| The Barracks, Brecon | |
|---|---|
| Brecon | |
 The Barracks, Brecon | |
  The Barracks, Brecon Location within Powys | |
| Coordinates | 51°56′40″N03°23′02″W / 51.94444°N 3.38389°W Coordinates: 51°56′40″N03°23′02″W / 51.94444°N 3.38389°W |
| Type | Barracks |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Ministry of Defence |
| Operator |  British Army |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1805-1813 |
| Built for | War Office |
| In use | 1813-Present |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | 160th (Wales) Brigade |
The Barracks, Watton is a military installation in Brecon in Wales.
The original barracks, which were constructed of red brick, were built at the Watton in 1805 and then extended in 1813. [1]
In 1873, as part of the Cardwell Reforms (which encouraged the localisation of British military forces), [2] the barracks became the depot for the two battalions of the 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot, which began recruiting throughout South Wales. In the mid-1870s, troops from the barracks were despatched to the Cape Colony. During January 1879, the 24th Regiment became famed for its role at two momentous battles of the Anglo-Zulu War – Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift. [3] That same year, a keep, for the storage of arms and ammunition, was added to the barracks. [1]
Following the Childers Reforms, on 1 July 1881, the 24th Regiment was renamed the South Wales Borderers. [4] [5]
The South Wales Borderers Museum, now the Regimental Museum of The Royal Welsh, opened at the barracks in 1935. [6] The barracks were designated as a Regional Seat of Government in the Cold War. [7]
Headquarters Wales was established at the barracks in 1972. [8] In 1991, the first of the minor districts to be amalgamated were North West District, the former West Midlands District (by then Western District) and Wales, to form a new Wales and Western District. [9] The enlarged district was disbanded on the formation of HQ Land Command in 1995. [10]
The barracks are now the home of 160th (Wales) Brigade. [11] In November 2016 the Ministry of Defence announced that the site would close in 2027. [12] This decision was later scrapped under the Future Soldier reforms. [13]
160th (Welsh) Brigade or Brigâd 160 (Cymru), is a regional brigade of the British Army that has been in existence since 1908, and saw service during both the First and the Second World Wars, as part of the 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division. It is a regional command responsible for all of Wales. The Brigade is also regionally aligned with the Eastern European and Central Asian regions as part of defence engagement.
William Jones was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross for his action at the Battle of Rorke's Drift in January 1879, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
William Wilson Allen, VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC) for his actions at the Battle of Rorke's Drift in January 1879, the highest and most prestigious award for valour in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
John Williams was a Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Brigadier general Edward Stevenson Browne, VC, CB was a British Army officer, and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Frederick Hitch, VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions at the Battle of Rorke's Drift, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
The Royal Welsh is an infantry regiment of the British Army. After the restructuring and reorganisation of the army in 2006, the Royal Welsh is one of three regiments to trace its lineage and draw its recruits primarily from Wales.
The Royal Regiment of Wales was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was formed in 1969 by the amalgamation of the South Wales Borderers and the Welch Regiment. The 1st Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Wales had a short existence in military terms, just over 36 years. Within two months of amalgamation, the battalion was one of the first units to be deployed to Northern Ireland.
The South Wales Borderers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for 280 years.
The Scottish Division was a British Army Infantry command, training and administrative apparatus designated for all Scottish line infantry units. It merged with the Prince of Wales' Division, to form the Scottish, Welsh and Irish Division in 2017.
The Royal Regiment of Scotland is the senior and only Scottish line infantry regiment of the British Army Infantry. It consists of three regular and two reserve battalions, plus an incremental company, each formerly an individual regiment. However, three regular battalions maintain their former regimental pipes and drums to carry on the traditions of their antecedent regiments.
William Partridge was born in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire on 27 June 1858. William moved to Blaina, Monmouthshire when he was a young boy with his parents. He enlisted into the 24th Regiment of Foot at Newport on 7 June 1877 having previously served in the Royal Monmouthshire Militia.
DMS Whittington, otherwise known as Defence Medical Services Whittington, is a military base in Whittington, Staffordshire, near Lichfield in England. It is home to the Staffordshire Regiment Museum, the Headquarters of the Surgeon General and subordinate medical headquarters, and the location of the Defence College of Health Education and Training.
The regimental depot of a regiment is its home base for recruiting and training. It is also where soldiers and officers awaiting discharge or postings are based and where injured soldiers return to full fitness after discharge from hospital before returning to full duty. Normally, a variety of regimental stores will also be kept at the depot. The regimental depot is not the same as the regimental headquarters, though in practice the two will often be co-located in the same place.
The Regimental Museum of The Royal Welsh, formerly the South Wales Borderers Museum is located at Brecon in Wales. The museum's collection is made up of artefacts collected from a variety of sources from around the world and which display the regiment's 300-year history.
Imphal Barracks is a military installation located in Fulford, York, England.
Fulwood Barracks is a military installation at Fulwood in Preston, Lancashire, England.
Maindy Barracks is a military installation in the Cathays district of Cardiff in Wales.
Hightown Barracks is a military installation in Wrexham, Wales.
The 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Wales was an infantry battalion of the British Army, part of the Royal Regiment of Wales. The battalion was formed during the expansion of the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) in 1971, and later disbanded and merged with the 4th (V) Battalion of the same regiment to form the new 2nd (V) Battalion. The battalion's lineage is currently carried on by two company-sized units: C Company, part of the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Welsh and 580 (Glamorgan) Transport Squadron of 157th Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps.