A BATTLE reenactment society from Canada has given a display at Brecon’s Army Barracks to mark the 300th anniversary of the foundation of what became the Welsh Regiment.
The Royal Regiment of Invalid was formed in 1719 at London’s Chelsea Barracks and made up of retired soldiers when the French Peninsular Wars were at their height.
The regiment become part of the regular Army as the 41st Regiment of Foot around 1780 and later became the Welsh Regiment.
To celebrate its formation a reenactment society from Canada dedicated to the regiment has come to the UK. They will be taking part in events in Cardiff this weekend and travelling to the famous Chelsea Barracks later in the week.
On Friday morning around 30 members of the group in full military dress, carrying muskets, bayonets, drums and pipes arrived at the Watton Barracks in Brecon accompanied by woman also in period dress from the Napoleonic period.
Tom Fournier, who took command of the battalion during their parade on the Barracks square, said the regiment has an important place in Canadian history having fought to protect the British colony from invading forces from the upstart United States of America in 1812.
He said: "Their first foreign posting was to the Caribbean, they returned back to England to strengthen and then went out to Canada in 1799."
Mr Fournier, who worked as a sales manager, and lives in Cambridge, Ontario said most of the society’s members live in the greater Toronto area, and said an interest in history is what drives people to join the group that takes part in local events in its home province and has travelled to US states including Michigan, Ohio and New York and even a Waterloo reenactment in Belgium in 2015.
"I think number one it’s a love of history, particularly military history, and definitely Canadian history. If the war had went the wrong way we wouldn’t be Canada, we would be part of the US.
"We have some people who are multi-generational, there’s a few fathers and sons here."
After taking part in the parade members were able to visit the Regimental Museum which is adjacent to the Barracks.