Celebrating the History of Welsh Soldiers: Firing Line Museum Opens in Cardiff

Armed Forces Day 2010 is being marked in Cardiff, with the national event taking place in the city. At the heart of the celebrations is the opening of Firing Line, the new museum showcasing the history of Welsh soldiers. Located within Cardiff Castle, the museum features a range of exhibits and displays that take visitors on a journey through the history of the British Army from the 18th-century campaigns of the Duke of Marlborough to the present day. The museum is a spaciously arranged record of the British Army, with a particular focus on the history of two cavalry and two infantry regiments.

Key Takeaways:

• The new museum, Firing Line, is located within Cardiff Castle and celebrates the history of Welsh soldiers.
• The museum features a range of exhibits and displays that take visitors on a journey through the history of the British Army from the 18th-century campaigns of the Duke of Marlborough to the present day.
• The museum has five years of planning and preparation behind it, with the aim of providing a spaciously arranged record of the British Army.
• The cavalry regiments represented in the museum are the 1st The King's Dragoon Guards and the Queens Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards), both of which have a long history of service, including the 18th-century campaigns of the Duke of Marlborough.
• The two infantry regiments featured in the museum are the 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh and the Royal Regiment of Wales, which have been brought together to form the current regiment.
• The museum includes a range of interactive exhibits, including an interactive globe, a 15-minute film, and a dressing-up corner where visitors can try on uniforms and headgear from the past and present.
• The museum has a range of "Outstanding Service" displays, which highlight personal stories or acts of heroism, including the story of Major (later Sir) Tasker Watkins, who won the Victoria Cross in the Second World War.
• The museum will also run a programme of temporary exhibitions, including one looking at the culture and society of the Zulu nation and another highlighting the humanitarian and peacekeeping work undertaken by the regiments.

Statistics:

• 5 years: the amount of time it took to plan and prepare the new museum, Firing Line.
• 1685: the year in which 1st The King's Dragoon Guards were raised.
• 1685: the year in which the Queens Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards) were raised.
• 280 years: the amount of time that the South Wales Borderers were able to maintain their individuality before their amalgamation with the Welch Regiment in 1969.
• 1719: the year in which the Welch Regiment was raised at Chelsea, initially as a regiment of Invalids for garrison duty.
• 2006: the year in which the infantry restructuring brought about the formation of the current regiment, The Royal Welsh.
• 2008-2009: the period during which the 1st Queen's Dragoon Guards served in Afghanistan.
• 2009: the year in which the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Welsh had an armoured infantry company in Helmand province.

Sources:

• Armed Forces Day 2010
• Firing Line Museum
• Cardiff Castle