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- 18th (2nd Glamorgan) Battalion, Welch Regiment during the Great War -


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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

18th (2nd Glamorgan) Battalion, Welch Regiment



   18th (2nd Glamorgan) Battalion, Welsh Regiment was raised at Cardiff in January 1915 as a Bantam Battalion. They moved to Porthcawl and joined 43rd Division. In July they moved to Prees Heath, transferring to 119th Brigade, 40th Division. They moved to Aldershot in September. The Division proceeded to France in the first week of June 1916 and concentrated near Lillers. They went into the front line near Loos and were later in action in The Battle of the Ancre on the Somme. In 1917 they saw action during The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, The capture of Fifteen Ravine, Villers Plouich, Beaucamp and La Vacquerie abd The Cambrai Operations, including the capture of Bourlon Wood in November. In 1918 they fought in The Battle of St Quentin and The Battle of Bapaume on the Somme then the The Battle of Estaires and The Battle of Hazebrouck in Flanders, suffering heavy losses. On the 5th of May 1918 the 18th Welsh was reduced to cadre strength and returned to England, transferring on the 18th of June 1918 to 47th Brigade, 16th (Irish) Division at North Walsham. The Battalion was reconstituted, absorbing the 25th Battalion. They moved to Aldershot and returned to France on the 29th of July. They were in action in The Final Advance in Artois.

16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme

1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets

11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment

10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens

9th February 1916 Call Ups

9th Jun 1916 Orders  location map

9th June 1916 Orders Received  location map

17th Jun 1916 Orders

20th Jun 1916 Orders

21 Jun 1916 Orders

21st June 1916 Instruction  location map

28th Aug 1916 Relief  location map

6th Sep 1916 Reliefs

27th Sep 1916 Reliefs

20th Oct 1916 Reliefs Completed  location map

31st Dec 1916 Reliefs

21st Mar 1917 Orders

14th May 1917 Reliefs Complete  location map

8th Jun 1917 Trench Work  location map

9th Jun 1917 Patrols  location map

11th Jun 1917 Reliefs

12th Jun 1917 Reliefs Completed  location map

26th Jun 1917 Sports

5th Jul 1917 Reliefs Complete

13th Jul 1917 Reliefs  location map

21st Jul 1917 Reliefs

29th Jul 1917 Reliefs  location map

3rd Aug 1917 Reliefs  location map

7th Aug 1917 Reliefs

15th Aug 1917 Reliefs  location map

23rd Aug 1917 Reliefs

31st Aug 1917 Patrols  location map

8th Sep 1917 Reliefs

16th Sep 1917 Reliefs  location map

24th Sep 1917 Reliefs

2nd Oct 1917 Reliefs  location map

7th Oct 1917 Orders

9th Oct 1917 Inspection

10th Oct 1917 Orders  location map

23rd Oct 1917 Training  location map

24th Oct 1917 Inspection

25th Oct 1917 Training

23rd Nov 1917 Attack Made  location map

25th Nov 1917 In Action  location map

27th Nov 1917 Congratulations  location map

30th Nov 1917 Congratulations

8th Dec 1917 Reliefs  location map

20th Dec 1917 Reliefs

1st Jan 1918 Relief Completed  location map

5th Jan 1918 Reliefs

9th Jan 1918 Reliefs

13th Jan 1918 Reliefs Completed

17th Jan 1918 Reliefs Completed

21st Jan 1918 Reliefs

25th Jan 1918 Reliefs  location map

29th Jan 1918 Relief Complete

2nd Feb 1918 Reliefs

5th Feb 1918 Reorganisation

31st of March 1918 Relief Completed  location map

1st Apr 1918 Reliefs Complete

2nd Apr 1918 Moves  location map

3rd Apr 1918 Quiet  location map

4th Apr 1918 Quiet

5th Apr 1918 Orders  location map

6th Apr 1918 Reliefs Completed

7th Apr 1918 Reorganisation

9th Apr 1918 In Action  location map

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.





Want to know more about 18th (2nd Glamorgan) Battalion, Welch Regiment?


There are:5297 items tagged 18th (2nd Glamorgan) Battalion, Welch Regiment available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.


Those known to have served with

18th (2nd Glamorgan) Battalion, Welch Regiment

during the Great War 1914-1918.

  • Baldwin Albert Ernest. L/Cpl.
  • Chant William. Cpl.
  • Davies Thomas Diamond. Pte. (d.29th Apr 1917)
  • Hughes James. Pte. (d.13th Apr 1918)
  • Jackson Walter. Pte.
  • Jones James. Pte.
  • Jones Thomas. Pte. (d.23rd Nov 1917)
  • Llewellyn John Arthur. L/Cpl.
  • Platt Sydney. Pte. (d.24th Mar 1918)
  • Saunders George. Pte. (d.24th Nov 1917)
  • Saunders George. Pte. (d.24th Nov 1917)

All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

Records of 18th (2nd Glamorgan) Battalion, Welch Regiment from other sources.


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  Cpl. William Chant 18th Btn. Welsh Regiment

A WW1 postcard that I found in an old empty house in the 1970s. It's addressed to a Corporal W Chant of the 18th Welsh Regiment and it was sent to a V.A.D. Hospital in Torrington Devon. The postcard is from Tylorstown in the Rhondda and sent by an 'Auntie Anna' from 9 Station Terrace Pontygwaith. I've taken a picture of the front and back of the postcard. I know nothing of the people involved. It was posted on the 31st December 1917 and formerly addressed to a location in Exeter.

<p>

Jeremy Swattridge






  Pte. Sydney Platt 18th Btn. Welsh Regiment (d.24th Mar 1918)

Sydney Platt, 18th Welsh Regiment

Sydney was born on 26th October 1898 to Margaret Platt (nee Doncaster) and Herbert Platt (a coal miner). The couple were married in 21 May 1891 at St George's, Tyldesley. He had a sister, Lois, 7, and a brother, William, 3 – the latter was my granddad. The family were living at 5 Sale Lane, Tyldesley which was owned by the mine.

By 1917 the family were living at 38 Johnson Street, Tyldesley. Herbert was a milkman and William had begun training as a blacksmith. Sydney was working for the Tyldesley Co-operative Society as an apprentice butcher. He joined the army in February 1917 (his brother being rejected due to a suspected varicose vein) and trained at Prees Heath, Shropshire as a soldier in the 18th Welsh Regiment. In early November 1917, he was sent to join the regiment in France to take part in the capture of Bourlon Wood, 23rd to 28th of November 1917.

He fell while on patrol from the British camp to the south of Henin-sur-Cojeul, France, according to his corporal, who was with him and saw him fall, when German sentries came out and gave fire. The patrol retreated, leaving Sydney, and returned to camp, but the regiment had received orders to move quickly to Mory to strengthen the line due to the build-up of German forces prior to their Spring Offensive, known as Operation Michael. Hence, his body was not recovered.

There are 35 unknown allied soldiers buried in Cojeul British Cemetery. I am still trying to ascertain from where each of these came, as I believe Sydney is one of these men. Sydney is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France and on the Tyldesley Memorial in his hometown.

David Platt






  Pte. Thomas Jones 18th (2nd Glamorgan) Btn. Welch Regiment (d.23rd Nov 1917)

Thomas Jones fought in the battle of the Somme. Later his division took part in the battle of Cambrai. On 23rd of November 1917 he fought in Bourlon Wood where he was killed in heavy fighting. The 21 year old has no known grave and is commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial in Louveral, France.

Owain Bale






  Pte. George Saunders 18th Btn. Welsh Regiment (d.24th Nov 1917)

George Saunders was my great uncle on my mother's side, one of 3 children to George and Ellen Saunders of Mountain Ash. Prior to joining the regiment in April 1915 he worked at Nixon's Navigation Colliery.

George served in the 18th Battalion, Welsh Regiment and was believed killed in action aged on 24th November 1917 during the Battle of Cambrai. Like countless others his body was never recovered. He is honoured at the Loverval Military Cemetery to the south west of Cambrai.

Saunders






  L/Cpl. Albert Ernest Baldwin 18th (2nd Glamorgan) Btn. Welsh Regiment

Albert Baldwin was captured on 9th April 1918 near Lavantie. He was shipped to Gardelegen P.O.W. camp. During his imprisonment there he was kept underground in complete darkness as a punishment. I do not know whether this was because of an escape attempt. He said that coming out of the dark, dragged into bright sunshine, damaged his eyesight permanently.

Tina Westmi






  Pte. Walter Jackson 18th Btn. Welsh Regiment

I have been trying now for a number of years to find my granddad's service records, who I believed served in the Welsh Regiment. The only real evidence I found was a photo of him, with who I believed to be my uncle - also named Walter - (as a small child).

After getting information from the side of his medal from his daughter (my aunt) I found that was correct, but I was still unable to find anything about him until I visited the National Archives recently. After some hours researching I came across his name mentioned in the War Diary for the 18th Battalion of the Welsh Regiment on 27th June 1917 at Dessart Wood near Sorel Le Grand. The Diary reads as follows: "The c/o presented the following men with Medal Ribbons 28580 Corporal Newman M. D.C.M., 28544 Private Morgan D. Military Medal, 27552 Jackson W. Certificate for Gallant Conduct."

What a surprise it was. I just wish my father was alive today, because he was a 6 year old when my grandfather passed away after suffering the affects of mustard gas in 1938.







  Pte. James Hughes 18th Bn Welsh Regiment (d.13th Apr 1918)

James Hughes was the son of James and Jane Hughes of 3 Chapel Street, Denbigh.

Richard Roberts






  Pte. James Jones 18th Btn. Welsh Regiment

Medical Records James Jones

My grandfather, James Jones was originally in the 3rd Battalion of the Welsh Regiment, but according to his medical records, he was transferred to the 18th on the 2nd July 1918 and shipped back out to France on the 30th of July 1918. He suffered a severe leg injury on the 24th of September and was shipped back to the UK and on to hospital in Glasgow, where he remained for more than 5 months.

Editor's Note:- The 3rd Battalion was a training unit, preparing mew recruits to join other battalions on active service.

<p>Medical Records James Jones

<p>Medical Records James Jones

<p>Medical Records James Jones

<p>Medical Records James Jones

Ffiona Jones






  Pte. Thomas Diamond Davies 18th Battalion Welsh Regiment (d.29th Apr 1917)

Thomas Diamond Davies was the only son of my great grandparents Thomas and Ann Jane Davies and he had seven sisters. I am afraid I don't have any photographs of him and know very little about him. My grandmother never spoke of him to the family. I went to France last summer and found his grave and laid a poppy wreath, a very moving and emotional moment as I was the first family member to visit.

I am sure there are photos,letters and of course his medals within my family but there are huge age gaps in his siblings and many nieces and nephews. I will continue in my search

Sharon Hughes






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