I'm not one to winge but!

[Gwyn Nicholas]

HI Dai, Well i've sent of my E-mail to the PM. Doubt it will do much good as nobody listened to a word I said when I was in, now that i'm a retired old git with a dodgy knee I dont hold much hope for any change there. Stay well Dai.
Regards Nick

[richie264]

I agree with everything that has been said, however we must now bring the "New Royal Welsh" into our family at reunions etc so as they will never forget their roots!! But "We are the galloping 23rd, 24th & 41st" just doesn't seem to have the same ring about it.

[John Turner]

This could cause a stir, but go back to 1990-92 when there was talk of us merging with 1 Cheshire - I believe we hired Saatchi & Saatchi to get us out of that one and prolong the agony.

Would that seem a better option NOW?

Hindsight is a wonderful thing!

Personally, from Wrexham I would have had more in common - geographically - with 1 Cheshire; our Regiment is full of Deesiders etc. We would both have loved a Chester posting.

I also knew a lot more of them than I did RRW members. A very very keen sporting regiiment too.

But they were one 'foot' senior to us - DAMN!!!

22/23rd of foot - better than 23/24/41?

[taffylooneytoon]

I agree with you their Richie, but cant we do both, the lads serving now will always be fusiliers, Val.

[jimmy timmons]

Come on Rich an English Reg you keep forgeting that the boys in our Reg are from all over Wales not only North Wales Im not into this RRW thing but we can still call the Reg Welsh

[taffylooneytoon]

Another thing that i cant fathom is why the new bn is named Royal Welsh ,and not Royal Welch, is it not a welch regiment or did we take all the rrw traditions and kept the hackle, surly no one agreed to this, Val.

[Paul Davies 701]

I agree with Jimmy, there are vast differences between an English Regt and the Royal Welch, for a start what would happen about Dai's Day would the English put up with us Welsh celebrating what is essentially a welsh tradition and on that point would we put up with the english celebrating St George's Day. I hate this merger, I think it was done for all the wrong reasons and it just goes to show how much Bush is pulling Blairs strings but as we had no choice, merging with the RRW was the better option out of a bad choice. Remember we may have lost our cap badge but we've kept the, what is to me, the more important symbols of OUR regiment - The Flash & Hackle

[benney]

Think About It Guys We Did Not Want It Nor Did The Rrw But It Has Happend, I Look At It This Way, One Of Three Things Could Of Happend 1, We Could Of Been Disbanded, 2, We Could Of Gone With English Regts, ( Think Back To The Last Big Shake Up ) 3, Well Its Happend, So I Think It Could Of Been A Lot Worse At Least We Keep A Welsh Regt. I No Dout That Some Of You Think Im Talking Out My ****, Ive Put A Lot Of Thought In To This And I Think Both The Higher Arky Of The Two Regiments Tried To Stop It Happening But Times Change, Bitch About It As Much As You Want Its Happened, So Guys Sorry Deal With It. The Good Times We All Had That Is What Is The Thing. Ps Hope To See All Of You In Wrexham Next Weekend

[snake57]

With regard to what I see as a general backlash against the merger on these pages, as an ex RRW man perhaps you may be interested in my two pennyworth. I joined the South Wales Borderers in 1960 and from the day I joined it was drummed into me that regimental pride was everything. Loyalty to your section first, then your platoon, then your company, but above all loyalty to the regiment. The date of the formation of the regiment – 28 Jan 1689, the Battle of Rorkes Drift, the 23 VCs and many other facts were carried with us wherever we went. 1SWB was a tremendous battalion with a proud history (and a cracking badge!), and in 1969 we amalgamated with the Welch Regiment. The new regiment, the Royal Regiment of Wales came into existence whether individual soldiers wanted it or not, it was a done deal. The new CO and RSM worked tirelessly to ensure that previous regimental rivalry was not allowed to cause friction, and in due course we became as proud of 1RRW as we had been of 1SWB and 1 Welch.

Now we have the merger of 1RWF and 1RRW. whatever we say, once again it is a done deal. Comrades are ex- members of RWF, SWB, Welch Regt and even the Monmouthshire Regt, and that cannot be changed by anyone. I left in 1994 and am therefore ex-SWB and ex-RRW. Future comrades will be members of the Royal Welsh.

The comrades branches to me are a means of keeping in touch with all our old mates, and that is probably the most important service the branches provide. I feel that whatever is said on these pages, some things won’t change: loyalty to our original regiments and comradeship with our old mates. In Brecon Branch we have a great relationship with the local RWF Branch, and invite each other to functions on a regular basis. At this, the lowest level, whether we combine branches or not, we are just old soldiers meeting up in comradeship. Long may it continue. Uniform details may change without our consent, but what will not change is individual loyalties and the comradeship of old soldiers everywhere.

[snake57]

Sorry about the date in my last post 24th was formed on 28 March 1689, not 28 Jan!