in 1917 and Tel ‘Asur in March 1918 (all in Palestine). The 5th and 6th then amalgamated once more and spent the rest of the year in the area of Jerusalem. The 7th Battalion saw more action in the Jordan Valley.

    Towards the end of the war the Territorial Force gained three more battalions. Yeomanry regiments, already serving dismounted in Egypt, were converted to infantry in early 1917 and joined existing infantry regiments. Two of them became Royal Welch Fusiliers - the 24th (Denbighshire Yeomanry) and the 25th (Montgomeryshire and Welsh Horse Yeomanry) Battalions. Finally, a Provisional battalion was re-designated the 23rd Battalion and served at home.

    Territorial Army (TA) battalions

    The four Territorial Force battalions were disbanded in 1919 but were re-formed in 1921 as part of the new Territorial Army, with the same designations as before, but with ‘TA’ in brackets after their title. The four battalions made up 158th (Royal Welch) Infantry Brigade. [The title was changed from (North Wales) to (Royal Welch) in 1924]. It was a difficult beginning for all Territorial battalions as post-war cutbacks in defence spending led to a dearth of up-to-date equipment. Units were kept going almost by enthusiasm alone.
    In the 1930s the situation eased and change took place. In 1938 the 5th (Flintshire) Battalion was converted to artillery and became the 60th (Royal Welch Fusiliers) Anti-tank Regiment Royal Artillery (TA). It survived, with various changes in title but always with ‘RWF’ included, until 1956. In 1939, with war with Germany inevitable, the size of the Territorial Army was doubled and the 4th, 6th and 7th RWF formed duplicate battalions, the 8th, 9th and 10th respectively.

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