One of the most famous British infantry regiments, the former Gloucestershire Regiment, which was founded in 1694, served the nation for three hundred years and awarded more battle-honours than any other county regiment in the British Army, was remembered at a special dedication ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum, in Staffordshire, attended by His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester.
The ceremony was attended by the regiment’s last Colonel in Chief, His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester, who formally unveiled the three-metre high memorial at the Nation’s year-round place to remember. Unlike many national memorials, the Glosters memorial came exclusively from a fundraising initiative involving hundreds of former soldiers and officers who served in the regiment before its eventual merger into what eventually became modern-day Rifles, the largest infantry regiment in the British Army today.
To cover the cost of creating, maintaining and insuring the memorial, a target of £60,000 was raised and exceeded in just 12 months. The campaign also received support from businesses and regimental funds, who were present at the Royal dedication ceremony.
The black granite memorial was carved, and engraved in gold leaf, by stonemason Nick Johnson. At the crown of the deep black stone structure is a beautiful golden sphinx, designed and created by former Gloster officer and now a professional sculptor, Mark Swan.
On the memorial’s sides are recorded the regimental titles, badges, citations and other key facts about the regiment, famed not just for its two Napoleonic war badges – one at the back and one at the front of headdress – but also for its VC-winning and war-winning performance in 1951 during the Korean War.
At the Battle of Imjin River, the depleted regiment successfully staved off thousands of Chinese soldiers, before eventually withdrawing, many being taken prisoner of war and held in brutal captivity until the war’s end in 1953. Undoubtedly, the regiment’s actions at the Battle of Imjin, played a crucial role in protecting the now capital of S Korea, Seoul, from being overrun and taken. As a result, the regiment was awarded the United States of America’s military’s highest honour, The Presidential Unit Citation, worn with honour on the sleeves of every serving soldier.
The trustees (all ex-GLOSTERS), who ran this project, are Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) Richard James (Chairman), Captain (Retd) Len Keeling – one of the regiment’s last Regimental Sergeant Majors – and Brigadier (Retd) Martin Vine OBE), the last Commanding Officer of The GLOSTERS 1992-94
In Attendance were:
- HRH The Duke of Gloucester, Late Colonel in Chief (Principal guest)
- Padre Andy Grant (ex GLOSTERS – a casualty in the Bosnia conflict) Running the service
- Lord Lieutenants (or representatives) of Bristol, Gloucestershire & Staffordshire
- Veterans, families and supporters numbering two – 300 including at least two survivors of the battle of Imjin River – Ted Warwick (from the USA) & Brian Hamblett.)
- Wreaths were laid by:
- His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester
- Major General (Retd) Robin Grist CB CBE Late Colonel of The Regiment (His father was Bn 2IC at the Battle of Imjin River)
- Corporal (Retd) Ray Peart BEM – wounded (blinded) in an ambush in Ulster in 1973. Assisted by Corporal (Retd) Colin Porter.
- Ex England Cricketer and Artist, Jack Russell, will be recording the Dedication in a series of oil paintings.
