TA soldiers will lose Back Badge
TERRITORIAL Army soldiers in Gloucester will no longer be able to wear the famous Back Badge on their every-day uniforms.
The reservists will now wear the badge on their ceremonial dressonly.
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The Back Badge
The badge was awarded to the predecessors of The Gloucestershire Regiment for fighting back to back against the French at Alexandria, Egypt, in 1801.
The famous badge has been worn, on the back of their caps, as a symbol of pride by Glosters soldiers ever since.
The badge was nearly lost when the Glosters merged into the new 1 Rifles Battalion in 2004, but a campaign led by The Citizen and backed by thousands of readers managed to save it.
Under a compromise, the cap badge is now worn by soldiers in barracks on their side caps, by TA soldiers and cadets as well as on ceremonial dress for the whole of the Rifles regiment.
However, TA soldiers will now wear the same uniform as their full-time colleagues, meaning the badge will only appear on ceremonial uniforms.
Lt Col John Poole-Warren, Regimental Secretary of The Rifles, explained: "Apart from the cadets , we keep our combat uniforms as plain as possible, and it has been decided that everyone will now wear the same uniform. This has been driven as much as anything by TA members themselves.
"We very much honour the privilege of wearing the Back Badge on our ceremonial uniforms, alongside all of the other honours that were bought across when we created the regiment."
A TA soldier, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: "We were always proud to wear the Back Badge and it's sad to see it disappear from the uniform. We only knew it was going when we were told to remove it from our hats."
5 Comments
by Paul Loveys, Son of a Gloster. Glos
Friday, July 03 2009, 6:55PM
“This is a disgrace, they have got rid of The Glosters and now want to get rid of the back badge which was given after a battle in 1801.
The following is from gloster.org web page
The Regiment, then the 28th Foot (North Gloucestershire) under the Command of General Sir Ralph Abercromby landed in Egypt against strong French opposition. They marched onwards to Alexandria where they brought the French army to Battle.
The 28th. took up a defensive position on a line of low sand hills. On their right was an old Roman fort, which stood on a slight rise close to the shore, and to the front of this was an unfinished redoubt, which was manned by the 28th. Between them, the fort and the redoubt formed the key position, for if either was taken, then the British flank could be turned.
Under the cover of the pre-dawn darkness and sand dunes, two columns of French infantry headed straight for the British right. Heavy fighting ensued and as more French columns joined the attack, the 28th. Became cut off. The British musketry drove off the French onslaught but a brigade of French infantry moved through the gap between the 28th. and the rest of the British line. A counter attack by the 42nd Foot drove off this attack but they in turn went too far and were themselves in danger from French cavalry. The battle raged all along the line, but nowhere as fiercely as on the right, with the 28th fighting to their front and flanks. More French cavalry joined in, supported by more infantry. Some of the cavalry broke through the 42nd and formed up to charge the 28th in the rear. With no reserves available at this critical point in the battle, Lt. Col. Chambers, who had taken over command following the serious wounding of the C.O. Col. Paget, gave the historic order "Rear rank, 28th! Right about face!"
The rear ranks turned and with exemplary discipline waited until the French cavalry were a few horse lengths away. They then fired one devastating volley, causing heavy casualties amongst the cavalry and forcing them to withdraw.
They never gave up their fight and neither should we.
Keep the back badge and bring back the Glorious Glosters.”
by NewGloucsman, Kingsway
Friday, July 03 2009, 2:43PM
“Im thinking that a few soldiers might be thinking "Another bit of kit we don't have to clean..." Yes it probably is a cost cutting exercise and quite right too. Why pay for a piece of metal when we can not afford Bullet proof vests. The honour is int he memory and the colours. The badge does little put make imaginary didvides in the Rifles”
by clair, Notts
Friday, July 03 2009, 11:26AM
“Who will lose this piece of history next, fight to keep it, its an HONOUR”
by susan burge, Cheltenham
Friday, July 03 2009, 10:42AM
“My father served in The Glosters. This is an absolute disgrace. The back badge is part of the Regiment, it is part of the pride of not only the Regiment but their families.
What an insult to not only those that serve now, but those that served and to those that served and died.”
by Hessen, Chelt.
Friday, July 03 2009, 9:37AM
“Nothing but a cost cutting exercise.. shameful.”