Battalions of the Regular Army

1st Battalion
August 1914 : in Malta. Returned to England, landing at Southampton 3 September 1914.
3 September 1914 : attached to 22nd Brigade in 7th Division.
Landed at Zeebrugge 7 October 1914.
Moved with the Division to Italy in November 1917.

2nd Battalion
August 1914 : in Portland.
11 August 1914 : landed at Rouen as Lines of Communication troops.
22 August 1914 : attached to 19th Infantry Brigade, which was not allocated to a Division but was an independent command at this time.
12 October 1914 : transferred with Brigade to 6th Division.
31 May 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 27th Division.
19 August 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 2nd Division.
25 November 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 33rd Division.
6 February 1918 : transferred to 115th Brigade, 38th (Welsh) Division.

3rd (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : administratively headquartered in Wrexham but physically in Pembroke Dock. A training unit, it remained in UK throughout the war. Returned to Wrexham on 9 August 1914 but moved to Litherland near Liverpool in May 1915. Moved to Ireland in November 1917 and by the end of the war was at Limerick.

Battalions of the Territorial Force

1/4th (Denbighshire) Battalion
August 1914 : in Wrexham. Part of North Wales Brigade, Welsh Division. Moved immediateley on mobilisation to Conway and at the end of the month to Northampton.
6 November 1914 : left Brigade and landed at Le Havre.
7 December 1914 : attached to 3rd Brigade in 1st Division.
1 September 1915 : transferred to 47th (2nd London) Division as Pioneer Battalion.

1/5th (Flintshire) Battalion
August 1914 : in Flint. Part of North Wales Brigade, Welsh Division. Moved immediately on mobilisation to Conway and at the end of the month to Northampton. Moved to Cambridge in December 1914 and Bedford in May 1915.
13 May 1915 : formation became 158th Brigade, 53rd Welsh) Division.
Sailed from Devonport on 19 July 1915 for Gallipoli, going via Imbros and disembarking Suvla Bay on 9 August 1915.
D ecember 1915 ; evacuated from Gallipoli and moved to Egypt.
3 August 1918 : amalgamated with 1/6th Bn to form the 5/6th Bn.

1/6th (Carnarvonshire & Anglesey) Battalion
August 1914 : in Carnarvon.
Record same as 1/5th Bn.

1/7th (Merioneth & Montgomery) Battalion
August 1914 : in Newtown.
Record same as 1/5th Bn.
24 June 1918 : transferred to 160th Brigade in same Division.

2/4th (Denbighshire) Battalion
Formed at Wrexham in September 1914 as a home service ("Second line") unit. Moved to join Welsh Division at Northampton on 22 November 1914. Moved in December 1914 to Cambridge.
22 April 1915 : attached to 203rd Brigade, 68th Division at Northampton. Moved to Bedford in July 1915, Aldeburgh in November 1916 and Henham Park (Halesworth) in May 1917. Finally moved to Yarmouth in October 1917.
March 1918 : disbanded.

2/5th (Flintshire) Battalion
Formed at Flint in September 1914 as a home service ("Second line") unit.
22 April 1915 : attached to 203rd Brigade, 68th Division at Northampton. Moved to Bedford in July 1915, Westleton in November 1916 and Henham Park (Halesworth) in May 1917. Finally moved to Yarmouth in October 1917.
16 March 1918 : disbanded.

2/6th (Carnarvonshire & Anglesey) Battalion
Formed at Carmarthen in September 1914 as a home service ("Second line") unit.
22 April 1915 : attached to 203rd Brigade, 68th Division at Northampton. Moved to Bedford in July 1915, Southwold in November 1916 and Henham Park (Halesworth) in May 1917.
8 September 1917: disbanded.

2/7th (Merioneth & Montgomery) Battalion
Formed at Newtown in September 1914 as a home service ("Second line") unit.
22 April 1915 : attached to 203rd Brigade, 68th Division at Northampton. Moved to Bedford in July 1915, Wrentham in November 1916. Absorbed the 2/1st Brecknockshire Battalion of the South Wales Borderers in same month. Moved to Henham Park (Halesworth) in May 1917.
12 September 1917: disbanded.

3/4th, 3/5th, 3/6th and 3/7th Battalions
Formed in Wrexham, Flint, Carnarvon and Newtown in March, May (3/6th) and June (3/7th) 1915 respectively.
8 April 1916 : became 4th - 7th Reserve Bns.
1 September 1916 : 4th absorbed the 5th, 6th and 7th Bns, in the Welsh Reserve Brigade at Oswestry. Moved in March 1918 to Kinmel (Rhyl) and in July 1918 to Herne Bay in Kent.

23rd Battalion
Formed at Mundesley on 1 January 1917 from what had previously been the 47th Provisional Battalion of the TF. It had been formed in June 1915 from "Home Service only" personnel. Moved to Bacton in June 1917 and on to Hemby in Norfolk in September 1917.

24th (Denbighshire Yeomanry) Battalion
1 March 1917 : formed in Egypt from dismounted Denbighshire Yeomanry.
1 March 1917 : attached to 231st Brigade, 74th (Yeomanry) Division. Moved to France in early May 1918.
21 June 1918 : transferred to 94th Brigade, 31st Division.

25th (Montgomery & Welsh Horse Yeomanry) Battalion
4 March 1917 : formed in Egypt from dismounted Montgomery and Welsh Horse Yeomanry.
1 March 1917 : attached to 231st Brigade, 74th (Yeomanry) Division.
Moved to France in early May 1918.

Battalions of the New Armies

8th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Wrexham in August 1914 as part of K1 and attached to 40th Brigade, 13th (Western) Division.Moved to Salisbury Plain but by February 1915 was at Blackdown.
Moved to Mudros in July 1915 and subsequently served in Gallipoli, Egypt and Mesopotamia.

9th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Wrexham on 9 September 1914 as part of K2 and attached to 58th Brigade, 19th (Western) Division. Moved to Tidworth but by December 1914 was in billets in Basingstoke. Returned to Tidworth in March 1915.
Landed at Boulogne 19 July 1915.

10th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Wrexham on 16 October 1914 as part of K3 and attached to 76th Brigade, 25th Division. Moved to Codford St Mary but by November 1914 was in billets in Bournemouth. Moved to Romsey 29 April 1915 and to Aldershot 3 June 1915.
Landed at Boulogne 27 September 1915.
15 October 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 3rd Division.
8 February 1918 : disbanded in France.

11th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Wrexham on 18 October 1914 as part of K3 and attached to 67th Brigade, 22nd Division. Moved to Seaford and by December 1914 was in billets in St Leonards. Returned to Seaford April 1915 but moved on to Aldershot in June 1915.
Landed in France early September 1915 but by 5 November 1915 was at Salonika.

12th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed in Wrexham in October 1914 as a Service Battalion of K4 and attached to 104th Brigade, original 35th Division. Moved to Tenby in February 1915.
10 April 1915 : became a Reserve battalion and moved to Kinmel (Rhyl).
1 September 1916 :converted into 62nd Training Reserve Battalion of 14th Reserve Brigade.

13th (Service) Battalion (1st North Wales)
Formed at Rhyl on 3 September 1914 by the Denbigh and Flint TF Associations, but transferred to the Welsh National Executive Committee on 10 October 1914. November 1914 : attached to 128th Brigade, 43rd Division at Llandudno. 28 April 1915 : formation became the 113th Brigade, 38th (Welsh) Division.
Moved to Winchester in August 1915 and landed in France in December 1915.

14th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Llandudno on 2 November 1914 by the Welsh National Executive Committee. November 1914 : attached to 128th Brigade, 43rd Division. 28 April 1915 : formation became the 113th Brigade,38th (Welsh) Division.
Record same as 13th Bn.

15th (Service) Battalion (1st London Welsh)
Formed at London on 20 October 1914. December 1914 : attached to 128th Brigade, 43rd Division.
Record same as 13th Bn.
27 February 1918 : disbanded in France.

16th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Llandudno in November 1914 by the Welsh National Executive Committee from recruits surplus to 13th Bn.
Record same as 13th Bn.

17th (Service) Battalion (2nd North Wales)
Formed at Llandudno on 2 February 1915 and attached to 128th Brigade, 43rd Division.
Record same as 15th Bn but not disbanded in 1918.

18th (Reserve) Battalion (2nd London Welsh)
Formed at Gray's Inn in London in February 1915 as a Service Bn. Moved to Bangor in June 1915. Between June and August 1915, was attached to 38th (Welsh) Division.
August 1915 : converted into a Reserve battalion.
1 September 1916 : with the 20th Bn, became 63rd Training Reserve Battalion in 14th Reserve Brigade.

19th (Service) Battalion
Formed March 1915 by the Welsh National Executive Committee as a Bantam Battalion. With 38th (Welsh) Division at Deganwy until August 1915.
September 1915 : transferred to 119th Brigade, 40th Division at Aldershot.
Landed in France early June 1916.
6 February 1918 : disbanded in France.

20th to 22nd (Reserve) Battalions
Formed in North Wales as Reserve Bns. Moved to Kinmel Park (Rhyl).
1 September 1916 : 20th Bn, with the 18th Bn, became 63rd Training Reserve Battalion, and 21st and 22nd formed the 64th Training Reserve Battalion, both in 14th Reserve Brigade.

Other Battalions

26th (Service) Battalion
Formed from the 4th Garrison Guard Bn (see below) on 16 July 1918. Was at the time attached to 176th Brigade, 59th (2nd North Midland) Division.

1st Garrison Battalion
Formed at Wrexham in July 1915, then to Gibraltar where it remained throughout the war.

2nd Garrison Battalion
Formed at Garswood Park (Wigan) on 21 October 1915. March 1916 to Egypt where it remained throughout the war.

3rd (Reserve) Garrison Battalion
Formed at Wrexham in February 1916. Moved to Abergele in November 1916 thence to Rhyl and Gobowen. Moved to Oswestry in June 1917 and to Ireland in November 1917, when it went to Cork. Went on to Crosshaven in March 1918.

4th Garrison Battalion
Formed at Bebington on 15 April 1916. June 1916 : moved to France, attached as Army Troops to Third Army. Renamed 4th Garrison Guard Bn in 1918. 16 May 1918 : attached to 176th Brigade, 59th (2nd North Midland).
16 July 1918 : renamed 26th (Service) Bn.

5th (Home Service) Garrison Battalion
Formed at Wrexham in August 1916 but soon moved to Barrow-in-Furness. Became the 12th Bn, the Royal Defence Corps in August 1917.

6th Garrison Battalion
Formed at Aintree in September 1916, and moved to Egypt in January 1917, remaining there throughout the war.

7th Garrison Battalion
Formed in January 1917 but disbanded next month.

Over the years I have received several emails - and they always seem to be irate - insisting that I should change the title of the regiment to the "Royal Welch Fusiliers". Actually, during the war the correct official spelling was "Welsh". The archaic "Welch" was restored by Army Order 56 of 1920.

This page is dedicated to the memory of men like
Thomas Dicks, a Brummie regular with 2nd Battalion; Reuben Jones, who served with the regiment before being posted to 254 Tunnelling Company RE and being killed in action in August 1917; Frederick Heath, who served with 9th and 13th (Service) Battalions; and William Leo Whelan, of 8th Battalion and the Machine Gun Corps, who left a scrap of 1918 graffiti in Belgium on his way to Germany.
All of these men were researched in detail by fourteeneighteen|research