Cardiff Castle celebrates Welsh soldiers

The Firing Line Museum honors Welsh soldiers of past and present

Cardiff Castle’s The Firing Line Museum is currently displaying its latest exhibition, A Soldiers Story. The temporary exhibition opened 10 October and will close 9 January 2012.

The exhibition is displaying stories about the Welsh soldiers who have fought and contributed toward some of history’s biggest wars. The exhibition archives stories of soldiers dating back to the Battle of Waterloo, all the way up to Welshman who are serving in Iraq.

Sergeant John Adams who fought in the Battle of Waterloo

Museum Curator Rachel Silverson explains that she wanted the exhibition to provide visitors with personal, individual stories, “A Soldier’s Story is about the people rather than the regiments they were in, it’s the individual stories that makes them more interesting and gives you a feel for the characters of our Welsh soldiers.”

Here are two extracts from stories of former Welsh soldiers on display at the exhibition:

Sergeant John Adams of the 1^st Kings Dragoon Guards

John Adams enlisted into the 1^st Dragoon Guards in 1805. In June 1815, prior to the Battle of Waterloo, he was promoted to Sergeant. During the battle, Adams received slight sabre wounds to the face and hip, and his horse was killed. Determined to remain with his Regiment on the battlefield, he seized a horse that belonged to a French cuirassier (a mounted French cavalry soldier equipped with armour and firearms) upon which he bravely continued until the end of the battle.

RSM Herbert Pennington, MBE

Herbert Pennington MBE was the last Regimental Sergeant Major (Warrant Officer Class 1) of 1^st Battalion The Welch Regiment. In 1980 Mr Pennington was chosen to become a member of the Queen’s Bodyguard of the yeoman of the Guard. It is reflective of his unblemished military career that he was offered this position, and he served with The Queen’s Bodyguard until 1997.

These are just a few of the soldiers included in the exhibition at The Firing Line Museum. To find out more about A Soldier’s Story or the Museum you can visit the website here

1st Kings Dragoon Guards., A Soldiers Story, Alfred Riley, Battle of Waterloo, Cardiff Castle, Herbert Pennington, Iraq War, John Adams, The Firing Line Museum, Welsh Soldiers