[5] The commanding officer (CO) was Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Price Jordan, who had won a Distinguished Service Order (DSO) with the Gloucesters during the Second Boer War.

[2][4][7][8][9] On 7 June, 13th (Western) Division received warning orders for service in the Mediterranean theatre, where the Allies had landed at Gallipoli the previous month.

They found the Chunuk Bair hilltop virtually undefended after a naval bombardment, but were subjected to enfilade fire from the neighbouring Hill Q, which was still resisting capture, and the leading platoons of 7th Gloucesters were 'practically wiped out'.

Those who reached the top glimpsed the Dardanelles narrows – the goal of the campaign – in the distance, but Chunuk Bair was hard to defend.

The Wellingtons' commander, Lt-Col William Malone, made the error of digging in on the reverse slope, which allowed Turkish counter-attacks to get within 20 yards of the position without being seen.

[b] The commander-in-chief, Sir Ian Hamilton, noted that the 7th Gloucesters had been unable to dig trenches deeper than 6 inches (15 cm), but had fought on until nightfall in small parties under the leadership of junior non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and privates.

(Chunuk Bair was lost next day to a massive counter-attack led by the future Turkish president Mustafa Kemal Pasha.

At the end of the month 13th (W) Division was transferred from Anzac to the Suvla Bay sector, where its units took their turns in the front line.

However, sickness was now causing more casualties than Turkish action, and by 1 December the battalion's effective strength had dwindled again to 10 officers and 250 other ranks.

On the night of 8/9 January Helles was also evacuated, with 7th Gloucesters sailing from W Beach aboard the troopship HMS Ermine back to Mudros.

Lieutenant-Colonel Harold Younghusband, DSO, was promoted from adjutant of 1/5th Bn Bedfordshire Regiment to command 7th Gloucesters on 24 January.

It therefore missed the first series of attempts to relieve the besieged garrison of Kut Al Amara, only travelling up the Tigris by riverboat to rejoin the division on 18 April in time for a renewed attack.

[4][7][23][24] On 19 April, 39th Brigade including 7th Gloucesters attacked Turkish positions at Beit Aiessa across flooded land under a hail of machine gun fire.

7th Gloucesters, in the second line, sent up C Company to support the leading battalions (9th Royal Warwickshire Regiment and 9th Worcesters) losing a lot of men in the process.

After holding its position all day, the brigade was withdrawn the following night, apparently to encourage the Turks to remain in a bend in the River Tigris where they could be destroyed.

As the Gloucesters advanced a dust storm blew up, preventing the artillery and machine gunners from seeing their targets, and the company lost direction.

There was no opposition to 13th (W) Division's advance the following day, and although the pursuit was slowed by shortage of supplies, British troops made their entry into Baghdad without a fight on 11 March.

The men were rested in the middle of the day while the Turkish positions were reconnoitred, then the brigade continued the advance in the afternoon with 7th Gloucesters in the centre.

The attack was carried out over the completely open Marl Plain and drove the Turks out of some ancient ruins, where the tired and thirsty men were ordered to dig in.

[37] In April 1918 a fresh operation was mounted against Turkish forces at Abu Ghraib and Taza Khurmatu, employing a number of converging columns.

The 7th Gloucesters were ordered up from divisional HQ to reinforce Column B1 (38th Brigade) and caught up with it by daybreak; it remained as reserve during the successful attack that morning.

The Turks evacuated Kirkuk and 7th Gloucesters formed part of the garrison, but the British supply lines were overstretched and having made this demonstration the force withdrew to Dawalib at the end of the month.

[7][37][38] Most of 13th (W) Division stayed at Dawalib until the end of the war, but on 1 July 1918 orders were received to send 39th Brigade with supporting troops to join the North Persia Force.

Here they joined the British Military Mission ('Dunsterforce') that was training Armenian nationalist and White Russian troops to defend the Baku oilfields against seizure by the Germans and Turks.

The main Turkish attack on Baku began on 26 August, and on 14 September Dunsterforce was evacuated back to Enzeli, the other battalions of 39th Brigade (Warwicks, Worcesters and North Staffords) who had been present having suffered serious casualties.

However, 'the real distinctive mark of the regiment', according to Lt-Col Jordan, was the Glosters' famous 'back badge' also worn on the back of the helmet.