THE YPRES TIMES
R. Henderson-Bland (Capt.), late The Gloucestershire Regiment.
14
death and wounds, reclaimed the money and rejoined the 28th with the supplies they
had set out to get.
Now we come to the greatest Battle Honour the Regiment possessesWaterloo.
The 28th was at Quatre Bras on the 16th of June, 1815, where they covered them
selves with glory, and at Waterloo on the 18th. At Quatre Bras, the Brigadier
addressed the square that had stood firm after so many charges of the French
Cavalry with these words"Bravo 28thThe 28th are still the 28th and their
conduct this day will never be forgotten." The Duke of Wellington wrote"They
have conducted themselves with the greatest bravery." In 1855, they took part in
the Crimean War and fought with honour at Alma, Sebastapool and Inkerman.
Fourteen N.C.O.s and men were granted D.C.M.s during that war. In 1858, the
28th went to India, arriving too late to share in the fighting involved by the Indian
Mutiny though they were engaged on two occasions. On July the 1st, 1881, the
28th became the 1st Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment and the facings were
changed from light yellow to white. The 2nd Battalion (61st) was originally a
second Battalion of the 3rd Buffs (now East Kent Regiment). It became in 1758,
the 61st Regiment and proceeded almost immediately to the West Indies distinguishing
itself there. In 1779, the 61st were engaged in Cape Colony, South Africa, in sup
pressing a rebellion among the Kaffirs. In 1801, the 61st were in Egypt at the same
time as the 28th. In 18Ö9, the 61st joined Sir Arthur Wellesley's (later the Duke
of Wellington) Army in the Peninsula. The 61st had the misfortune not to be
present at the Battle of Waterloo. In 1848, they were again in India and in the
Sikh War they were present in many actions, notably Chillianwallah. Of their
conduct in that battle the Duke of Wellington said "The 61st Regiment at the Battle
of Chillianwallah decided the action and was greatly instrumental in saving the
British Army." During the Indian Mutiny, the 61st were before Delhi and assaulted
the Kashmir Gate. In 1881, the 61st became the 2nd Battalion of the Gloucestershire
Regiment.
Both Battalions fought in the Boer War, and won four Battle Honours, giving
the Regiment at that time the most crowded flag in the British Army. Rifle Regiments
do not carry flags. The battle honours borne by a regiment constitute no
criterion of the actual number of campaigns or battles in which it has partici
pated. However, it must not be imagined that all the engagements not recorded
by honours on its colours were reverses. As a matter of fact many of them
were victorious preliminaries to greater battles, such as Quatre Bras, the pre
cursor of Waterloo. Many of our regiments have taken part in battles fought on
British soil, such as Sedgemoor, the Boyne and Culloden, but victories like these, won
against our own countrymen, are not recorded on the colours of the regiments con
cerned, for reasons that may be readily understood.
Space will not allow, and it is not my intention to write of the actions in whch the Regiment
was engaged in the Great War. Suffice to say that on several occasions they repeated the
glorious action that won them the Back Badge in Egypt in 1801. That is they carried on when
surrounded by the enemy. General Sir Ian Hamilton, in his despatches from Gallipoli praises at
great length the conduct of the 7th Gloucesters for fighting on in an imperturbable manner when
all the officers had become casualties. The General need not have been surprised. All men who
wear the Back Badge of the Gloucestershire Regiment are so imbued with the traditions of the
Regiment that initiative comes naturally to them.
BADGE.
