NEWS

The Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum at Caernarfon Castle has launched a unique research facility in honour of those who lost their lives in the First World War. The new research database is hosted on the Museum’s website and is split between those who made the ultimate sacrifice (the Faces of the Fallen) and those who served and survived the war (“All that is left of them”).

The “Faces of the Fallen” Project was initiated in 2014, at the start of the Centenary of the First World War, as a means of honouring those Royal Welchmen who made the ultimate sacrifice during this brutal conflict. Over 11,000 Royal Welch Fusiliers, serving in 40 Battalions (each of 1000 men), were killed in action, died of wounds/disease or in accidents in the service of their country. This number is significantly higher than any other Welsh regiment.  The men came, not just from Wales but from across the United Kingdom and the dominions. With the financial support of the Welsh Government’s Cymru’n Cofio Wales Remembers 1914 – 1918 programme, this searchable database has been designed by the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum for their website, as a free research resource for all to use. It is a unique and fitting legacy of the First World War Centenary events in Wales. “We believe we are bringing these Royal Welchmen back to the spiritual home of the Royal Welch Fusiliers”.

At the time of the database’s launch, over 2,530 photographs of fallen Royal Welchman have been identified. The Trustees of the Museum are hugely indebted to a small group of dedicated volunteers who have made this fitting tribute possible. Shirley Williams, the Museum’s Education Officer, was the driving force behind the initial idea it was to start the project. Dr John Krijnen, a dedicated volunteer built the database and has spent hundreds of hours researching to confirm casualty details. Many more families, history and heritage groups, county archives and WW1 centenary projects have contributed images to the project.

The “All that is left of them” database has been funded by the Federation of Museum and Art Galleries Wales and is a work in progress. The aim is to provide photos and details of as many of the 100,000 men who served in the Regiment during the First World War as possible.

Both databases will continue to grow as more photos come to light. If you have photographs of family members or from other sources, that are not already shown in the database and would like to donate the images, then please send them, with as much information as possible, to image@rwfmuseum.wales