The two battalions forming this regiment wre the 28th (North Gliucestershire), and 61st (South Gloucestershire), which were "linked" before they were territorialised.  The former, raised in 1694, was, with the exception of a detachment left at Newfoundland, disbanded four years later; but it reappears in the "Army List" in 1702.  It took part in the battles of Huy, Neer-Hespen, and Ramillies, was decimated at Almanza, was with the Vigo expedition in 1719, was present at Fontenoy, and in the L'Orient expedition of 1746.

The next names on its colours to that of "Ramillies", which is the first, are "Louisburg" and "Quebec, 1759".  These were granted for its services in the campaign which cost Wolfe his life, and for its work at Montreal and Sillery.  The 28th also assisted in the capture of Martinique and Havannah, and seemed fated to see most of its active service in the West; for, after fighting in the War of American Independence at Brooklyn, White Plains, Brandywine, and Germanstown, it was employed in 1778 at St Lucia and St Kitts; and in 1796 it again returned to the West Indies, to serve at St Lucia and Grenada.

Meanwhile it had fought also in Flanders, at Nimeguen and Gueldermalsen, in 1794; and after service at Minorca and Cadiz, it embarked for the Egyptian campaign of 1801.  There, at Alexandria, it won the distinction, peculiar to the 28th, of having the number formerly, and now the Sphinx, both in front and in rear of the head dress.  For in the battle it was attacked in rear as well as in front, and met the assualt in line, the men standing back to back.  It took part also in the affairs of Mandora and Aboukir.

After service at Copenhagen and elsewhere the 28th went to Portugal.  It was in the retreat to Corunna; afterwards at Walcheren, leaving a part of its strength to fight at the Douro and Talavera, and at Busaco, Torres Vedras, Badajoz, and Albuhera.  In this latter fighting a 2nd battalion, formed in 1803, and disbanded in 1815, took part.  The other battalion served at Arroyo dos Molinos, Almaraz, Burgos, Vittoria, the Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, and Toulouse.  At Waterloo it suffered heavily, being reduced to four companies, and the "colour staffs were shot to pieces; one of them was two yards long, the other only one".  The French cavalry failed to break their square, and the 28th stood firm, with Picton's cry, "Remember Egypt!" in their ears.

Despached to India in 1842, the 28th was prevented by sickness from taking part in the Afghan campaign, and saw no further fighting until 1854, when it was filled up to war strength with some difficulty; but it distinguished itself at Alma, Inkerman and Sevastopol, where the men showed the greatest bravery in the attack on the cemeteries.

The 61st was formed form the 2nd battalion of the Buffs, and received its number in 1758.  It had two predecessors; the first existed from 1742 to 1748, and the second afterwards became the 59th.  It first saw service, as the 61st, at Guadaloupe in 1759, and next at the celebrated defence of Minorca in 1781; at St Lucia in 1795; and in America from 1776 to 1780, where it fought at Stillwater.

After serving in South Africa in 1799, in joined General Baird's command for the Egyptian campaign, and, marching across the desert from Kosseir on the Red Sea, reached Kennah, on the Nile, in ten days.  The march was most distressing, and a drummer died of exhaustion.  Private Connell, when he was reported missing, had the heroism to go back and find him, notwithstanding his own weariness.  He found the drummer dead; but Connell's conduct in this case led to his being eventually commissioned in the 61st.  The regiment took part in the siege of Alexandria, after which the officers were given gold medals by the Sultan, and "Egypt", with the Sphinx, was added to the colours.  At Maida, in 1806, the flank companies crossed bayonets with the French; and for their gallantry the word "Maida" was placed on the "appointments of the grenadiers and light infantry of the 61st"

A 2nd battalion, raised in 1803, did duty in Ireland, and was disbanded in 1814.  Meanwhile the whole of the 1st battalion was despatched to Portugal in 1809, and remained there till the end of the war, sharing in the glories of Talavera (where Corporal Rose distinguished himself, and was eventually rewarded with a commission), Busaco, Almeida, Ciudad Rodrigo; at the siege of the forts of San Vincente, St Cajetano, and La Merced, outside Salamanca; at the battle of Salamanca (where Privates Crawford and Coulson carried the colours to the front when the officers fell); and at Burgos, the Pyrenees, the Nivelle, Nive Bayonne, Orthes, Tarbes, and Toulouse.

The 61 was despatched to India in 1845, and did not return home until 1860.  Duting this period it took part in the Sikh War, fought at Sadoolapore, Chillianwallah, and Goojerat, was engaged in the frontier war near Peshawur in 1851, and finally at the siege of Delhi during the Mutiny.  Here Doctor H. T. Reade gained the Cross for Valour.

The present facings are white; but the 28th had originally yellow, and the 61st pale buff facings, the latter from its having been once a battalion of the 3rd Foot.  The buttons bear the royal crest and the initials "G.R." within a laurel wreath of single leaves; the tunic collar bears the Sphinx over "Egypt". with two laurel twigs; in the front and on the back of the helmet is also the Sphinx etc.; and the waistplate has, in addition, the territorial title.  The latter, with the arms of the city of Gloucester, is worn on the forage cap.

The Royal South Gloucester and the Royal North Gloucester Militia form the 3rd and 4th battalions.  They were raised in 1750 and 1761, and the latter had the royal crest on its buttons.  The Volunteer battalions are the 1st Gloucestershire, Bristol (green with green facings), and the 2nd Gloucestershire, Gloucester (green and red).  The 28th were called "The Braggs" from the name of one of their colonels, who is said to have commanded the regiment for twenty five years, and "The Slashers", either from their bravery at White Plains and the Brunx, when they wore short swords, and used them, or from the story that on one occasion in Canada some of the officers disguised themselves as Indians, and attacked a magistrate who had given great offence to the regiment, "and with their swords slashed off his ear".  The depot is at Bristol.

Officer of the 2nd Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment. (1896)

"Brass Before and Brass Behind" (1896)

How Corporal J. A. Selwood, Of The 1/4^th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment, Won The D.C.M. Near Le Gheir

     On the night of April 20^th-21^st 1915, an officer, a corporal named Selwood, and fourteen men of the 1/4^th Gloucester’s were occupying an advance post behind some old ruins near Le Gheir.  Towards morning it became very misty, and the sentries reported that they could not see beyond the ruins.  The officer observed; “I wonder how things are looking behind there?” upon which Corporal Selwood volunteered to go and ascertain.  He accordingly made his way through the ruins and peered about him, listening attentively but all seemed quiet.  Soon after Selwood’s return the officers in charge of the party left his men for a few minutes, and during his absence one of the sentries called the corporal’s attention to certain suspicious sounds coming from the far side of the ruins, and expressed his opinion that some of the enemy were near our wire.  Selwood at once set off again to investigate, ad flattened to earth, wriggled along for some distance, until he came to a low wall, about two feet six inches high.  Just as he reached it, a flare was sent up outer lines, and by its light he saw a party of Germans on the other side of the wall-that is to say, within a couple of feet of him-in the act of throwing hand grenades.  Quick as thought, he levelled his rifle and emptied the magazine into them; and the Huns, deceived by his rapid fire into the belief that they had to deal with perhaps a dozen or more of the British, instead of one man, forthwith made off, but not before they had fired in reply and wounded Selwood in the right forearm.  But for his courage in going out so promptly to verify the sentry’s report, the advance post would almost certainly have been surprised and captured.  Corporal Selwood, who was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for “conspicuous gallantry,” is twenty-seven years of age, and his home is at Staple Hill, near Bristol.  Extracted from 'Deeds That thrill The Empire'     

How Lance Corporal George Royall, Of The Gloucestershire Regiment, Won The D.C.M. Near Zillebeke

On November 7^th 1914, the Gloucesters, who had been in the thick of the fighting from Mons onwards, and had, with the rest of the 1^st Division, suffered severely in the fierce struggle around Gheluvelt on October 31^st, were occupying dug outs in the woods near Hooge, when orders came for them to join the firing line east of Zillebeke. They arrived there about 9 p.m. and Lance Corporal Royall, who was in charge of the stretcher-bearers of his battalion, aware that an attack on the German position was to be made ion the following morning, found himself, in the absence of a medical officer, charged with the duty of finding a house which would serve as a first aid post. He saw at once that the cottage which had been assigned to himself and the bearers, about four hundred yards from the firing line, would mot be nearly large enough, as the casualties were certain to be very heavy, and he at once began to look about for one more suitable. This was no easy task, but at last he decided upon a described wayside inn, bordering upon the first line trenches; and with the aid of the bearers, for with set to work to prepare it as a dressing station; stripping the beds of the upstairs rooms of their mattresses, which were brought down to the ground floor, for the accommodation of the most serious cases, and getting everything in readiness for the difficult work which lay before him.

At 9.30 on the following morning, our troops advanced to the attack, and Royall soon had the inn full of wounded men of the Gloucester’s and Welsh, as well as of the French infantry. Presently shells began to burst unpleasantly near the inn, but the brave lance corporal went on with his work of attending the sufferers quite undisturbed by the risk he was running, though the roar of the exploding shells outside grew every moment louder. At last, however, one shell struck the house, partially destroying it, and Royall saw that he must get his patients away to a pace of greater safety at once, if their lives were to be saved. Their removal was a very hazardous undertaking, for not only was the ground over which they had to be taken being very heavily shelled, but as soon as they and their bearers emerged into the open, they became the mark for a hot rifle fire. Nevertheless, under Royall’s supervision, it was carried out in a most efficient manner, without any hurry or confusion, and every man was got safely away. Lance Corporal-now Sergeant Royall, who was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, "for conspicuous gallantry, coolness and ability," is twenty years of age, and his home is at Charlton. Extracted from 'Deeds That thrill The Empire'     

2nd Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment on Parade. (1896)

Winter Fishing by Alan Herriot.