Acts of courage are on display; Show is packed with unit's memorabilia.

Byline: Andrew Melvin

BRAVERY and determination are all part of the history of the Welsh Guards.

And some of their soldiers' most courageous acts are recalled in a new exhibition in Porthcawl.

As revealed in yesterday's Echo, many of the items on display at Porthcawl Museum have not been seen before in Wales.

And the unit's dramatic history means there will be plenty for visitors to enjoy.

It was formed in February 1915 by King George V, and two days later, on St David's Day, mounted its first guard at Buckingham Palace.

The Guards' first battle was at Loos in September, and Sergeant Robert Bye won their first Victoria Cross in 1917.

After serving in Cologne, Egypt and Gibraltar between the wars, the regiment fought in all the north-west European campaigns of World War II.

In September 1944, members of the Guards were first to re-enter Brussels after managing the tremendous feat of advancing 100 miles in just one day.

Since the war's end, the Welsh soldiers have travelled around the world, being stationed or exercising in places like Northern Ireland, Aden, Germany, Cyprus and Macedonia.

Some of their most notable exploits came in the Falklands War, when they played a key role in the Task Force.

Few will forget the pictures of Guardsmen struggling to escape from the burning wreck of the Sir Galahad, an attack which claimed the lives of 33 men from the unit.

In recent years, some Guards have trained in Belize while others patrolled the streets of South Armagh, and some worked as "the enemy" during SAS exercises in Poland.

CAPTION(S):

HISTORY Welsh Guards take part in the Trooping of the Colour parade, London. Below, a guard on training duty in Belize. Right, some of the items on show at the exhibition in the Porthcawl Museum.