SeptOct08Fusilier

 
The Recreated 23rdRegiment of Foot, The Royal Welch Fusiliers in America
Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, Long Island, White Plains, New Jersey, Connecticut Coast Raids, Danbury and  Ridgefield, 
Brandywine, Germantown, Siege of Charleston, Camden, Guilford Courthouse, Yorktown The Fusilier Redoubt
Colonel of The American Battalion
Brigadier Anthony C. Vivian
Regimental Headquarters
Major: Kenneth A. Siegel, 27 Grant Street, Needham, Massachusetts 02492 rangerken98@ yahoo.com 781-444-2589
Adjutant: Captain Paul Thomson 4 Saint George Court, Brookeville, MD 20833 paulthomson@ earthlink.net 301-260-8358
Color Ensigns: Second Lieutenant Erik Goldstein, Second Lieutenant Jack Pritchard
Regimental Sjt Major: RSM Ronald Turfitt 43333 Caruth Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75225 rwfrsm@ comcast.net 214-361-9216
Drum Major: DM Thomas Reinhart 1404 Knightsbridge Turn, Crofton, MD 21114 dm23rwf@ hotmail.com 410-451-9768

1. The voting officers of the regiment, who currently are the regimental commander and the five, company commanders, with the approval of the Colonel Vivian, and Major Richard Ford, former regimental commander, have unanimously elected Captain Geoff Morgan, presently commanding the Colonel’s Company, to be the next major, and regimental commander of The Recreated 23rd Regiment of Foot, The Royal Welch Fusiliers in America.

2. This change of command will take place at midnight, 31 December 2009 and therefore, as of 1 January 2010 Captain Morgan will become Major Morgan. We will hold a ceremony at the first, regimental even in 2010 at which time the regimental commander’s sword will be formally passed from me to Major Morgan.

3. A new company commander for the Colonel’s Company will be selected between now and the end of 2009.

4. I will transfer into the Pensioner’s Company upon my relief, there to join Major Richard Ford in genteel retirement, and occasional forays onto the field in whatever capacity, from private to whatever, the new commander may desire me to assume. Major Ford and I, both reaching our 65th birthdays this year, look forward with great enthusiasm to our qualifying for Medicare…NOT!

5. I trust that all members recall that when I assumed command on 5 December 2005 it was with the understanding that I wished to hold the position for two to perhaps three years. In the event, it will be four years and I was delighted when Captain Morgan said that he wished to have this job. I represent the past of our regiment. Younger men like Captain Morgan and most of you represent the future. The future is in excellent hands!

1. The material for the gaitered trousers required for our late war uniform may be, and in fact must be ordered from regimental HQ. Send a check for $25 to Captain Thomson, made out to the 23^rd Rgt. You will receive two and one half yards of the material. If you are…er…very ‘large’, send $30 and you’ll get three yards. You are responsible for the lining yourself…and you certainly DO have to have the trousers lined!

NOTE: The reasons we are insisting that the material is obtained only from the regiment are first, to make sure everyone looks the same and second, to give us a very good idea of exactly how many really intend to do this! If all who have said they wish to have the late war uniform do so we’ll have easily over sixty in it. In other words, time to literally put up (the money) or…er…silence thyself J.

2. The cocked hat should be obtained from Godwin, sales@gggodwin.com . Make sure you specify that you want the plain, black, Unlaced, cocked hat for the 23^rd Rgt late war uniform. You’ll need to send your head size. Remember, NO wigs with the late war uniform!!!!! Ordering instructions may be found on the Godwin site. You’re on your own getting the three, white, feathers for the hat.

3. There’s much uncertainty about what sort of buttons should be used. So, in order to get things started, and since it is, bluntly, my ‘call’, we will use all, regimental buttons on the gaitered trousers…large ones for the upper, breeches-like part, and ten small buttons, five on each side, for the bottom part. Remember, from just below the knee down, the trousers should fit similar, but not as tight as, our long gaiters. Space the lower buttons two inches apart.

4. Two of our members are willing and most able to make the trousers for you if you wish. And as posted before, they are :

The British Brigade and Continental Line, along with the BAR sanctioning the event, are planning a major event right across the river from Yorktown. This will be a regional event for the 23^rd. However, the 23^rd DID fight in this battle. And furthermore, everyone fielding in a red coat will be playing the part of the 23^rd…and further-furthermore I’ve been asked to command all the ‘red coats’ (someone else will have the Loyalists and Germans, and British Brigade commander Mike Grenier will be in over all command of the Crown Forces). Based on information received at the British Brigade meeting this is going to be a fine event and I strongly recommend it to all. The www.britishbrigade.org website has lots of good, accurate information about this event. In fact, there is no reason to reprint everything so easily and clearly available about ‘The Hook’ here…so, go to the website and you’ll find everything you need to know. However….

2. The military representative of the British Ambassador, a Royal Marines Colonel will inspect several units…we are one of them, so POLISH!!!!!

3. Whereas supper will be available for purchase Saturday evening near the camp, you’re on your own for all other meals. We are N O T doing any ‘regimental cooking’ at this event. Members who do wish to cook may of course do so.

4. Although this event seems to be growing ever larger, I do NOT consider it to be ‘family friendly’. Of course all family members are welcome, but I don’t think there will be much for kids to do unless they are driven across the river to Busch Gardens, etc.

5. I will be commanding all the British regulars at this event. Captain Morgan will command the 23^rd with the sole exception of when we are inspected by that Royal Marine Colonel.

This will mark the 50^th anniversary of the National Park Service’s reconstruction of much of Battle Road. There will be considerable fighting throughout Concord and Lexington (off NPS land).

This has been chosen as the, major British Brigade events for 2009. It will be our MAIN, regimental event for 2009. We will hold our Saint David’s Day dinner concurrent with this event. Our Colonel will join us for this event and the dinner. We expect to have a ‘goat’. We officers are snickering over which NCO will be appointed ‘goat major’.

We will seek to be invited back to Williamsburg in 2009 and I’m sure we will receive an invitation. We should support this event on as large a scale as possible. Williamsburg is indicating that they wish participants to be in the uniform worn in the Southern Campaign. Therefore this event will be a late war uniform event for us.

The site direvtor, Gary Stone, wants to make this a really, major event in 2010 and specifically wrote and called me to ask that the 23^rd support it as much as we could. I agreed.

This has been chosen as a major, British Brigade event in 2010. It will probably be our main, regimental event for 2010..

A representative portion of our ‘Coven’ having been heard from I am pleased to announce that a decision has been made regarding the official, regimental broom. We will adopt the Short Land Pattern Model, Straw Broom. Anyone who has a working Long Land Pattern, Straw Broom is authorized to continue carrying it, sweeping with it, and flying upon it until it wears out.

I look forward to a large turnout at ‘The Hook’. Everything about it looks great including earthworks and battle scenarios. I intend to thoroughly enjoy next year as my last year in command of the regiment. I’m sure all of you will continue to help me do that just as you have made the almost three years I’ve held this job so rewarding and enjoyable.

We will have a smooth and orderly transition next year so that when Captain Morgan takes my place he will have all the information necessary, and, I am certain, everyone’s full and enthusiastic support!