Cpl W Eagles of H Coy, 2nd Volunteer Bn, Glosters, 1903 (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Monday, July 16, 2018, 01:09 (2324 days ago) @ Jefff

Trying to find out abt the Volunteer Battalions of the Glosters, have found the following pointers, but any additional information would be appreciated, thanks.

In 1872, the Cardwell Reforms began the process of organising the British Army along county lines based on two-battalion line infantry regiments, a process completed by the Childers Reforms nine years later. As a result, the 28th and 61st Regiments were amalgamated in 1881 to form the Gloucestershire Regiment, headquartered at Horfield Barracks in Bristol. The reforms also added the county's auxiliary forces to the regiment's establishment, and at its formation it thus comprised two regular, two militia and two volunteer battalions:

1st Battalion – formerly the 28th (North Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot
2nd Battalion – formerly the 61st (South Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot
3rd (Militia) Battalion – formerly the Royal South Gloucestershire Militia
4th (Militia) Battalion – formerly the Royal North Gloucestershire Militia
1st (City of Bristol) Volunteer Battalion – formerly the 1st (City of Bristol) Gloucestershire Rifle Volunteers
2nd Volunteer Battalion – formerly the 2nd Gloucestershire Rifle Volunteers

The Gloucestershire Regiment began life quietly. The two battalions alternated between postings at home and overseas, mostly in India, but their first action came in 1899 during the Second Boer War (see link for details).
As well as the two front-line Battalions, some of the auxiliary battalions, which in 1900 gained the 3rd Volunteer Battalion, also played a role in the war. On 16 March 1900, a company of 124 officers and men from the 1st and 2nd Volunteer Battalions landed at Cape Town. They served for a year alongside the 2nd Battalion and were replaced by a second volunteer company in April 1901. The 4th (Militia) Battalion, meanwhile, guarded Boer prisoners held on St. Helena. By the war's end the regiment had lost 2 officers and 94 other ranks killed, 13 officers and 201 men wounded, and suffered 250 deaths from sickness. The regiment added 4 new battle honours to its colours: "Defence of Ladysmith"; "Relief of Kimberley"; "Paardeberg"; and "South Africa, 1899–1902"; the last of which was also awarded to the 1st and 2nd Volunteer Battalions.

Following the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 – part of the Haldane Reforms which restructured the British Army and converted the militia and volunteer battalions into the Special Reserve and the Territorial Force – the 4th (Militia) Battalion was disbanded, and at the outbreak of the First World War the Gloucestershire Regiment comprised:

1st Battalion – assigned to the 3rd Brigade in the 1st Division
2nd Battalion – deployed to Tianjin, China
3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion – formerly 3rd (Militia) Battalion
4th (City of Bristol) Battalion, Territorial Force – formerly 1st (City of Bristol) Volunteer Battalion
5th Battalion, Territorial Force – formerly 2nd Volunteer Battalion
6th Battalion, Territorial Force – formerly 3rd Volunteer Battalion.

During the war the regiment raised an additional 18 battalions, including the 13th Forest of Dean Pioneers. In total 16 battalions of the Gloucestershire Regiment saw active service in France and Flanders, Italy, Gallipoli, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia and Salonika.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloucestershire_Regiment

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I have rather belatedly just found this excellent prior thread abt the Coleford Company of Rifle Volunteers, which was apparently part of the 2nd Volunteer Battalion.
http://forest-of-dean.net/fodmembers/index.php?mode=thread&id=23340

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There are several W.Eagles within the PRs, altho not many from the Cinderford area. One possible candidate for our Corporal appears to be collier William Eagles, aged 23 when he married at Littledean in 1894. One of my earlier posts in this thread shows this is the same William Henry Eagles who was in Insurance.

MUCH MORE TO FOLLOW ON THIS LINE LATER TODAY, THANKS FOR YR PATIENCE