5th Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment (T.A.)

1947 - 1st March 1947 the 5th Bn The Gloucestershire Regiment (Territorial Army) was reformed at The Drill Hall, Painswick Road, Gloucester. It was part of 129th Infantry Brigade, 43rd (Wessex) Division, along with the 4/6th Bn Royal Berkshires, and 4th Bn Oxf and Bucks L.I.

"A" Coy - At Bristol, with platoons at Thornbury and Berkeley.
"B" Coy - At Lydney, with platoons at Cinderford and Coleford.
"C" Coy - At Cheltenham, with a platoon at Tewkesbury.
"D" Coy - At Dursley, with platoons at Stroud and Wotton-under-Edge.
HQ and Support Coys - At Gloucester.

Lt-Col. J.P. Carne - CO - Gloucester
Capt. A.L.W. Soames - Adjutant - Gloucester
Major A.H.R. Chalmers, MC - 2 i/c - Gloucester
Major H.G. Mason, TD - OC "A" Coy. - Bristol
Capt. J.G.A. Ellis - OC Support Coy - Gloucester
Capt. C.W. Guilding - OC HQ Coy - Gloucester
Capt. J.N. Collett - MTO - Gloucester
Capt. S.J. Wilcox, MBE - OC "C" Coy - Cheltenham
Capt. A.G. Slater - 2nd i/c "A" Coy - Bristol
Capt. W.J. Oxenham - Quatermaster - Gloucester
Major M.L. Sutcliffe, TD, MRCS - MO - Gloucester
Rev. J.E. Gethyn-Jones, MBE - Padre - Gloucester

WOII G.F. Hill - RQMS - Gloucester
WOII W.V. Critchley - CSM Support Coy - Gloucester
WOII A.P. Sallis - CSM "C" Coy - Cheltenham
C/Sergt R.P. Smith - CQMS "C" Coy - Cheltneham
Sergt. L.E. Brown, MM - Carrier Platoon Sergt. - Gloucester
Sergt. C.W. Turner - QM Stores - Gloucester
Sergt. P. Gibbs - Pl. Sergt. "C" Coy. - Cheltenham

Honorary Colonel of the 5th Battalion: Colonel N.H. Waller, MC, TD
Born 1881, educated at Cambridge, commissioned 2nd Vol. Bn. The Gloucestershire Regt, 1902 and posted to "B" Coy. (Gloucester City Rifles). Transferred to "E" Coy. (Cheltenham) when the first Vickers Machine guns were issued to the Battalion. Won the MC in WWI. CO of the 5th Bn 1922-29. His son, Major A.D. Waller, was killed with the 5th Bn at Ledringhem, 29th May 1940.

1948 - Strength: 8 officers and 84 men.
Arrivals: Major M.L. Sutcliffe, TD (Medical Officer), Capt. L.C. Jenkins (Signals Officer), and Lieuts. C.F.N. Mason, D.T. Dufty, P.E.F. Owen, and T.A. Newberry.
NCO's to "A" Company (Bristol) - W.S. Reeves (late 28th) and A. Carver (late 4th Bn).

Permanent Staff: Capt. A.L.W. Soames to Camberley Staff Course, replaced as Adjutant by Capt. P.A. Angier.
CSM Kibble (from Depot), Sergt. Cole (Wessex ITC) and Sergt. Franklin (2nd Bn) to Battalion.

Annual Camp held at Bulford.

1949 - Annual Camp at Chickerell, near Weymouth.
Arrivals: Capts. D.D. Pim (late Sikh Regt), F.J. Harrison (late E. Yorks Regt), Lieuts. J.M. Hillbery (late East African Command), W.A. Bird, (late Black Watch), T.P. Garrod and L.W.R. Pitman (both late Gloucesters), Lieut. S.F. Cargill (late 127 Para. Field Ambulance) and D.N. Williams (late Royal Signals).

Lt-Col. J.P. Carne left the Bn to take over as CO of the 1st Battalion, 1st Dec. 1949.
New CO 5th Bn is Lt-Col. A.H.R. Chalmers, MC, TD

1950 - Annual Camp at Mytchett, near Aldershot.
Instructors being trained for the arrival of National Servicemen.
Companies reorganised:
"HQ" and "S" Coys at Gloucester
"C" Coy. at Cheltenham
"D" Coy. at Dursley
"A" and "B" Coys at Bristol.

Capt. H.H. Holgate arrived to replace Capt. P.A. Angier as Adjutant.
CSM F.E. Wright and Sergt. M. Laheen replaced CSM M.V.N. Baker and Sergt. A.J. Cole as PSI.

22nd June, the first intake of National Servicemen arrived.

1951 - Annual Camp at Harwood Dale, near Scarborough.
Colonel N.H. Waller retired as Honorary Colonel. Replaced by Colonel R.M. Grazebrook.
235 National Servicemen joined the Battalion.

Major P.J.H. Pope joined the Permanent Staff.
Lieuts. S.A. Matthews and D.H. Potter, and 2nd Lts. I.S. Cooper, P.J.W. Ware and A. King-Smith joined the Bn.
Major A.G. Slater and Lts. P.E.F. Owen and S.F. Cargill left the Battalion.
WOII A. Gillett joined as PSI in place of Colour-Sergt. Preston.

1952 - Annual Camp at Windmill Hill, Tidworth.
Lt-Col. Chalmers replaced by Lt-Col. D.W. Biddle, DSO, as OC, 5th Bn.

Officers, 5th Bn

Honorary Colonel - Lt-Col. R.M. Grazebrook, OBE, MC

Lt-Colonel
A.H.R. Chalmers, MC, TD
D.W. Biddle, DSO (CO designate)

Majors
S.J. Wilcox, MBE - OC "C" Coy.
J.G.A. Ellis, TD - OC "S" Coy.
F.J. Harrison, TD - 2nd i/c

Captains
D.B. Pullen - OC "B" Coy.
D.T. Dufty - OC "A" Coy.
R.F.N. Mason - OC "D" Coy.
W.O.V. Clee - OC "HQ" Coy.
J.M. Hillerby - "A" Coy.
D.L. Binder, TD - MMG Platoon Officer
L.W.R. Pitman - Signals Officer
W.A. Bird - "B" Coy.
B.L. Hewitt - M.T. Officer

Lieutenants
J. Buckee - 3-in. Mortar Officer
S.A. Matthews - Intelligence Officer
R.E. Matthews - "D" Coy.
D. Chapman - "A" Coy.
T.A. Newberry, TD - Anti-Tank Platoon Commander
D. James - Assault Pioneer Officer
C.S. Jones - "A" Coy.

Adjutant
C.S. Rawlins (Lt. Glouc. Regt.)

Quartermaster
W.J. Oxenham (Major, Glouc. Regt.)

Chaplain
Rev. A.T. Quarterman

National Service Officers

Lieutenants
A. King-Smith - "A" Coy.
P.J.W. Ware - "B" Coy.

2nd Lieutenants
G.J. Sutton - "B" Coy.
J. Swann - "C" Coy.
I.S. Cooper - "C" Coy.

Medical Officer
J.G.O. Wardell-Yerburgh (Captain)

1953 - Annual Camp held at Stanford P.T.A.

Territorial Efficiency Medals awarded to:
CSM Hamblin ("HQ Coy.)
Sergt. Moore ("C" Coy.)

5th Bn Troops at HRH Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation:
Marching Troops:
Major W.O.V. Clee
RSM F.E. Wright
Colour-Sergt. J. Cadle
Corpl. Millener
Pte Rogerson

Lining the Route:
Lieut. I.S. Cooper (carrying the Queen's Colour)
Sergt. C.H.T. Mutton
2 cpls. 3 lance-cpls. and 14 ptes.

1954 -

1955 - Annual Camp at Windmill Hill, Ludgershall.
5th May 1955, 5th Glosters provide Royal Guard of Honour during the Queen's visit to Gloucester.
43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division, Divisional training on Salisbury Plain, 3-17th Sept.

1956 - Major F.J. Harrison, TD took over command of the Battalion, 15th January.
Col. Carne, VC, DSO appointed Honorary-Colonel of the Battalion.

1957 - 24th March, Colonel C.J. Stewart, OBE, TD presented the TD to Capt. R.G. Morris and TEM to Col-Sergt. J. Cadle and Pte R. Walters.

1958 - Major E. Denis Harding, DSO appointed CO, 5th Bn.
Commissioned 1936, 2nd Bn in Egypt. Posted to 1st Bn and served in India and Burma. 1940 appointed Adjutant 11th Bn, moved with them to Assam (they converted to 118 LAA Regt. RA). Rejoined 28th in India, 1944. Attended Staff College, Quetta 1945. To 1st Battalion 1949. CO at Depot, Gloucester 1950. Back to 1st Battalion in Korea, awarded DSO for Battle of the Imjin April 1951. POW in Korea. After release joined the Joint Services Staff College 1954. Rejoined 1st Bn in Aden, 1956, served as 2nd-in-Command in Bahrain and Cyprus.

22 June 1958 - 4 officers and 17 men took part in the Royal Review and March Past in London.

1959 - Strength: 389 all ranks. Annual Camp at the RAC gunnery camp, Castle Martin, South Wales.
"B" Coy. now relocated to the Stroud Valley area.

1960 - Annual Camp - Civil Defence training held at the Army School of Civil Defence, Millom, Cumberland.
12 bugles, originally presented to the 6th Bn in 1927, were presented to the 5th Bn for use.

1961 - T.A. re-organisations.
"R" Battery (City of Bristol) 311 H.A.A. Regiment (late-4th Glosters) transferred to the 5th Glosters.
"A" and "B" Coys. of the 5th Glosters were permitted to wear in battle dress a green flash bearing in black the words "City of Bristol" immediately under their "Gloucestershire" shoulder titles.

The 5th Glosters changed to the new infantry battalion establishment:
Bristol: "A" Coy. at Brislington. "B" Coy. and MMG Platoon at Horfield.
Cheltenham and Tewkesbury: "C" Coy. and Drums.
Dursley: "D" Coy.
Stroud/Stonehouse: Assault Pioneer Platoon.
Gloucester: Battalion HQ; "HQ" Coy.; Band; Support Platoon,"C" Coy.

The Battalion received the first batch of the new FN rifles.
Major W.O.V. Clee, TD took over command of the Battalion from Lt-Col. E.D. Harding, DSO.
Colonel Carne, VC, DSO was succeeded as Hon. Col. of the Battalion by Brigadier A.L.W. Newth, CBE, DSO, MC, TD.

1962 -