Every old soldier knows the dire consequences of being found drinking on duty … especially on high profile military parades. But one bearded Lance Corporal parading in Bangor later this month has been excused from Regimental disciplines and the feared ‘King’s Regulations’, part of his official, daily, army rations is a pint of … Guinness. 

It’s been tradition beyond memory that the Regimental Goat of the 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh is issued his daily pint which again, when parading in Bangor as part of a massive military salute to the City, L/Cpl Shenkin the Goat will enjoy before trotting off ahead of more than 200 uniformed army and RAF personnel on 29 May.

Until recently the Regimental Goat of the Royal Welsh was also issued with two cigarettes a day which it would briefly chew, then swallow.  ‘Quite correctly, we weaned our goats off cigarettes, but the daily pint of Guinness remains on official Rations – as necessary, of course, as part of their intake of iron vitamins!’ said Goat Major ‘Jacko’ Jackson. 

Not only does Shenkin enjoy his daily pint, but his favourite off-duty ‘Rest and Recouperation’ chill area when visiting his regimental headquarters at Maindy Barracks, Cardiff is in the beer-garden of the Heath pub opposite.   ‘He loves human company, and customers love him, but I have to stay alert.  Given half a chance he’d cadge another free beer from one of the pub patrons!’ said Sgt. Jackson.

Shenkin’s predecessor Regimental Goat Lance Corporal Gwillam ‘Taffy’ Jenkins had other chill-out routines after a day on parade.  He was a lover of BBC Radio Two which was played 24-hours a day in his luxury Regimental Goat-quarters.  And his other love was plotting ways of ambushing unsuspecting young officers.  ‘More than a few of them suffered badly bruised backsides’ laughed his former handler.

Shenkin will lead the spectacular Bangor city centre parade on Thursday May 29 as part of the city’s marking of its 1,500th year of foundation in 525AD.   And it will be almost a home-from-home return for him as he was selected by the Regiment from a herd of feral goats which for centuries have thrived on the Great Orme, Llandudno.

Oddly, local  North Wales folklore has it that Shenkin’s favourite tipple was discovered in North Wales rather than Ireland when brewery founder J Arthur Guinness en route to a brewing conference in England stopped in a stage-coach pull-up in Llanfairfechan and sampled the local black-stout ale being served.   He cadged the recipe and headed straight back to Dublin where he named it ‘Guinness’.

Regimental Goat ‘Shenkin’ will take pride and place ahead of the Army Band, the Welsh Guards, The Royal Welsh, RAF, 160 Medical Squadron, and others past Bangor High Street’s Town Clock where newly elected Mayor Medwyn Hughes and senior military officers will ‘salute’ him as he trots ahead.   Bangor City councillor and former ‘red beret’ Para Mark Roberts explained: ‘They won’t be actually saluting the Goat but rather the coat it wears bearing the insignia and honours of the Regiment.   The Goat represents the long and distinguished history of the Royal Welsh and all those regiments amalgamated into it’.

History of Royal Welsh goats dates back to 1775 when a stray goat ambled into the ranks of red-coat Welsh Fusiliers during the American Civil War leading them from one victory to another.  All Regimental goats carry the name ‘Taffy’ although like Shenkin – the Welsh for Jenkins – they also have their own names.   Uniquely among the British Army, when a Welsh regiment Goat dies, the King or Queen is formally advised and the Monarch’s permission has to be officially sought before finding a replacement.  ‘That honour isn’t even applied to our most senior and most highly decorated Generals,’ laughed one former Welsh Fusilier; ‘ just the Goat; and a lowly ranked Lance Corporal at that!!!’

And, there could be another welcome surprise for animal-loving visitors arriving in Bangor for the 29 May Military parade through the city’s streets.  On standby in his stables in Dereham, Norfolk is Cpl Emrys Forlorn Jones nicknamed ‘Longface’, the Regimental Mascot of the Queen’s Dragoon Guards, the Welsh Cavalry. Theirs is a Welsh Bay Cob pony and like Shenkin, a massive crowd-puller.

‘A request has been submitted for Emrys and his human military escort to travel to Bangor but the QDG, the Welsh Cavalry, was suddenly mobilised to Poland to bolster the European position in the border areas close to Ukraine’, said retired army Major Adrian Kent who is co-ordinating the Bangor parade.  ‘Everything remains up in the air, but I very much hope that Emrys will be released to us for the Bangor event.  Emrys and Shenkin are old friends!’

Councillor Roberts who inspired the parade and a veteran of many major military parades with The Parachute Regiment said: ‘Marching ranks and military bands with all their ceremony and precision are always a delight to watch, but so often the true show stoppers are the Regimental mascots.

‘Thankfully, Bangor has no military affiliation with the Norwegian army who have a King Penguin as a mascot or closer to home, the Yorkshire Regiment who have two Ferrets!’

After the Bangor parade, Shenkin and his Goat Major will be at the Storiel children’s play area to meet the children of Bangor but the army asks: please no food gifts or dogs off leads.  Shenkin has a very strict diet … and very sharp horns.

Photo: © MoD (Reproduction Free)