Gloucestershire Regiment's 300 years of bravery commemorated by Duke of Gloucester
The 300-year legacy of heroism of the former Gloucestershire Regiment has been marked in a poignant ceremony attended by the Duke of Gloucester.
The event at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire saw the unveiling of a three-metre-high memorial dedicated to the regiment, which boasts more battle honours than any other county regiment in the British Army.
The Duke was joined by veterans, families and survivors of the Battle of the Imjin River during the Korean War, including Ted Warwick and Brian Hamblett, to pay tribute to the Glosters' distinguished history.
Formed in 1881, but tracing its roots back to 1694, the Gloucestershire Regiment distinguished itself in conflicts including the Napoleonic Wars, the Boer War, the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War.
During the three-day Battle of the Imjin River in April 1951, 1st Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel James Carne, helped fend off thousands of Chinese soldiers before withdrawing.
The regiment's actions helped protect the city of Seoul, now the capital of South Korea, from being overrun.
Following the battle, the regiment was awarded the United States' highest honour, the Presidential Unit Citation, which was worn on the sleeves of every serving soldier.
The Glosters Memorial was funded exclusively by former soldiers and officers who served in the regiment before its merger into the British Army's largest infantry regiment, The Rifles.
These include Lieutenant Colonel Richard James, Captain Len Keeling and Brigadier Martin Vine, who was the last Commanding Officer of the regiment.
Regimental titles, badges, citations and important historical actions undertaken by the regiment are included on the memorial.
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