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Wednesday, October 4, 2023

G is for the Glorious Gay Gloomy Glosters - Wellington's Fire Brigade!

Neither King’s nor Queen’s, nor Royal Marines,
but 28th. Old Braggs:
brass before and brass behind.
never feared a foe of any kind:
shoulder Arms!

Also known as the 'Slashers' for helping themselves to half the Canadian magistrate Mr. Walker's ear, and historically; the 'Sliver Tailed Dandies', and the 'Flowers of Toulouse'.
 
As well as being known as Wellington's Fire Brigade (Alexandria and Quatre Bras), the Glosters, or Gloucestershire Regime (originally the 28th and 61st regiments of foot, of the line; North and South Glosters) are of course famous for being almost annihilated at the battle of the Imjim River, where they held the line for three days while the entire UN force in their sector withdrew under fire to consolidate the line and prepare to receive the Chinese, a task they carried-out to almost the last round, and the last man.

 
Best regiment in the British Army
But then I would say that, wouldn't I!
 
Britains Eyes Right figure, rushed-out following that action, utilising the US marine head (I think?), someone at Britains obviously said "What does the US Presidential Citation look like?" and someone else said "Blue ribbons on the upper sleeves", meaning medal ribbons, but they ended-up getting some kind of exercise-identifier tape, around both biceps! As if they'd just swum the Atlantic faster than SS France! We saw them here - an even more, ever more, distant youth!

Very brittle now, and this is the only one I have, a recent present; thank you, John Begg! There were riflemen as well, and he's one of the few figures I will display, in a dark cupboard to protect as much as possible from UV light, but it's safer than storing him and risking damage.

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