Watchman (mascot)

Watchman is a military mascot of the now disbanded Staffordshire Regiment and the now withdrawn 3rd Battalion (STAFFORDS) of the Mercian Regiment. He is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. He continues his duties as part of the Staffordshire Regimental Association.

Watchman continues his duties as part of the Staffordshire Regimental Association. He is gifted by the people of Burton-on Trent to the Staffordshire Regimental Association, previously the Staffordshire Regiment. Previous Watchmen also paraded with the West Midlands Regiment and related reserve regiments. The mascots family line comes from Cannock, in Staffordshire.

Each successive mascot carries the name Watchman. When a mascot dies or a handler retires, another Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy is chosen to replace him. When a Watchman passes away, they are buried with full military honours in St Edwards Square in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire.

The Regiments of Staffordshire have had a Staffordshire Bull Terrier as their mascot since 1882. The Watchman name is a modern addition to the tradition, started after the Second World War. There have been five Watchman since 1949, the current mascot is Sgt Watchman V, who took up his duties on 5 October 2009.

Watchman has been a popular mascot of the Staffordshire Regiment and has attracted much public interest. The mascot holds the Freedom of many Staffordshire towns (or boroughs) including Tamworth and Newcastle under Lyme borough's.

Since the Staffordshire Regiment was disbanded and merged into the Mercian Regiment in 2007, Watchman carried out his duties as part of the 3rd Battalion (STAFFORDS) of the Mercian Regiment. After the 3rd Battalion (STAFFORDS) was withdrawn and merged into 1st and 2nd Battalion of the Mercian Regiment, Watchman now carries out his duties as mascot to the Staffordshire Regimental Association and the Staffordshire Regiment Museum.

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