Red Dragon Crater

#OTD 22nd June 1916

2 RWF at Red Dragon Crater

The battalion had just returned to the trenches in the Givenchy area of France.  Shortly after 1.30 am the largest German mine of the war was detonated under B Company, many of whose members were buried alive.  The blast was followed by an enemy raid which was repulsed in hand-to-hand fighting.  The company suffered about 100 casualties.  Some men lay out in the open, exposed to German fire, until after dark.  The crater measured 150 by 75 yards at the base; the lips were 40 feet high. RWF at Red Dragon Crater, 1916

The battalion had just returned to the trenches in the Givenchy area of France.  Shortly after 1.30 am the largest German mine of the war was detonated under B Company, many of whose members were buried alive.  The blast was followed by an enemy raid which was repulsed in hand-to-hand fighting.  The company suffered about 100 casualties.  Some men lay out in the open, exposed to German fire, until after dark.  The crater measured 150 by 75 yards at the base; the lips were 40 feet high.

Waterloo!

 

18TH JUNE 1815 – ON THIS DAY IN ROYAL WELCH HISTORY

Battle of Waterloo, Belgium, 1815

During the battle the RWF in Mitchell’s Brigade was moved into the first line which they

anchored on its right flank and covered Hougoumont. This was to the immediate right of the main line of attack of the French cavalry. It was during one of these attacks that the commanding officer, Colonel Sir Henry Ellis, was fatally wounded. The Regiment suffered much from the French guns and suffered 100 casualties. WATERLOO was granted as a battle honour.

One contemporary account of the battle records a meeting of the Duke of Wellington with the Regiment on the field.

“How cruelly the long strain told on the British squares is shown by one incident. Wellington had ridden up to the 23rd, and, peering through the smoke, saw what seemed to be a body of men a few score yards in advance. “What square is that?” He asked. It was a square of the dead. The 23rd had held that position until the ranks of the living were congested and embarrassed by the numbers of the slain. The colonel had drawn the survivors a little distance back to get clear standing-room, but the outline of a square, made up of the slain, still marked the original position of the regiment.”

17TH JUNE 1775 – 0N THIS DAY IN ROYAL WELCH HISTORY

 17TH JUNE 1775 – 0N THIS DAY IN ROYAL WELCH HISTORY

Battle of Bunker Hill, Massachusetts, North America, 1775

British forces were blockaded in Boston by the rebel militia, which greatly outnumbered the garrison.  The enemy also occupied the peninsula from where heavy guns on Bunker Hill, which commanded the harbour, could stop supplies and reinforcements reaching Boston.  A successful attack was launched on the hill by troops including the flank companies of the 23rd.  The Grenadier Company had only five unwounded out of 49 men.

#WordsforthefutureMW

 

1.    #WordsforthefutureMW

We now know that museum exhibits can be viewed in people’s homes, libraries and schools. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdown, meant we had to develop and plan to put in place online digital offerings. We believe the digital exhibition is an opportunity for our museum to show our collections and communicate our research in new ways. A virtual gallery experience showing one of our paintings -  Colonel George Worden Baynton (1738–1806).

 #ArtiseverywhereMW #herebedragons

#CaptionthisMW CP S C Evans and Regimental goat (date unknown)

 

1#CaptionthisMW

6137 Cpl Stephen Charles Evans 1RWF. DoW 21st July 1915.

( We have his bronze memorial plaque, donated by his daughter, he was born at St Wooltons, Newport, Mons)

Eureka Day in Museums Week

 #EurekaMW

A story on the BBC website caught my eye about a soldier whose family had no army records for him.  The “Eureka” moment came after closely studying the 2^nd photo and realising he had ribbons for all three WW1 medals so this narrowed him down and after contacting the historical disclosures section of the MOD they found out  that he enlisted into the RWF on 20 September 1914, and entered France a year later on 27 September 1915 with the 10^th Battalion. Read all the story here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wales/entries/091d4ff4-ec6e-3bc5-8fb9-d15ebe0d366d

Day 3 Museums Week #ChildrenseyesMW

 

1.    #ChildrenseyesMW

From the photograph album belonging to LT CE Shillington 1/6th RWF. He enlisted into 16th R.W.F 11/12/14. He served in the ranks before being commissioned 1st March, 1917; Intelligence officer 1/6 R.W.F. from 7th July, 1917 to 16th April, 1918 in Egypt, Gaza & Palestine.

#Behind the scenes

 #BehindthescenesMW DAY 2

More like Behind closed doors. Here is a virtual tour to remind you what you’ve been missing and to remind you we are open now although you have to book through Cadw to get in.

https://youtu.be/3_ZV1Ebek-E

SGT HUMPHRIES AND HIS BRIDE on THEIR WEDDING DAY - AUGUST 1915

 #OnceuponatimeMW

SGT HUMPHRIES AND HIS BRIDE on THEIR WEDDING DAY - AUGUST 1915

9973 Sgt Thomas Arthur Humphries 1RWF. Enlisted in 1908. Won the Italian War Cross (Croce Di Guerra) in Italy 1918. We have his medals at our Museum.