Fusiliers prepare for move to Dale Barracks

Published Date: 03 July 2008
By Michael Youds

Corporal Brian Powell and Corporal Si Allen with the sign they made to welcome home the 1st Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers from Cyprus.

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AN Army battalion of 600 men is moving from Cyprus to its new home in Chester.

The 1st battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers is moving from Episkopi barracks, Cyprus, where is has been stationed for more than two years, to Dale Barracks in Chester.

An advance party has arrived in Chester, tasked with making preparations for the move of the remaining soldiers and their families over the coming weeks.

All soldiers and their families will be in based in Chester by the end of August.

In Cyprus the infantry battalion was on permanent standby for short notice deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan, and many soldiers were deployed there during the Cyprus tour.

The battalion formally announced its arrival in Chester yesterday by putting up the battalion's sign at the entrance gates to the barracks in Upton.

Captain Frankie Taylor, of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, said: "The battalion is looking forward to this posting and getting to know our new surroundings.

"We have carried out a thorough and important job while in Cyprus, but this move brings us much closer to home.

"The battalion in residence of Dale Barracks here in Chester has always been delighted by the support it has received from the local community, and we look forward to developing those links as we settle in."

The Royal Welsh formed in March 2006 from the three Welsh infantry battalions of the Prince of Wales division. Wales' first large infantry regiment recruits its soldiers from around Wales.

A good piece. Can anyone tell me if the Bn will be getting the same treatment that is aforded to Bn's returning to the UK/Germany on finishing a tour in Afghan or Iraqi, i.e. a march through local towns and the town/city where the Bn is situated. I am aware that the Bn will march through Wrexham on the award of the freedomm over he Comrades weekend.

[A bit of advice, please behave you'r selves at the Dale. The last time the Btn. was there in the 50's as the old boys can tell you we were paying barrack room damages for the naxt two years
{ask Don}

Hello Idris,
The battalion going to the Dale brought back memories for you I see. I was stationed at Saighton and joined the battalion prior to leaving the UK for Jamaica. I was posted to Saighton Camp as we were rookies. Sjt "Charlie" Wareham took us to join the "Dilwara" The barack room damages you speak of came about because some of the 1st were in the Dale in December, it was bloody freezing. And the best and easiest combustible material was any empty barrack room which was stripped down for heating purposes. On reaching Jamaica the damage had to be paid for. I remember some barrack rooms had props holding the fronts up and sod all behind them it looked like an old wild west "Ghost town" but of course we paid the price for it. But the other side of the coin was that the populace of Chester were very good to us. As I remember very little trouble took place.
Regards Don

I can concure what Jungle 1810 is saying, I was at Tonfanua in Winter of 62, and we froze as we did not have
radiators then, only a single coal burning stove. We had to get wood/fuel from somewhere, LOL. So rhe damage caused was justified probably just to keep warm.

Rog

nice to hear the boys are so close to home hope to meet up with some of them very soon evans 44 ex mt platoon