Drums of the Fore and Aft

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The "Fore and Aft" Regiment is the nickname of the fictional "The Fore and Fit Princess Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen-Anspach's Merther-Tydfilshire Own Royal Loyal Light Infantry, Regimental District 329A."[1] It is mentioned in "The Drums of the Fore and Aft" by Rudyard Kipling.


The real-life basis for the "Fore and Aft" Regiment might be a nickname of the Glocester Regiment, which has a cap badge on the front and back of its headdress. This is a battle honor earned when the regiment faced off two forces of enemy troops by standing its companies back-to-back. Kipling was probably playing cute by using a real regiment's nickname to provide realism but giving it a cover name to prevent embarrassing the real regiment.

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