Regiments and Units of the Royal Welsh Army (Welsh History Post Glyndwr)

The Byddin Frenhiniol Gymreig was formed in 1821 with the Arthurian Charter of that year. The Charter established a standing army and established new Regiments and confirmed older regiments. The BFG had existed since the 1650 Hywel Charter, but the Army had been allowed to stagnate till the 1716 reforms. The English Occupation represented a break in the military traditions of Wales and the Army was re-established by Rhisiart I during the War of Independance. This new Army however was an irregular one, made up of some pre-existing Regiments, some created during the war. None of them however had standing Barracks and Parliament had not confirmed the Army's existence.

Following the Treaty of Shrewsbury, the Army continued to exist in this legal no-mans land. It continued to exist, raise men, and fight wars on behalf of the Sovereign, but its legality was questionable. This ambiguity was removed with the 1821 Charter which offically re-established the Army as an organ of the State.

Regiments of the Byddin Frenhiniol Gymreig
The Army in 1821 was still operating at around 14,000 Infantryman strength, meaning 12 Regiments of Foot (1200 men per Regiment).

Infantry
In 1821 the regiments were numbered in order of Army Precedence

Historic Units
 * The Royal Guard
 * 1) The Regiment of the March - Catrawd y Mers (est 1718)
 * 2) The Welsh Border Regiment - Catrawd Ffin Cymru(est 1720)
 * 3) The Kings own Rifles Regiment - Hunain Brenhinoedd Reifflau Catrawd (est 1761)
 * 4) The Cardinal's Guard Regiment - Cardinals Gwarchodluoedd Catrawd (est 1739)
 * 5) The Prince of Powys Light Infantry Regiment - The Devils Offspring - Tywysog Powys Gatrawd Troedfilwyr Ysgafn - Epil Diawled (est 1785)
 * 6) The Grey Regiment - Catrawd Llwyd (est 1786)
 * 7) The Kings Household Guard Regiment - Brenhinoedd Cartref Gatrawd Gard- Technically a successor to the Kings Household Guard (est 1821)
 * 8) The Earl of Gower's Own Light Infantry - Iarll Troedfilwyr Ysgafn Gwyr Hun (est 1821)
 * 9) The Kings Own Gwynedd Heavy Infantry - Troedfilwyr Brenin ei Hun Trwm Gwynedd (est 1821)
 * 10) The Hereford Rifles Regiment - Catrawd Reifflau Henffordd (est 1821)
 * 11) The Earl of Brycheiniog's Grenadiers - Iarll Brycheiniog's Tan Belenydd (est 1821)
 * 12) The Queens Own (Alexandra's) Fusiliers - Breninesau Hun (Alexandra's) Ffiwsilwyr (est 1821)
 * 13) The Royal Regiment of Patagonia - Catrawd Frenhiniol Y Wladfa (rasied 1817, est by the 1821 Arthurian Charter)
 * 14) Kings Infantry Guard (Black Lions) - Gard Troedfilwyr Brenhinoedd (Llewod Du) (est 1838)
 * 15) The South Sea Islander Regiment - Catrawd Ynyswr De Mor
 * 16) The Royal African Regiment - Catrawd Frenhinol Affricanaidd
 * 17) Catrawd Morol Llyngesol - Naval Marine Regiment
 * 18) Catrawd Gwarchod Llu Awyr - Airforce Guard Regiment
 * 1) Catrawd Gwarchod Llu Awyr - Airforce Guard Regiment

The Cavalry was operating at around the 6000 men mark with 800 men per regiment. The following list is in order of precedence:

Heavy Cavalry

 * 1) 1st Royal Dehubarth Dragoon Guards
 * 2) 2nd (Princess Olivia's) Dragoon Guards
 * 3) 3rd (Earl Iago's) Dragoon Guards

Light Cavalry

 * 1) 1st (The King's) Royal Pembrokeshire Lancers
 * 2) 2nd (The King's) Morgannwg Hussars
 * 3) 3rd (The Queen's Royal) Hussars
 * 4) 4th (Prince Cystennin's) Lancers

Artillery
The Welsh Artillery was a successor unit to the old Royal Garison Guard units of the early and mid Welsh period. Under the 1821 reforms, the Garison guards, which had always had rights over the artillery units stored in the arsenals were reformed into the Royal Welsh Artillery Regiment.

Unlike the Infantry or the Cavalry, the Artillery did not have different regiments comprising the arm. Instead the artillery divided itself into Batteries, with the number of batteries changing to fit the current political climate. Some have remained as "prestiege postings" however with All other batteries are raised or disbanded depending on need
 * No 1 Battery: This is the ceremonial unit
 * No 2 HQ Battery: This is the unit based at the Army Headquarters in Caerfilli
 * No 3 Battery: This is the unit based in Caerodor
 * No 4 Battery: This is the unit based in Conwy

Army Units in the Welsh Civil War
During the Welsh Civil War (1843-49) there were two Welsh Armies. The Royal Welsh Army of the Crown and the Royal Snowdonia Army (also called the Army of Gwynedd). Prince Rhys of Gwynedd raised units in North Wales specifically for his army, but the Crown also raised new units for the duration of the conflict as well.

Royal Snowdonia Army (Byddin Frenhiniol Eryri) Units
Infantry


 * 1st Battalion Kings Infantry Guard Regiment
 * The Kings Own Gwynedd Heavy Infantry
 * Gwyr Traed Catrawd Ial (Yale Infantry Regiment)
 * Gwyr Traed Catrawd Maelor (Maelor Infantry)
 * Gwyr Traed Catrawd Tegeingl (Tegeingl Infantry)
 * Gwyr Traed Catrawd Llyn (Llyn Infantry)
 * Gwyr Traed Catrawd Meirionnydd (Meirionnydd Infantry)
 * Gwyr Traed Catrawd Rhufoniog (Rhufoniog Infantry)

Cavalry


 * Catrawd Gwyr Meirch Ynys Mon (Ynys Mon Cavalry Regiment)
 * Catrawd Gwyr Meirch Arfon (Arfon Cavalry)
 * Catrawd Gwyr Meirch Dunoding (Dunoding Cavalry)

Artillery


 * Magnelfa Offer Rhyfel Penllyn (Penllyn Artillery Battery)
 * Magnelfa Offer Rhyfel Rhos (Rhos Artillery Battery)
 * Magnelfa Offer Rhyfel Edeirnion (Edeirnion Artillery Battery)
 * Magnelfa Offer Rhyfel Din Mael (Din Mael Artillery Battery)

Regiments of the BFG Post 1994 Defence Review
Following the extensive Defence Review of 1994 the structure of the Welsh Army changed slightly to reflect the nature of Military Operations in the late 20th Century. With a new Century around the corner the Military needed to change to be more flexible and needed to address the new challenges this new century may bring. Many Regiments amalgamated and others ceased to exist, their colours being laid up in the church at Army Headquarters.

Infantry Units

 * 1) The Regiment of the March (est 1718) - Retained as Single Battalion Regiment
 * 2) The Welsh Border Regiment (est 1720) - Amalgamated with Kings Own Rifles 01 Mar 1995. Became 1st Battalion (Parasiwt) The Border Rifles
 * 3) The Kings own Rifles Regiment (est 1761) - Amalgamated with Welsh Border Regiment 01 Mar 1995. Became 2nd Battalion (Kings Own) The Border Rifles
 * 4) The Cardinal's Guard Regiment (est 1739) - Amalgamated with Earl of Gowers Own Light Infantry 01 Mar 1995. Became 1st Battalion (Cardinals Guard) The Royal Western Regiment
 * 5) The Prince of Powys Light Infantry Regiment - The Devils Offspring (est 1785) - Amalgamated with Kings own Gwynedd Heavy Infantry 01 Mar 1995. Became 1st Battalion (Powys) The North Welsh
 * 6) The Grey Regiment (est 1786) - Retained as Single Battalion Regiment
 * 7) The Kings Household Guard Regiment - Technically a successor to the Kings Household Guard (est 1821) - Retained as Single Battalion Regiment
 * 8) The Earl of Gower's Own Light Infantry (est 1821) - Amalgamated with The Cardinal's Guard Regiment 01 Mar 1995. Became 2nd Battalion (Y Gwyr) The Royal Western Regiment
 * 9) The Kings Own Gwynedd Heavy Infantry (est 1821) - Amalgamated with The Prince of Powys Light Infantry Regiment 01 Mar 1995 Became 2nd Battalion (Gwynedd) The North Welsh
 * 10) The Hereford Rifles Regiment (est 1821) - Amalgamated with The Earl of Brycheiniog's Grenadiers 01 Mar 1995. Became 1st Battlion (Rifle) The Eastern Regiment
 * 11) The Earl of Brycheiniog's Grenadiers (est 1821) - Amalgamated with The Hereford Rifles Regiment 01 Mar 1995. Became 2nd Battalion (Grenadier) The Eastern Regiment
 * 12) The Queens Own (Alexandra's) Fusiliers (est 1821)
 * 13) The Royal Regiment of Patagonia - Catrawd Frenhiniol Y Wladfa (raised 1817, est by the 1821 Arthurian Charter) - Disbanded 01 Mar 1995
 * 14) Kings Infantry Guard (Black Lions) (est 1838)

Current Infantry Units in order of Precedence
The Regiment of the March

1st Battalion (Parasiwt) The Border Rifles

2nd Battalion (Kings Own) The Border Rifles

1st Battalion (Cardinals Guard) The Royal Western Regiment

1st Battalion (Powys) The North Welsh

The Grey Regiment

The Kings Household Guard Regiment

2nd Battalion (Y Gwyr) The Royal Western Regiment

2nd Battalion (Gwynedd) The North Welsh

1st Battlion (Rifle) The Eastern Regiment

2nd Battalion (Grenadier) The Eastern Regiment

The Queens Own (Alexandra's) Fusiliers

Kings Infantry Guard (Black Lions)

The Reserve Militia Units of the BFG
The Reserve Militia Regiments of the Royal Welsh Army (RMRWA) are not auxiliary units of regular Army regiments, but follow the provincial model providing a unit from each area of Wales. There is no strict order of precedence for the Militia

Infantry

 * 1) 1st Battalion Gwynedd Infantry
 * 2) 1st Battalion Prince Alecsander Regiment
 * 3) 2nd Battalion Duchess Catherin Regiment (Ergyng Regiment)
 * 4) 1st Battalion (Earl of Cardigan) Deheubarth Regiment
 * 5) 2nd Battalion (Duke of Dyfed) Deheubarth Regiment
 * 6) The Earl of Penfro Grenadiers
 * 7) 7th Gower Rifles Regiment
 * 8) 9th Battalion Morgannwg Fusiliers
 * 9) The Forest of Dean Skirmishers
 * 10) The Henffordd Grenadiers
 * 11) The North Coast Light Skirmishers

Cavalry

 * 1) 1st Sqn Ynys Mon Yeomanry
 * 2) 2nd Sqn (Cantref Mawr Cavalry) Deheubarth Regiment
 * 3) 3rd Sqn Kidwelly Yeomanry
 * 4) 4th Sqn Gwent Cavalry

Artillery

 * 1) The Brycheiniog Artillery
 * 2) 1st Battery Caer Oder Artillery
 * 3) 3rd Battery Dewi Sant Artillery