The South Wales Borderers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for 280 years.

It came into existence in England in 1689, as Sir Edward Dering's Regiment of Foot, and afterwards had a variety of names and headquarters. In 1782, it became the 24th Regiment of Foot, and had its depot in Warwickshire.

Based at Brecon from 1873, the regiment recruited from the border counties of Brecknockshire, Monmouthshire, and Herefordshire. It was not called the South Wales Borderers until the Childers Reforms of 1881. The regiment served in a great many conflicts, including the American War of Independence, various conflicts in India, the Zulu War, Second Boer War, and World War I and World War II. In 1969 the regiment was amalgamated with the Welch Regiment to form the Royal Regiment of Wales.

History

Early history

thumb|upright| engraving of a regimental private

thumb|upright|The regimental [[Shoulder belt (military)|shoulder belt buckle worn in ]]

The regiment was formed by Sir Edward Dering, 3rd Baronet as Sir Edward Dering's Regiment of Foot in 1689, becoming known, like other regiments, by the names of its subsequent colonels. The regiment served under the Duke of Schomberg during the Williamite War in Ireland and then saw action again at the Battle of Schellenberg in July 1704 and at the Battle of Blenheim in August 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession.

The regiment was part of the amphibious expedition to the Caribbean and participated in the disastrous British defeat at the Battle of Cartagena de Indias in March 1741 during the War of Jenkins' Ear. The regiment was ranked as 24th in the British Army order of precedence in 1747 and became the 24th Regiment of Foot in 1751. It was also part of the amphibious expedition against, or descent on, the coast of France and participated in the disastrous British defeat at the Battle of Saint Cast in September 1758.

In June 1776 the regiment was sent to Quebec where it subsequently fought American rebels who had invaded the province during their War of Independence. The regiment was part of the 5,000 British and Hessian force, under the command of General John Burgoyne, that surrendered to the American rebels in the Saratoga campaign in summer 1777 and remained imprisoned until 1783. The vast majority of the 1st Battalion was captured at sea by the French at the action of 3 July 1810 near the Comoro Islands; they had been on the East Indiamen Astell, Ceylon and Windham when a French frigate squadron captured the last two ships. They were released the following year. The 1st Battalion took part in the Anglo-Nepalese War in November 1814. The regiment was deployed to Canada in 1829 and remained there until 1842.

Zulu War

Isandlwana

In 1879 both battalions took part in the Anglo-Zulu War, begun after a British invasion of Zululand, ruled by Cetshwayo. The 24th Regiment of Foot took part in the crossing of the Buffalo River on 11 January, entering Zululand. The first engagement (and the most disastrous for the British) came at Isandlwana. The British had pitched camp at Isandlwana and not established any fortifications due to the sheer size of the force, the hard ground and a shortage of entrenching tools. The 24th Foot provided most of the British force and when the overall commander, Lord Chelmsford, split his forces on 22 January to search for the Zulus, the 1st Battalion (5 companies) and a company of the 2nd Battalion were left behind to guard the camp, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Pulleine (CO of the 1/24th Foot). During the battle Lieutenant-Colonel Pulleine ordered Lieutenants Coghill and Melvill to save the Queen's Colour—the Regimental Colour was located at Helpmekaar with G Company. The two Lieutenants attempted to escape by crossing the Buffalo River where the Colour fell and was lost downstream, later being recovered. Both officers were killed. At this time the Victoria Cross (VC) was not awarded posthumously. This changed in the early 1900s when both Lieutenants were awarded posthumous Victoria Crosses for their bravery. The Battle of Isandlwana was dramatized in the 1979 movie Zulu Dawn.

Rorke's Drift

thumb|The regiment at the [[Battle of Rorke's Drift]]

After the battle of Isandlwana, some 4,000 to 5,000 Zulus headed for Rorke's Drift, a small missionary post garrisoned by a company of the 2nd Battalion of the 24th Foot, a few native levies, and others under the command of Lieutenant Chard, Royal Engineers. The most senior officer of the 24th present was Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead. Two Boer cavalry officers, Lieutenants Adendorff and Vane, arrived to inform the garrison of the defeat at Isandlwana. The Acting Assistant Commissary James Dalton persuaded Bromhead and Chard to stay and the small garrison frantically prepared rudimentary fortifications.

The Zulus first attacked at 4:30 pm. Throughout the day the garrison was attacked from all sides, including rifle fire from the heights above the garrison, and bitter hand-to-hand fighting often ensued. At one point the Zulus entered the hospital, which was stoutly defended by the wounded inside until it was set alight and eventually burnt down. The battle raged on into the early hours of 23 January but by dawn the Zulu Army had withdrawn. Lord Chelmsford and a column of British troops arrived soon afterwards. The garrison had suffered 15 killed during the battle (two died later) and 11 defenders were awarded the Victoria Cross for their distinguished defence of the post, seven going to soldiers of the 24th Foot. The stand at Rorke's Drift was immortalised in the 1964 movie Zulu.

Childers Reforms

The regiment was not fundamentally affected by the Cardwell Reforms of the 1870s, which gave it a depot at The Barracks, Brecon from 1873, or by the Childers reforms of 1881 – as it already possessed two battalions, there was no need for it to amalgamate with another regiment. However, it now had close links with South Wales, with a number of Militia and Volunteer battalions from the region linked to it. The 3rd (Militia) Battalion was formed of the former Royal South Wales Borderers Militia and the 4th from the Royal Montgomeryshire Rifles. It also had four (later five) Volunteer Battalions attached to it. Under the reforms the regiment became The South Wales Borderers on 1 July 1881.

The 1st Battalion was stationed in Egypt from 1892, then moved to British India. The battalion had various postings, including at Peshawar until late 1902 when it was posted to Mian Mir outside Lahore. The 1st Battalion remained in India until December 1910, when it was redeployed to garrison Chatham.

Second Boer War

2nd Battalion arrived in Cape Colony in early February 1900 and saw action at the Battle of Elands River in September 1901 during the Second Boer War. During its service in South Africa the 2nd Bn was supplemented by a Volunteer Service Company provided by the regiment's volunteer battalions, which served as 'I' Company.

The 3rd (Militia) Battalion was embodied in January 1900, and the following month embarked for service in South Africa, arriving in Cape Town on the SS Cheshire in early March 1900. The 4th (Militia) Battalion was embodied for garrison duty at home.

Haldane Reforms

In 1908, the Volunteers and Militia were reorganised nationally (the Haldane Reforms), with the former becoming the Territorial Force (TF) and the latter the Special Reserve (SR). The regiment now had one SR battalion (the 3rd (Reserve) Bn at Brecon Barracks) and one TF battalion (the 1st Brecknockshire Bn at Conway Street drill hall, Brecon). The all-TF Monmouthshire Regiment comprising three battalions was also affiliated to it.

First World War

thumb|Lieutenant Colonel Sidney John Wilkinson of the 10th Battalion, killed in action during the First World War

Regular Army

The 1st Battalion landed at Le Havre as part of the 3rd Brigade in the 1st Division with the British Expeditionary Force in August 1914 for service on the Western Front. The 2nd Battalion landed at Laoshan Bay for operations against the German territory of Tsingtao in September 1914 and saw action at the Siege of Tsingtao in October 1914.

2/1st and 3/1st Brecknockshire Battalions were formed in September 1914 and April 1915 respectively to provide TF reinforcements. Both were absorbed into other Welsh reserve units as the war progressed.

Also formed were the 13th and 14th (Reserve) Battalions in 1915, the short-lived 15th (Service) Battalion in June 1918, and the 52nd and 53rd (Graduated) and 54th (Young Soldier) Battalions, which were all training units.

Meanwhile, the 2nd Battalion was sent overseas to Barrackpore in India in 1919, being present in Jhansi in 1921, redeploying to Delhi in 1925, Aden in 1927 then returning to garrison Portsmouth in February 1929.

Second World War

thumb|Plaque commemorating the liberation of a bridge in Normandy by the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers on D-Day in June 1944.

1st Battalion

The 1st Battalion, as part of the 10th Indian Infantry Division, was sent to Iraq to quell a German-inspired uprising in Iraq in November 1941. The battalion saw subsequent service in Iran. The battalion sustained enormous casualties in Libya near Tobruk when they lost around 500 officers and men captured or killed during a general retreat. In April 1940 the battalion was again transferred to the newly created 24th Guards Brigade (Rupertforce), and took part in the Norwegian Campaign, and were among the first British troops to see action against the German Army in the Second World War. The campaign failed and the brigade had to be evacuated. Casualties in the battalion, however, had been remarkably light, with only 13 wounded and 6 killed and two DCMs had been awarded.

thumb|left|Infantrymen of the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers hide themselves in a laurel bush during a brigade [[Military exercise|exercise near Ballymena in Northern Ireland, 19 September 1941.]]

The 2nd Battalion returned to the United Kingdom and, on 7 December 1941 (the day the United States entered the war), transferred to the 37th Independent Infantry Brigade (redesignated 7th Infantry Brigade the day after). On 1 March 1944 the battalion was transferred to the newly created 56th Independent Infantry Brigade, alongside which were the 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment and 2nd Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment and trained for the invasion of Normandy. The battalion had the distinction of being the only Welsh battalion to take part in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, landing at Gold Beach under command of 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division and fought in the Battle of Normandy, under command of 7th Armoured Division for a few days in June 1944, before reverting to the 50th Division.

7th Battalion

This was formed in May 1940 as 50th Holding Battalion, South Wales Borderers, becoming a normal infantry unit on 9 October as 7th Battalion. It served in Home Defence with 224th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home). It then transferred to the Royal Artillery on 15 November 1941 as 90th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, seeing service in Tunisia and Italy with 1st Infantry Division.

Post-War

The 1st Battalion was deployed to Palestine to deal with the volatile uprising in Palestine there in October 1945 and then moved to Cyprus in April 1946. The 2nd Battalion was disbanded in May 1948 as a consequence of defence cuts implemented shortly after the Second World War.

The regiment was posted to Minden, Germany in June 1959 and returned home three years later.

Battle honours

right|thumb|No. 94: Regimental flag of the 24th Regiment of Foot.

The regiment's battle honours were as follows: The khaki service dress adopted in 1902, and battle dress in 1938, was of the universal pattern.

Victoria Cross recipients

  • Corporal William Wilson Allen (2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot)
  • Private David Bell (2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot)
  • Lieutenant Edward Stevenson Browne (1st Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot)
  • Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel Daniel Burges (7th (Service) Battalion, South Wales Borderers)
  • Lieutenant Nevill Josiah Aylmer Coghill (1st Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot)
  • Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead (2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot)
  • Temporary Captain Angus Buchanan (4th (Service) Battalion, South Wales Borderers)
  • Private James Cooper (2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot)
  • Assistant Surgeon Campbell Mellis Douglas (2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot)
  • Lieutenant Edric Frederick, The Lord Gifford (2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot)
  • Private James Henry Fynn (4th (Service) Battalion, South Wales Borderers)
  • Private William Griffiths (2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot)
  • Private Frederick Hitch (2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot)
  • Private Alfred Henry Hook (2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot)
  • Acting Lieutenant-Colonel Dudley Graham Johnson (2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers)
  • Private Robert Jones (2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot)
  • Private William Jones (2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot)
  • Lieutenant Teignmouth Melvill (1st Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot)
  • Private Thomas Murphy (2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot)
  • Sergeant Ivor Rees (11th (Service) Battalion (1st Gwent), South Wales Borderers)
  • Sergeant Albert White (2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers)
  • Company Sergeant-Major John (Jack) Henry Williams (10th (Service) Battalion (1st Gwent), South Wales Borderers)
  • Private John Williams (2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot)

Colonels of the Regiment

The colonels of the regiment were as follows:

  • 1922–1931: Gen. Sir Alexander Stanhope Cobbe, VC, GCB, KCSI, DSO
  • 1931–1944: Maj-Gen. Llewellyn Isaac Gethin Morgan-Owen, CB, CMG, CBE, DSO
  • 1944–1950: Maj-Gen. Dudley Graham Johnson, VC, CB, DSO, MC
  • 1950–1954: Gen. Sir Alfred Reade Godwin-Austen, KCSI, CB, OBE, MC
  • 1954–1961: Maj-Gen. Francis Raymond Gage Matthews, CB, DSO
  • 1961–1969: Maj-Gen. Sir David Peel Yates, DSO, OBE

Alliances

  • 18th Battalion (The Kurung-Gai Regiment) (1929–1944)
  • 17th/18th Infantry Battalion (The North Shore Regiment) (1948–1960)
  • 24th Battalion (The Kooyong Regiment) (1929–1951)
  • / 1st Battalion, The Rhodesian African Rifles (1957–1965)

Famous members

  • Charles Ancliffe, composer
  • Gonville Bromhead, fought at Rorke's Drift