The
Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry was an
infantryInfantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of the Combat Arms they are the backbone of armies...
regimentA regiment is a military unit, composed of variable numbers of battalions, commanded by a Colonel. A regiment can be broken into two distinct categories, one being an administrative unit which is responsible for non-operational management of battalions , while the other being a deployable combat...
of the
British ArmyThe British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and...
.
It was formed in 1994 by the amalgamation of two English regiments.
- The Gloucestershire Regiment
The Gloucestershire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Nicknamed "The Glorious Glosters", the regiment carried more battle honours on their Regimental colours than any other British Army line regiment.-Origins & early history:...
- The Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire)
The regiment was unique in the
British ArmyThe British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and...
in that it was permitted to wear the United States
Distinguished Unit CitationThe Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941...
, which it inherited from the 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment which was awarded for their defence of
Gloster HillThe hill designated Hill 235 during the Korean War is remembered as Gloster Hill because of the actions of the Gloucestershire Regiment in following their orders to "Hold on where you are" during the Battle of the Imjin River 1951.Information on and artefacts from the battle are held by .Hill 235...
during the
Battle of the Imjin RiverThe Battle of the Imjin River took place 22 April – 25 April 1951 during the Korean War. Chinese Communist forces attacked UN positions on the lower Imjin River in an attempt to achieve a breakthrough and recapture the South Korean capital Seoul...
in April 1951 during the
Korean WarThe Korean War is a war that started between North Korea and South Korea on 25 June 1950 and paused with an armistice signed 27 July, 1953...
.
It was also unique in being the only regiment in the British Army permitted to wear a
cap badgeA cap badge, also known as head badge or hat badge, is a badge worn on uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearer's nationality and/or organisation. The wearing of cap badges is a convention commonly found among military and police forces, as well as uniformed civilian groups such as the Boy...
on both the front and the rear of their headdress.
The
Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry was an
infantryInfantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of the Combat Arms they are the backbone of armies...
regimentA regiment is a military unit, composed of variable numbers of battalions, commanded by a Colonel. A regiment can be broken into two distinct categories, one being an administrative unit which is responsible for non-operational management of battalions , while the other being a deployable combat...
of the
British ArmyThe British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and...
.
It was formed in 1994 by the amalgamation of two English regiments.
- The Gloucestershire Regiment
The Gloucestershire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Nicknamed "The Glorious Glosters", the regiment carried more battle honours on their Regimental colours than any other British Army line regiment.-Origins & early history:...
- The Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire)
The regiment was unique in the
British ArmyThe British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and...
in that it was permitted to wear the United States
Distinguished Unit CitationThe Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941...
, which it inherited from the 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment which was awarded for their defence of
Gloster HillThe hill designated Hill 235 during the Korean War is remembered as Gloster Hill because of the actions of the Gloucestershire Regiment in following their orders to "Hold on where you are" during the Battle of the Imjin River 1951.Information on and artefacts from the battle are held by .Hill 235...
during the
Battle of the Imjin RiverThe Battle of the Imjin River took place 22 April – 25 April 1951 during the Korean War. Chinese Communist forces attacked UN positions on the lower Imjin River in an attempt to achieve a breakthrough and recapture the South Korean capital Seoul...
in April 1951 during the
Korean WarThe Korean War is a war that started between North Korea and South Korea on 25 June 1950 and paused with an armistice signed 27 July, 1953...
.
It was also unique in being the only regiment in the British Army permitted to wear a
cap badgeA cap badge, also known as head badge or hat badge, is a badge worn on uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearer's nationality and/or organisation. The wearing of cap badges is a convention commonly found among military and police forces, as well as uniformed civilian groups such as the Boy...
on both the front and the rear of their headdress. The back badge was awarded to the 28th Regiment of Foot for their actions at the
Battle of AlexandriaThe Battle of Alexandria or Battle of Canope, fought on March 21, 1801 between the French army under General Menou and the British expeditionary corps under Sir Ralph Abercrombie, took place near the ruins of Nicopolis, on the narrow spit of land between the sea and Lake Abukir, along which the...
in 1801 when the regiment fought on whilst completely surrounded by the enemy. During the
Battle of the Imjin RiverThe Battle of the Imjin River took place 22 April – 25 April 1951 during the Korean War. Chinese Communist forces attacked UN positions on the lower Imjin River in an attempt to achieve a breakthrough and recapture the South Korean capital Seoul...
, during the Korean War, the 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment (the Glorious Glosters), and their mortar battery — numbering perhaps 750 men in total — again fought on when surrounded on
Gloster HillThe hill designated Hill 235 during the Korean War is remembered as Gloster Hill because of the actions of the Gloucestershire Regiment in following their orders to "Hold on where you are" during the Battle of the Imjin River 1951.Information on and artefacts from the battle are held by .Hill 235...
by at least one Chinese division of 10,000 men.
Between 2002 and 2005, the 1st Battalion, Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment served as a
public dutiesPublic duties are performed by military personnel, and usually have a ceremonial or historic significance rather than an overtly operational role.-Germany:...
battalion in London, where its duties included providing the
Queen's GuardThe Queen's Guard and Queen's Life Guard are the names given to contingents of infantry and cavalry soldiers charged with guarding the official royal residences in London...
. It was while the RGBW was on guard at
Buckingham PalaceBuckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
that the Fathers 4 Justice protest took place.
On 16 December 2004, it was announced that the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment was to be disbanded - the Gloucestershire element, along with the
Devonshire and Dorset RegimentThe Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, usually just known as the Devon and Dorsets, was an infantry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1958 by the amalgamation of two county regiments:*The Devonshire Regiment*The Dorset Regiment...
was to be merged with the
Light InfantryThe Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Light Division. It was formed on 10 July 1968 as a "large regiment" by the amalgamation of the four remaining light infantry regiments of the Light Infantry Brigade:...
, while the Berkshire and Wiltshire elements would have merged with the
Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment"PWRR" redirects here. For the railroad with these reporting marks, see Portland and Western Railroad.The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment is the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division...
. In March 2005, it was further announced that the de-amalgamation of the regiment would not take place; instead it would merge completely with the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment as 1st Battalion, Light Infantry. In preparation for this, the regiment was moved from the
Prince of Wales' DivisionThe Prince of Wales's Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for all land force units in the West of England and Wales. The Prince of Wales's Division was formed in 1968 with the union of the Mercian Brigade, Welsh Brigade and Wessex Brigade...
to the
Light DivisionThe Light Division was a light infantry Division of the British Army formed in the early 19th Century. It can trace its origins to the Light Companies which had been formed to move at speed over inhospitable terrain and protect the main forces by skirmishing tactics...
and renamed the
Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry in July 2005.
On 24 November 2005, the MOD announced further changes to the amalgamations. The regiment would still merge with the
Devonshire and Dorset RegimentThe Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, usually just known as the Devon and Dorsets, was an infantry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1958 by the amalgamation of two county regiments:*The Devonshire Regiment*The Dorset Regiment...
resulting in a single battalion, however, they were now to join a new large regiment created by the alamgamation of
The Light InfantryThe Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Light Division. It was formed on 10 July 1968 as a "large regiment" by the amalgamation of the four remaining light infantry regiments of the Light Infantry Brigade:...
and the
Royal Green JacketsThe Royal Green Jackets was an infantry regiment of the British Army, one of two "large regiments" within the Light Division...
. This new regiment was to be called
The RiflesThe Rifles is a regiment of the British Army. It consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, making it the largest regiment in the infantry...
and would be formed by the end of 2007. The battalion that will result from the merger of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment and the
Devonshire and Dorset RegimentThe Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, usually just known as the Devon and Dorsets, was an infantry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1958 by the amalgamation of two county regiments:*The Devonshire Regiment*The Dorset Regiment...
will be designated
1st Battalion, The Rifles. On becoming part of a rifle regiment, the RGBW will no longer carry its
coloursIn military organizations, the practice of carrying colours, standards or Guidons, to act both as a rallying point for troops, and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some 5,000 years ago...
; the Colours of the 1st. Battalion will be laid up at
The Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum, Gloucester and the Colours of the 2nd Battalion will be laid up at the Wardrobe, Regimental Museum, Salisbury.
Alliances
-
The Royal Canadian RegimentThe Royal Canadian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces. The RCR is the senior infantry regiment in the Regular Force, but its 4th Battalion is ranked 11th in the order of precedence among Reserve Force infantry regiments...
-
The Lincoln and Welland RegimentThe Lincoln and Welland Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces based in St. Catharines and Welland, Ontario.The Regimental Colonel-in-Chief is HRH The Countess of Wessex and...
-
The Algonquin RegimentThe Algonquin Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces comprising two companies. A Coy is located in North Bay, Ontario and B Coy is located in Timmins.-Early period:...
-
11th/28th Battalion, The Royal Western Australia RegimentThe 11th/28th Battalion, Royal Western Australia Regiment is an Australian Army reserve infantry battalion located in Western Australia and one of the two battalions of the Royal Western Australia Regiment, the infantry component of the 13th Brigade.-History:The 11th Battalion was raised as the...
- 13th Battalion,
The Frontier Force RegimentFor Pakistan's Border Guard see: Frontier CorpsThe Frontier Force Regiment is one of six Infantry regiments in the Pakistan Army. At present, the regiment consists of 52 battalions and has its regimental depot at Abbottabad in the North-West Frontier Province...
- 3rd Battalion, The Kenya Rifles -
The Cape Town RiflesThe Cape Town Rifles Regiment is an infantry regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Territorial Army or United States Army National Guard unit....
-
HMS GloucesterHMS Gloucester is a Batch 3 Type 42 destroyer of the Royal Navy. The ship was built by Vosper Thorneycroft at Woolston, Southampton and launched on 2 November 1982 by The Duchess of Gloucester. The present HMS Gloucester was one of the last four of the class to be built...
External links