Welsh Military Special Forces Units (Welsh History Post Glyndwr)

Welsh Military Special Forces Units/Unedau Cymraeg Milwrol Lluoedd Arbennig
Special Forces are a major part of any Military Force. They are essential for the conducting of Anti-Terror, Counter Insurgency and other 'Black' operations. Wales is no stranger to any of these subjects and as such the Welsh Military fields a number of Elite units in a number of areas. Included are units that whilst not particularly Special Forces in nature are considered Elite in status.

Current Units
As at 01 August 2010 the Welsh Military ORBAT contains the following Special Forces. These Fall under the Operational Command of The Secretary of State for Defence, rather than the General Staff.

1st Battalion The Border Rifles (Airborne) – Corless Lines, Brecon – A and Support Coys deployed to Afghanistan

No 1 Special Services Section ‘The Greys’ – Simpson Lines, Builth Wells – D Sqn Deployed to Afghanistan, Ranger Sqn covering Counter Terror duties

1st Naval Infantry Battalion – Pembroke Dock Naval Base

Marine Raiding Sqn, Naval Infantry – Pembroke Dock Naval Base. Elements deployed aboard Y Mers and Henffrdd on CT duties and in Afghanistan.

ADS LFAG – Llantwit Major Air Base

Equipment used by the above units varies but in the main follows standard Army doctrine. On operation certain latitude is given in uniform and equipment but whilst on home soil normal Army/Marine uniform is worn. The Greys wearing the Grey Beret with Dragon and Dagger badge, Naval Infantry wear the Green Beret with anchor badge and the Border Rifles wearing the maroon beret associated with Parachute units worldwide. Use of Multicam and British MTP patterns has been noted recently in Afghanistan.

Army
No 1 Special Services Regiment (The Greys/Y Wiwer Lywd)

Simpson Lines, Builth Wells

Originally a Light Infantry Regiment, the Greys became the Army’s first SF unit in 1941. Its creator, Colonel Iwan Rhys-Corwen a former CO of the Greys when it had been an infantry unit, saw how the irregular fighters of 1940 had created havoc with the Whermacht during the period of chaos that was the ‘occupation’. His friend David Stirling of the British Army was instrumental in creating the SAS and the pair held many of the same ideas and beliefs. As Rhys-Corwen deployed with Welsh Army units to North Africa the pair met up again and the SSR was born over Gin and Tonic in the Savoy bar, Cairo.

Initially a small raiding unit attached to Stirling’s L Detachment it numbered only 45 men. They were drawn from Welsh Army regular Regiments and Welshmen serving with the Anglo-Scottish Army. Equipped with Jeeps and Chevrolet 30 Cwt trucks ‘borrowed’ from the LRDG and the A-S Army the unit participated in operations against the Afrika Korps up until 1942. It expanded from the 45 man 4 patrol set up to the 150 man Special Raiding Squadron over this time. The men were an eclectic mix of characters and many in the mainstream army saw them as pirates and brigands. Following the lead of their British cousins they used any equipment they could beg, borrow or steal!

By Mid 1943 the Raiding Unit was transferred to Home Command in Cardiff. They numbered in the hundreds and were being tasked to assist operations in Italy as well as Africa. The majority, however, were attached to the A-S Army to train for the upcoming Invasion of Europe.

The SSR is the Primary Special Forces (SF) unit of the Welsh Army. They are responsible for Special Operations in wartime and Anti-Terror operations inpeacetime.

The Unit is made up of 4 Operational Sqns and a HQ Sqn based at Built Wells.

Ranger Sqn - Infantry Support and Heavy Weapons

A Sqn - Raider Sqn

B Sqn - Boat Unit

C Sqn - Air Unit - UH 72 Lakota flown by SF Pilots of the Air Force

P Sqn - Pool/Deployment Sqn

As with many SF units worldwide the Greys are given a reasonable amount of latitude in equipment and uniform. Whilst not Rhys-Corwens brigands they are definately a most unconventional set of individuals! Whilst on duty at home they wear standard Army uniforms with the Grey beret and Dragon and sword capbadge. The Welsh flag is worn on the right shoulder with the shoulder title 'Y Wiwer Lywd' above. On operations the use of more unconventional gear such as US Multicam or British MTP and even older forms of the standard Welsh uniform have been noted. Equipment is also an eclectic mix of systems dependant on task, location and the individual operators preference. It is the same story with weapons. C8 carbines, M4 and M16s and even AK47/74s have been used in Afghanistan. Whilst employed on Anti-Terror duties the FN P90, MP7 and FN 5-7 systems are used with Long Range weapons such as the M40A3, M82 Barrat and the Steyr SSG being employed.

C Sqn, the Air Unit fly UH 72 Lakota helicopters and occasionally UH60F Blackhawks and operate from Llantwit Major AFB near the capital.

1st Battalion (Parasiwt) The Border Rifles 

OC – Lt Col Brion Ap Gwylim

A Coy – Rifle Company

B Coy – Rifle Company

C Coy – Rifle Company

D(HQ) Coy – Headquarters Company

Support Coy – Heavy Weapons, Vehicle, Training, Sniper, Signals, Medical.

1st Naval Infantry Battalion

OC - Cdr Owain Rhodri

X Ray Coy – Provides security for Shore Establishments and Trains all Marine Personnel

Yankee Coy – Provides Naval Infantry for Major Military Operations

Zulu Coy – Provides Naval Infantry for Shipboard Security

Marine Raiding Sqn – Provides Specialist personnel for CT Operations and Military Operations

Attached UH72 and UH 60 flight flown by Air Force Personnel

Airfield Defence Squadron, LAFG heddluoedd gweithrediadau arbennig

OC – Air Colonel Sion Durman (Brother of Deputy Defence Secretary)

7 Sqn – Provides Airfield Security for all Air Bases and HQ Unit for all LAFGHGA Personnel

10 Sqn – Provides Forward Air Control and TACP personnel

33 Sqn – Provides Airfield Raiding units tasked with taking and holding forward operating bases