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DateOriginal Topic
26th April 20052nd 24th nicknames
By Kris
Whilst browsing through a website for Pembroke docks I found a reference to the 24th Foot in 1873, in brackets behind the unit name was (The Nanny Goats), does anyone know how they got this name?
Kris
DateReplies
26th April 2005John Young
Kris,

Checked the site you refer to the information is incorrect.

'The Nanny Goats' were the 23rd (Royal Welsh Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot. This is borne out by the fact that Lieutenant-Colonel George Phipps Provost was the officer commanding one of the battalions of the 23rd in 1873.

Another nickname for the 23rd was 'The Royal Goats' - this relates to the fact the regimental mascot was a goat.

The 24th did not serve against the Asante, in the 'Ashantee' campaign as stated on the Pembroke Dock site. Although at least two officers of the 24th served in the campaign to my knowledge - E.F. Gifford V.C. & C.J. Bromhead.

The nicknames of the 24th were 'Howard's Greens' & 'The Bengal Tigers'.

John Y.
26th April 2005Kris
Many thanks for clearing that one up for me John, was completely baffled as I had never seen any reference to it before

Kris
27th April 2005Phil Pearce
Kris,
My better halfs great grand father worked as an apprentice at The Pembroke Yard back in 1878 to 1880.He attended the apprentice school & recieved several prizes by order of the lords commissiners of the Admiralty for unformaly good conduct & progress at school. One of his prizes was a copy of Greens Engish People by John Richard Green which i have tried to get rid of several times because of his discription of the Welsh lol
Mind you he was also awarded a book published by Collins advanced Science series called PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY by John Young, M.D., L.R.C.S. EDIN., F.R.G.S., F.R.S.E., published 1874....Is there a painting in your attic you should be telling us about John....?? lol
27th April 2005Martin Everett
Dear John,
Reference books can be very helpful, but you lack local knowledge.............you have now upset hundreds of Royal Welch Fusiliers - their goat is just that. It is NEVER referred to as a mascot. And of course called BILLY. (My reference, not that I need on, is 'That Astonishing Infantry: The History of the Royal Welch Fusiliers' by Miachael Glover.

You can refer to the goat of the Royal Regiment of Wales as the goat mascot.
27th April 2005John Young
Martin,

My 1901 'reference book' actually refers to the goat as a 'pet', and I didn't want to enter those realms - "Didn't want to upset the lads."

I did have some local knowledge over 2nd Mons' KIDnapping a goat though, and said goat being returned Monmouth green.

John Y.

Kris,

I told Oscar not to pen the secret.

John Y.
27th April 2005John Young
Sorry Phil,

Should have addressed last to you rather than Kris.

JY
1st May 2005Richard
The Royal Warwickshire Regiment's nickname was "The Goat Boys". As the 24th were also a Warwickshire Regiment were they ever known as the Goat Boys?
1st May 2005John Young
Richard,

No mention of such a nickname in the same 1901 reference book which mentions "Guise's Geese", "The Warwickshire Lads" & "The Saucy Sixth".

If the 6th did have such a nickname, then maybe the 24th could have been "The Kids"?

John Y.