Welsh Guards - Present Day

Present Day

In 1984 the Welsh Guards arrived in Hohne, West Germany as part of the 22nd Armoured Brigade and two years later arrived in Northern Ireland for another tour-of-duty before returning to Germany. The regiment returned home in 1988 and in 1992 arrived in NI for a 2-year deployment as part of 8th Infantry Brigade.

In October 1995 In the Company of Men, Three 1 hour documentary films by Molly Dineen about "The Prince of Wales" company of the Welsh Guards on a tour of duty in Northern Ireland was screened on BBC 2 Television.

On 6 September 1997, 12 Guardsmen of the Welsh Guards led by the adjutant of the 1st Battalion "The Prince of Wales" Company, Captain Richard Williams, hero in 1993 of the Khmer Rouge incident in which he was captured defending civilians there, were pulled from security patrols in South Armagh, Northern Ireland and together with members of the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery escorted the casket of Diana, Princess of Wales, from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey.

In 2002 the regiment arrived in Bosnia as part of SFOR, a NATO-led force intended to ensure peace and stability in the Balkan nation. During their deployment HM the Queen Mother died. A number of officers of the Welsh Guards stood in vigil around the Queen Mother's coffin which was lying in state in Westminster Hall, one of a number of regiments to do so. The regiment returned home from their deployment to Bosnia later in the year. They were involved in Operation Fresco, the British armed forces response to the firefighters strike; the Welsh Guards covered the Midlands area, primarily in Birmingham using the antiquated Army Green Goddess fire engines.

In 2003 the Welsh Guards experienced a unique moment in the their history when they moved from Aldershot to RAF St Athan, Wales the first time the regiment has actually been based on home soil in Wales.

In 2005 The Welsh Guards were part of Operation Telic and were based in Basra, Southern Iraq. Here they used valuable relationship-building skills, learnt from their time in Bosnia, to build a bond between the regiment and the locals.

In 2006, the regiment returned to London as a public duties battalion. It will alternate this role with the Grenadier Guards. The regiment deployed to Bosnia in October 2006, replacing the 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment. In November 2007, the regiment deployed to Belize at short notice to take part in Jungle warfare training, they returned just before Christmas.

In 2008, the Welsh Guards moved from London to Lille Barracks in Aldershot, in preparation for deployment on Operation Herrick 10 in Afghanistan in April 2009.

In April 2009 the Welsh Guards deployed on Operation Herrick 10 in Afghanistan and have to date lost six members of the Battalion. Firstly, L/Sgt Tobie Fasfous who died whilst taking part in a reassurance foot patrol alongside the Afghan National Army in the vicinity of Forward Operating Base Keenan, north east of Gereshk in Helmand province, when he was killed in an explosion.

Secondly, Lt. Mark Evison who died whilst leading a patrol which came under enemy fire. He was hit in the shoulder by a single round, and was evacuated back to the hospital in Camp Bastion but despite the best medical treatment available, showed no sign of recovering. Consequently he was flown back to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham. His family were with him when he died. Major Sean Birchall, OC Number IX Company, was killed by an explosion whilst on patrol in Basharan, near Lashkar Gah, in Helmand province, on 19 June 2009.

On 1 July 2009, Lieutenant-Colonel Rupert Thorneloe was killed, alongside Trooper Joshua Hammond of the Second Royal Tank Regiment, following the detonation of an IED in Afghanistan under their BvS 10 Viking. Lieutenant-Colonel Thorneloe was the highest ranking British Army officer killed since Lieutenant-Colonel 'H'. Jones VC OBE, in the Falkland Islands.

On 5 July 2009, Lance Corporal Dane Elson, Aged 22, was killed, following the detonation of an IED in Afghanistan. His death brings the number of Welsh Guardsmen killed in Afghanistan to five.

On 10 July 2009, it was announced that Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Antelme DSO, will take over command of the Welsh Guards from Lieutenant-Colonel Rupert Thorneloe who died on 1 July 2009.

On 9 May 2010, for the first time, British troops marched in Red Square to mark 65 years since the end of World War II. A detachment from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards and the Central Band of the Royal Air Force participated in a joint parade with war time allies – Russia, US, France, Poland.