It is also unique in being the only regiment in the British Army permitted to wear a cap badge on both the front and the rear of their headdress. The back badge was awarded to the 28th Regiment of Foot for their actions at the Battle of Alexandria in 1801 when the regiment fought on whilst completely surrounded by the enemy. During the Battle of the Imjin River, during the Korean War, the 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment (the Glorious Glosters), and their mortar battery — numbering perhaps 750 men in total — again fought on when surrounded on Gloster Hill by at least one Chinese division of 10,000 men.
Between 2002 and 2005, the 1st Battalion, Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment served as a public duties battalion in London, where its duties included providing the Queen's Guard. It was while the RGBW was on guard at Buckingham Palace that the Fathers 4 Justice protest took place.
On 16th December 2004, it was announced that the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment will be disbanded - the Gloucestershire element will, along with the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment be merged with the Light Infantry, while the Berkshire and Wiltshire elements will be merged with the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.
In March 2005, it was further announced that the de-amalgamation of the regiment would now not take place; instead it would merge completely with the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment as 1st Battalion, Light Infantry. In preparation for this, the regiment will be moved from the Prince of Wales' Division to the Light Division and renamed the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry in July 2005.
On 24th November 2005, the MOD announced further changes to the amalgamations. The regiment will still merge with the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment resulting in a single battalion, however, they will now join a new large regiment created by the alamgamation of The Light Infantry and the Royal Green Jackets. This new regiment is to be called The Rifles and will be formed by the end of 2007. The battalion that will result from the merger of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment and the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment will be designated 1st Battalion, The Rifles.
