Every Battalion of
the Royal Welch Fusiliers has a Regimental Goat. The goat
is always a billy goat and is not a mascot but a member of
the Regiment. The goat is looked after by an uncommissioned
soldier called the 'Goat Major'. The origin of the Regimental
Goat, which marches at the head of each Battalion, is not known
but it is believed that a goat served with the Regiment in
Boston in 1775 during the American Civil War. Queen Victoria
presented the Regiment with a Kashmir goat from the royal herd
in 1844 and successive sovereigns have replaced them ever since.
The
goat has a silver headplate identifying him as the gift of
the Sovereign and would lead the regiment to church parades/parades
in Litherland. He may also have led parades to the Welsh Chapel
in Marsh Lane, which was a place of worship to some of the
men from Litherland Army Camp.
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