Welsh Brigade
Encyclopedia
The Welsh Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army
from 1948 to 1964. The Brigade administered the regular Welsh
infantry
regiments.
After the Second World War the British Army had fourteen infantry depots, each bearing a letter. The depots were territorially organised, and Infantry Depot L at Brecon
was the headquarters for the county regiments of Wales
and Monmouthshire
. In 1948, the depots adopted names and this depot became the Welsh Brigade, with all regiments being reduced to a single battalion at the same time.
The Welsh Brigade was formed on 14 July 1948 combining the depots of three regiments:
From 1958 all regiments in the Brigade adopted a common cap badge, depicting the plumes and motto of the Prince of Wales
.
On July 1, 1968 the Welsh Brigade was united with the Wessex Brigade
and Mercian Brigade
, to form the Prince of Wales' Division
.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
from 1948 to 1964. The Brigade administered the regular Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiments.
After the Second World War the British Army had fourteen infantry depots, each bearing a letter. The depots were territorially organised, and Infantry Depot L at Brecon
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
was the headquarters for the county regiments of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
. In 1948, the depots adopted names and this depot became the Welsh Brigade, with all regiments being reduced to a single battalion at the same time.
The Welsh Brigade was formed on 14 July 1948 combining the depots of three regiments:
- The Royal Welch Fusiliers
- The South Wales BorderersThe South Wales BorderersThe South Wales Borderers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. It first came into existence, as the 24th Regiment of Foot, in 1689, but was not called the South Wales Borderers until 1881. The regiment served in a great many conflicts, including the American Revolutionary War, various...
- The Welch Regiment
From 1958 all regiments in the Brigade adopted a common cap badge, depicting the plumes and motto of the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
.
On July 1, 1968 the Welsh Brigade was united with the Wessex Brigade
Wessex Brigade
The Wessex Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The Brigade administered the regular infantry battalions of the Wessex area of south and south west England....
and Mercian Brigade
Mercian Brigade
The Mercian Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1964. The Brigade administered the regular infantry from the area of England between the Trent, Mersey and Severn rivers that roughly corresponded to the ancient kingdom of Mercia.After the Second World War the...
, to form the Prince of Wales' Division
Prince of Wales' Division
The Prince of Wales's Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for all land force units in the West of England and Wales. The Prince of Wales's Division was formed in 1968 with the union of the Mercian Brigade, Welsh Brigade and Wessex Brigade...
.