The 7th (Merionethshire & Montgomeryshire) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers, was a Welsh unit of Britain's Territorial Force. First raised in 1897, it fought at Gallipoli and in Palestine during World War I, and in the campaign in North West Europe during World War II. A duplicate battalion was converted to the paratroop role. Postwar the battalion was converted into anti-aircraft artillery, then reverted to infantry in 1956 after it amalgamated with a neighbouring unit.
Precursor units
An invasion scare in 1859 led to the emergence of the Volunteer Movement, and Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVCs) began to be organised throughout Great Britain, composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular British Army in time of need. In the Welsh county of Montgomeryshire these were: 1st (Newtown) Montgomeryshire RVC, formed 19 February 1860 under the command of Captain John Price Drew; also known as the '1st Newtown Rifle Volunteers'; disbanded 1872 2nd (Welshpool) Montgomeryshire RVC, formed 26 March 1860; disbanded 1876 3rd (Welshpool) Montgomeryshire RVC, formed 14 August 1860, known as the 'Railway Rifles' because the majority of the men were employees of the Oswestry and Newtown Railway, which formally opened Welshpool railway station on the same day; two companies by May 1861; disbanded 1872 4th (Machynlleth) Montgomeryshire RVC, formed as a sub-division 10 January 1861; disbanded March 1864 5th (Llanidloes) Montgomeryshire RVC, formed as a sub-division 2 March 1861; renumbered 4th in 1864; disbanded 1876
On 28 March 1861 these independent corps were grouped together as the 1st Administrative Battalion, Montgomeryshire Rifle Volunteer Corps, with headquarters (HQ) at Welshpool.
In neighbouring Merionethshire the following units were raised: 1st (Bala) Merionethshire RVC, formed 11 November 1859, disbanded March 1864 2nd (Dolgellau) Merionethshire RVC, formed 15 May 1861, renumbered 1 March 1864; disbanded after February 1872 3rd (Corwen) Merionethshire RVC, formed 15 September 1860, moved to Ffestiniog 1861; disbanded after March 1864
In 1863 Capt Price Drew of the 1st RVC was appointed Major-Commandant of the 1st Admin Bn of Montgomeryshire RVCs and moved its HQ to Newtown in 1864. That year the battalion took over the remaining 1st Merioneth RVC, as well as the 2nd (Aberystwyth) Cardiganshire RVC, which was disbanded in 1866. In 1865 Capt Robert Devereux Harrison from the 2nd RVC succeeded as major-commandant of the battalion, which moved back to Welshpool in 1870. Recruitment was poor in the sparsely-populated rural counties of Wales, and discontent over the Secretary of State for War's refusal to sanction a commission for a sergeant in the corps led to mass resignations in the 3rd RVC in 1872. These were sufficient to warrant its disbandment, followed by the break-up of the Montgomeryshire Admin Bn the following year. Its remaining units (the 2nd and 4th RVCs) weretransferred to the 1st Administrative Battalion, Shropshire Rifle Volunteer Corps. This move was unpopular with the Montgomeryshire men and led to further resignations and disbandments. After 1876 there were no remaining Volunteer units in Montgomery or Merioneth.
Volunteer Force
After a 20-year hiatus, a new volunteer unit appeared in Montgomery after Edward Pryce-Jones, MP for Montgomery Boroughs, petitioned the War Office. His proposal was sanctioned on 12 February 1897, the new 5th Volunteer Battalion, South Wales Borderers, consisting of four companies. Pryce-Jones, who was a Major in the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry, was appointed major-commandant on 1 April. (He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel a year later.) Battalion HQ was established at Newtown with two companies, the other companies being at Welshpool and at Machynlleth and Llanfair Caereinion. Enrolment began on 7 April and included the Newtown Silver Band, who became the official battalion band. The battalion carried out its first training at Tywyn, in July, and the following February the link with Merionethshire was renewed when F Company was raised in that town; an additional Montgomery company (E Company) was formed in March. After a link was made with University College, Aberystwyth on 7 March 1900, the battalion's organisation and drill stations were as follows by May 1901: Battalion HQ at Newtown A Company at Newtown and Llanidloes B Company at Newtown and Montgomery C Company at Welshpool and Llanfair D Company at Machynlleth and Corris (Merioneth) E Company at Aberdovey (Merioneth) and UCW Abersytwyth F Company at Tywyn (Merioneth) (took over Aberdovey detachment)