Title

[Bri Brazier]

Some 'Pte' posted in to the 2nd Bn actually have 'Fus' as their rank on their ID Card, but they are still made to be called Pte. Surely what it says on the ID Card is what their rank is!!!!!!!!!!! (FUSILIER).

[UKSniper]

Sir, the 2 Bn RW do were the Hackle and flash and the 3 rd RW Bn do as well , so that makes Them Fusiliers you are now a proud new regiment with golden threads chosen from each Bn for the merger.
uniformity is a must so all men of the new RW should all be Fusiliers, because you agreed to the golden thread of the Royal Welch Fusiliers. Rules are rules RSM , if you let this rule slide maybe 1 bn should revert back to its own Cap badge, regimental colors and so on.
You should stick by the agreement you made when RRW AND RWF merged, or is it because all the senior officers are RRW its OK to whittle out the RWF golden threads .
The merger is over now , these small errors should between 1 2 and 3 Bn need to be sorted out. All Bn's were the flash and hackle , that makes them Fusiliers, Take care see you at the reunion , cheers Val.

Val the Golden Threads signed up to, are being upheld and will be as part of the new Regiments traditions/history. However you are welcome to visit RHQ and go through all the paperwork for the merger meetings. I can assure you that you will not find any paperwork that says all Fusilier/Privates are to be called Fusilier. However you will find mention to the Bn's not changing.

Therefore no-one signed up to it, which means no-one is going back on anything. As you say "Rules are Rules" and I don't make them. I just ensure they are followed and thats exactly what the RSM's of the 2nd and 3rd are doing. If you look at the 3 Battalions then they are uniformal in appearance.

If you look at the meetings over the past year the majority of the headshed has been ex RWF. They have worked very hard to bring the best of both Regiments into the new Regiment. It has been very difficult trying to keep everyone happy but I think they have done an excellent job.

I hear Chicago Rock is closed. I am gutted as I was looking forward to visiting during the reunion. I will join you for a beer as long as you promise not to bend my ear over the merger.

[BennytheBall]

Val
Not that I'm nit-picking, but in paragraph 2 of your above post you state RRW AND RWF merged, I would like to put that sentence in the right context, it should have read RWF AND RRW merged, because RWF are 1 R Welsh and the RRW are 2 R Welsh, if we are going to carry on this debate please let us get our "banter" correct.

No politician, Comrades' Association is going to change anything now that the Regimental history of both fine Welsh Regiments have been "broken" by the regime. So I'm afraid that we have to finally accept change and support our men and women of all 3 Bn's which are currently doing a "stern" job on operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq. I'm sure that this debate about cap badges, green patches, Fusiliers/Privates, Colours will go on for sometime on the Forum as people in authority have said the young men and women of the 3 Bn's have accepted the change its only us ex serving members of both past Regiments are debating the issues, please don't forget I was one of the first to, as stated "Throw the cat amongst the pigeons" on this Forum about these matters, but we haven't changed anything because the "Top Brass" had already made a plan to dessimate the famous regiments that we were all proud to serve in and us Comrades' were never going to change that.

So as I've already stated lets us support our young men and women of the new Infantry Regiment for Wales.

Let us now focus on our old Regiment's wonderful Comrades' Associations.

Best Regards
BennytheBall

[jungle1810]

Hello Benny,
You have hit the nail on the head again with unerring accuracy(Sniper number 2)
As you well know the 27 branches of the comrades will keep the title and style of dress of the old RWF this was confirmed at a meeting of the executive committee.
Regards Don

[jungle1810]

Hello Benny,
I also think your views on seniority in all correspondence are valid. This is a highly contentious issue. One of course that all the R.W.F.C.A. branches are unanimous on and have extremely strong feelings and rightly so. It was the cavalier manner in which the Royal Welch Comrades mail was addressed that caused a lot of bad feeling. As a personal opinion the sooner it stops and the Royal Welch Fusiliers are treated in a more circumspect manner, The "Sleeping Tigers" will adopt a more conciliatory attitude. I acknowledge the phrase "Sleeping Tigers" as being used by Admiral Yamamato after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbour.It was in reference to trouble caused by this attack not being properly thought out. Does this raise your hackles???
Yours fratenally (Buddy)
R.B.D.

[taffylooneytoon]

Mathew, , i was trying to put it across that RW what ever Bn should stick to the rules of the merger, and uniformity with all 3 bn .
with all Bn s wearing the Flash and Hackle that makes them fusiliers, not privates, my main worry was if you do not enforce this what will be next the flash and hackle being droped. I think all the boys of the Royal Welsh, what ever Bn there in are doing a fantastic job, and ironing the kinks will not take long. Chicago's is back open mate and i wont bend your ear either , you should have sorted it out by then , first ones on me . Val.

[UKSniper]

More on the Fusilier/Private debate.

Firstly what is a Golden Thread - I would say it is something that has been part of a Regiment for hundreds of years and is Regimental history.

The dictionary explains 'Golden' as - exceptionally valuable, and 'Thread' as - to pass continuously through the whole course of (something); Therefore something exceptionally valuable that has gone on continuously for the whole of time.

Let's look at the Fusilier/Private debate. The RRW/SWB/Welch Regt have been called Privates since formed. I have just found out that Fusilier have only been known as fusilier since 1923. Thats not even near 100yrs old. If you don't believe me then check out this link

http://www.rwfmuseum.org.uk/en_faq.html#fusilier

I accept that the Hackle and Flash are a Golden Thread but I would not class calling the lowest rank Fusilier as such.

[Bri Brazier]

More on the Fusilier/Private debate.

Let's look at the Fusilier/Private debate. The RRW/SWB/Welch Regt have been called Privates since formed. I have just found out that Fusilier have only been known as fusilier since 1923. Thats not even near 100yrs old. If you don't believe me then check out this link

http://www.rwfmuseum.org.uk/en_faq.html#fusilier

I accept that the Hackle and Flash are a Golden Thread but I would not class calling the lowest rank Fusilier as such.

Even though we have only been using the rank of 'Fusilier' since 1923! There is no getting away from the fact that it appears on their ID Card, even the ones posted into the 2nd Bn from ITC Catterrick have Fus and not Pte on theirs. Yes granted they were posted in to 2nd Bn instead of 1st Bn but they are called Pte, when their Pay Statement and ID Card is Fus.

[jungle1810]

Taffyloonytune,
My earlier reply to a definition of Fusilier it has nothing to do with the hackle or flash. By definition a fusilier must have served with a regiment who carried FUSILS hence the title FUSILIERS.
Regards Don

[jungle1810]

Gentlemen,
I have just read a most ill informed e mail that I have seen for many a year. The title Fusilier was granted to the RWF In 1702. It was one of the first regiments to be granted the singular honour of a Fusilier title and so we were known as THE WELCH REGIMENT OF FUSILIERSF from 1702,The "ROYAL" accolade was earned fighting in the WAR OF THE SPANISH SUCCESSION in 1713. I suggest some of the new comers do a bit more home work on what was once a truly great regiment To suggest that the hackle and flash epitomised or was responsible for our title FUSILIER is pure fiction. We had it long before the 1920;s.

Regards Don