Wrexham: Royal Welch Fusilier and goat sculpture unveiled

Image caption, The statue was unveiled in Wrexham on Saturday

A life-sized statue of a Royal Welch Fusilier and a regimental goat has been unveiled in Wrexham, marking ties dating back almost 150 years.

'A' Company, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Welsh has just re-established links at Wrexham's Hightown Barracks, but the military relationship began in 1877.

The Royal Welch Fusiliers amalgamated with the Royal Regiment of Wales to become The Royal Welsh in 2006.

Hundreds turned out to see the bronze statue being unveiled on Saturday.

The sculpture was designed by sculptor Nick Elphick after a councillor started a fundraising campaign in 2017.

Mr Elphick said the design "needed to represent every single Welch Fusilier that's ever existed, in the past, now and in the future".

Army cadet Matteo Molica-Franco, from Buckley in Flintshire, was the model for the statue.

Image source, Nick Elphick

Image caption, The Royal Welsh and its predecessors have used regimental goats dating back to 1775

He posed in a 360 degree 3D scanner wearing the regimental goat major's uniform.

Mr Elphick then used a 3D printed image and dozens of photos of the cadet and Shenkin the goat for reference.

The Royal Welsh and its predecessors have used regimental goats for centuries, with the tradition dating back to 1775 during the American War of Independence.

Councillor Graham Rogers came up with the memorial idea and Offa Community Council raised almost 拢130,000 from donations to build it.

He said it was a "fitting tribute to the barracks, the soldiers who wore the regiment's uniform with distinction, their families, and to the memory of many that were lost during the many conflicts the Royal Welch Fusiliers were involved with".

Major General Chris Barry, Colonel of the Regiment of The Royal Welsh, said the "incredible statue captures the essence of what it is to be part of the Royal Welsh family".