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!
They made an amphibious landing near Alexandria on the 8th of March. The French General Menou advanced towards the British who were camped about four miles to the east of Alexandria. He had the advantage of 1400 cavalry and superior artillery. He made a feint towards the British left but made his main thrust at the British right which included the ground the 28th were holding which was an old ruined fort on the Mediterranean coast. The fighting was very fierce and whilst under heavy attack to the front and flanks French cavalry was thrown at the 28th's rear. Lieutenant Colonel Chambers who had assumed command when colonel Paget was seriously wounded was undaunted by this alarming turn of events and gave the order ' 28th, rear rank only, right about face, and Although assailed from both sides the regiment calmly repelled all attacks in fierce hand to hand fighting. By 10.00 am the French were in full retreat along their entire line. In honour of the 28th's conduct on that day they were granted the unique distinction of wearing a badge on the back of their head dress as well as at the front. This badge takes the form of a sphinx with the word 'Egypt' beneath. 1808 - An expedition under sir John Moore including the 28th was sent to Spain to link up with the Spanish army and drive the French out of the country. However General Moore soon realised that the Spanish army was not going to stand against the French. He also learned that the French were moving to isolate and destroy his force leaving him with no choice but to withdraw the 240 miles to the port of Corunna. The withdrawal began on Christmas Eve, and was carried out in terrible weather conditions over snow covered mountains. The 28th formed part of the rear guard under their own General Paget, now recovered from his wound and Divisional Commander under General Moore. Throughout this gruelling retreat the 28th had been in almost constant contact with the French and had fought many holding and delaying actions. The army reached Corunna on the 11th January and were able to regroup, get some much needed sleep and food, and be issued with arms and ammunition. 1815 - In March of this year Napoleon escaped from Elba and returned to France gathering popular support as he travelled slowly from the coast to Paris. Whole regiments that were sent to intercept and arrest him defected to his cause. An allied army was assembled in Belgium which included the 28th who had hurried across the sea from Ireland where they had been stationed for several years. Napoleon was aware that he had only a short time to obtain a quick victory whilst the allies were still bickering about who should do what and before the allied army grew to an overwhelming size. He therefore marched towards Brussels on the 15th June. He met the Prussian army at Ligny driving them off and nearly destroying them completely. Wellington had decided to stop the French advance at Quatre Bras some 25 miles south of Brussels and on 16th June at the crossroads the battle was joined. After the battle of Quatre Bras the 28th joined the main army at Waterloo. Wellington had chosen the location for it's suitability to his now well known tactic of hiding the exact number and strength of his force by screening parts of it behind dips and rises in the land. As a bonus this also served to protect some units from direct damage from artillery. He intended to deny the battlefield to the enemy until Blucher's Prussians could recover from their mauling at Ligny and come up to re-enforce him. The 28th North Gloucestershire Regiment is proud to count Waterloo amongst it's many battle honours and equally proud to have been the only regiment mentioned by name in Wellington's Waterloo Despatches. | 
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[size=13pt] These will be some of the ranks you will come across within the regiment |
Recruit (Rec) Entry position given to those who have just enlisted into the regiment. These men have signed up for the regiment to be trained ready for battlefield duties. [size=13pt]Private (Pte) This rank symbolizes that you have passed the recruitment phase of training and now officially a ranker within the 82nd Regiment of Foot. [size=13pt]Regular (Rgl) The rank regular is award to those who are the most active and participate in most of the events, this rank also shows that you are proficient with a musket in melee and at range. [size=13pt]Kingsmen (Kgm) These men are chosen not by the regimental leaders but by the King himself for their skills in combat. Men who are awarded this rank are recognized within the regiment for their loyalty and their skills for their are only a handful of them. [size=13pt]Lance Corporal (LCpl) This is the first step into becoming an NCO, these men have been chosen for their potential skills in leading and skills on the battlefield. [size=13pt]Corporal (Cpl) The first steps of leading, these men are learning the ways of leadership and are given a handful of men to lead so they pass down their experience. [size=13pt]Serjeant (Sjt) Serjeants are the glue that holds their unit together. Their main focus is Line discipline and to set an example to all the ranks below them. They also might be asked to lead a class in training or command in a line battles should others die. [size=13pt]Colour Serjeant (CSjt) A Colour Serjeant has the honour of guarding the Regimental colours and Kings colours in battle, he must ensure that the colours do no fall into the enemies hands. [size=13pt]Serjeant Major (SjtMaj) Serjeant Majors are the toughest and most disciplined men within the regiment, this rank shows that they have risen through the ranks through experience. A Serjeant Major is training to become a Warrant Officer to one of the centre companies. [size=13pt]Regiment Serjeant Major (RSM) The RSM is assigned to the Battalion staff, he is the Majors right hand man when it comes to discipline. He like no other man within the regiment he is classed as an officer without having the rank. [size=13pt]Ensign (Ens) A Ensign is an Officer in training. He has the valiant job of carrying the colours into battle and when at the barracks drilling the men and gaining valuable leadership experience. [size=13pt] Lieutenant (Lt) The Lieutenant is a Company Commander and thus in battle leads his men to fight the forces of the French. [size=13pt] Captain (Cpt) This man is the Majors right hand man when it comes to the regiment, he is 2nd in command of the regiment when the Major is absence. Captains can also be a company commander. [size=13pt] Major (Maj) This man in is the Lieutenant Colonel's right hand man. He supports him in the field, and offers invaluable advice. [size=13pt] Lieutenant Colonel (Lt-Col) The Lieutenant Colonel is the commander of the regiment and his word is final. On the battlefield he dictates where each element of the regiment goes and tries to out wit his enemies. 
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