Within six months of the end of the 1914-18 War, senior Welsh Guardsmen met under the chairmanship of the Regimental Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel Murray-Threipland, to consider the formation of a Welsh Guards Comrades Association “to maintain connection between the past and serving members of the Welsh Guards and thereby promote their mutual interest and welfare of the Regiment generally”.

There were other objectives, which included “the circulation of information concerning the regiment and to encourage desirable candidates to join” and “to arrange social gatherings in suitable places”. At a meeting in Cardiff on 29th November 1919, it was agreed to form local Branches.  A copy of the Minutes from this very first General Meeting of the Association can be read here.  In 1965, “Comrades” was omitted from the Association title to encourage serving soldiers to be active members and the links between past and present have continued and are greatly enjoyed.

Until 1992 the Regimental Lieutenant Colonel was President, and the Superintending Clerk at Regimental Headquarters was the General Secretary. In that year a regimental office was opened at Maindy Barracks, Cardiff and a past-serving Guardsman from within the Association became General Secretary, a position later changed to Secretary-General. Newsletters were introduced in the 1970s and at the same time the Association Report became the Welsh Guards Magazine.

Association events have included a biennial dinner, darts and shooting competitions, battlefield tours and numerous of other occasions which bring past and present Welsh Guardsmen together, none more so than on St David’s Day. The branches form the heart of the Association and are administered by enthusiastic volunteers who arrange many social events and uphold the standards and traditions of the Regiment in their areas.

Following a reorganisation of the regimental funds in 2014 it was agreed that the Association Fund would be transferred to the Welsh Guards Association and used for the purposes of that charity. The Welsh Guards Association was registered with the Charity Commission on 9 October 2014 and as a result of a uniting direction (made on 29 October 2014) made by the Charity Commission it is regarded as part of the Welsh Guards Charity for registration and accounting. The Welsh Guards Association is thus linked to the Welsh Guards Charity but it still retains its own charitable status, as Charity Commission number 1152766-1. However, it continues to be governed by the terms of its Constitution and is administered by its own Trustee body. The purposes of the Welsh Guards Association are:

  • To promote the efficiency of the Welsh Guards by fostering esprit de corps and by such other means as the trustees shall from time to time determine.
  • To assist persons who are currently serving or who have served in the Welsh Guards and the dependants of such persons who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress.
  • To commemorate and remember those members, or former members, of the Welsh Guards who have lost their lives or suffered injury, or put themselves at risk of loss of life or injury, in service to the public.

2017 saw further changes within the Association, not least the amalgamation of several branches (the details of which can be read in the Summer 2017 Newsletter here), the formation of a new voluntary post of Deputy Secretary General and the cessation of the posting of hard copy Newsletters (at a cost of over £3,000), to be replaced by a downloadable newsletter which is sent electronically to all Branch Secretaries (and held on this website) and which can be either read online or printed and handed to those not connected.

2019 saw the Association celebrate its centenary and the details of the celebratory lunch held at the Angel Hotel, Cardiff on Friday 20th September can be found here with the Centenary Brochure available to read online here

Battlefield Tour

Each year the Association conducts a Battlefield Tour and the details of this will be found in the events section of this website about 9 months prior to the tour.  Spaces are limited and those wishing to attend should reserve their seat as soon as details are released.  The Terms of Reference can be found here.

 

Secretary General

Maldwyn Jones (24263892)

25 Ffordd Cynan

Penrhosgarnedd

Bangor  LL57 2NS

Tel: 07967 701575

secretary.general.wga@gmail.com

Deputy Secretary General

Neil Rice (24446066)


58 Chetwynd Drive

Whitestone

Nuneaton

Warwickshire  CV11 4TJ

Tel: 07595 264871

dep.sec.gen.wga@gmail.com

 

There are a number of association branches around the UK. Their details are listed below.

Cardiff

Terry O’Shea (24047142)

43 Pwll-Evan-Ddu

Coity

Bridgend  CF35 6AY

Tel: 07973-255527

terenceoshea8@gmail.com

First Monday of each month 1930 hrs

United Services Mess Wharton Street, Cardiff

East Glamorgan

John Hooper (24364279)

38 Porcher Avenue

Glyncoch

Pontypridd  CF37 3DB

Tel: 07733 234140

john4279hoope@gmail.com

2nd Wednesday of month 1930 hrs

Gelliswastad Club, Gelliwastad Road, Pontypridd

Llanelli and West Wales

Alan Cunningham (24125105)

9 Alden Drive

Cockett

Swansea  SA2 0FY

Tel: 07971-229465

alan.powcoy@outlook.com

2nd Wednesday of every 2nd month, 1930 hrs

The Royal Navy Association Club, 26 Swansea Road, Llanelli SA15 3YT

London

Allan Miller (24185069) 

125 Benhurst Avenue

Elm Park

Hornchurch

Essex  RM12 4QN

Tel: 07885 736566

londonbranchsecretary.wga@gmail.com

Merthyr Tydfil & Aberdare

Errold Jones (24581438)

18 Marshall Cresent

Penydarren

Merthyr Tydfil CF47 9JA


errold438@yahoo.co.uk

1st Monday of month

Ex Servicemen’s Club, Merthyr Tydfil

Monmouthshire

Steve Liversage BEM (24141822)

7 Shaw Close

Hill Top

Ebbw Vale

Gwent  NP23 6QQ

Tel: 07968-643371

vicar54@outlook.com

2nd Thursday month 2000 hrs

Alternating between the Abergavenny Angel Hotel and Constitutional Club, Pengam

Montgomeryshire, Shropshire & Midlands

John Williams (23860183)

83 Balmoral Crescent

Oswestry

Shropshire  SY11 2XH

Tel: 07860-829206

j83williams.wga@gmail.com

Meetings every 3 months at the Shrewsbury Beaconfield Club

North England

Bryan Matthews (24578738)

3 Sandymount Drive

New Brighton

Merseyside  CH45 0LJ

Tel: 0750 884 4911

bryanmatthews64@gmail.com

Branch meet at The Old Quay, Station Road, Parkgate, Neston CH64 6QJ usually the first week of each month.   Phone Branch Secretary for time/date of meeting.  

North Wales

John Burns (24823395)

45 Bangor Road

Johnstown

Wrexham  LL14 2SR

Tel: 07758 074189

north.wales.secretary@gmail.com

Bangor - 3rd Monday of the month, 1900 hrs

Waverley Hotel,  Station Rd, Bangor LL57 1LZ

Wrexham – 1st Thursday of the month

The Wrexham Memorial Club

Ogmore

Bob Chambers (24645750)

Brynteg Bungalow

Brynteg

Llantrisant

Pontyclun CF72 8LR

Telephone : 07501191917

bobchambers50@live.co.uk

Every three months (quarterly) from 1900 hrs to 2200 hrs at the Pencoed Social Club Ltd, 37 Hendre Road, Pencoed, Bridgend CF35 6TB

Confirm dates direct with Branch Secretary

Swansea & West Glamorgan

Steve Radford (24607282)

69 Oakridge

Sketty

Swansea  SA2 8NZ

Tel: 07966 375310

wgaswansea@gmail.com

3rd Monday of the month at 1900 hrs

Swansea Dockers & Social Club

Delhi Street

St Thomas

Swansea SA1 8BT

Welsh Guards Band

Colour Sergeant Richard Hunter

Band of the Welsh Guards


Wellington Barracks

Birdcage Walk


London  SW1E 6HQ

Contact here

Welsh Guards Reunited

Dennis "Knocker" Knowles (24122474)

69 Bryntiron

Mountain Ash

Mid Glamorgan  CF45 4EX

Tel: 01443-477510

knowles781@btinternet.com

http://www.welshguardsreunited.co.uk/


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