The Gloucester Cup is the common name for three awards of the Australian Defence Force officially called the Duke of Gloucester's Cup, the three awards are presented to the most proficient ship of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), infantry battalion of the Australian Army, and squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during the previous year. The awards were created by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester in 1946, while he was serving as the Governor-General of Australia, and were first presented in 1947.
Royal Australian Navy The RAN Gloucester Cup was initially assessed on the gunnery accuracy of RAN ships, based on the number of sleeve targets hit as a proportion of shells fired. This was quickly found to be impractical, and the criteria for the award was changed to "overall proficiency", based on each ship's level of operational efficiency during a calendar year; husbandry and seamanship; supply and administration; officer and sailor training; divisional systems, morale and discipline; and equipment reliability, maintenance and resourcefulness. As well as the silver trophy, a winning ship is allowed to paint a yellow star on the superstructure of the ship, which remains until the Cup is passed to a new winner.
Winning ships Royal Australian Navy recipients of the Gloucester Cup Year Winner Class and type Reference 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 Q-class destroyer 1955 Q-class destroyer 1956 Q-class destroyer 1957 1958 1959 Q-class destroyer 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 fast troop transport 1966 fast troop transport 1967 1968 Destroyer tender 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Destroyer tender 1984 1985 1986 1987 Training ship 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 and Cassells, The Destroyers, p. 41 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 AUSCDT 4 Clearance Diving Team 2012 2013 2014 2015 Navy.gov.au, The Duke of Gloucester’s Cup 2016 2017 HS BLUE Hydrographic Crewing Division 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Australian Army The regular infantry battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment compete against each other for the Duke of Gloucester's Cup in an annual military skills competition. To compete for the Cup, each infantry battalion sends a team to the Lone Pine Barracks at Singleton. These teams participate in a five-day competition demonstrating their training and endurance, from which the winning battalion is determined. First held in 1947 between the Australian battalions then in Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force, the inaugural cup was awarded to 67th Australian Infantry Battalion (now the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment). Between 1951 and 1971 the competition was not held due to operational commitments. Competition recommenced on a regular basis between 1972 and 1998; however, was again ceased as a result of operations in East Timor. The competition recommenced in 2003.
Winning Battalions
Royal Australian Regiment recipient of the Duke of Gloucester Cup Year earned Winner Reference 1946 67th Bn - 1947 67th Bn - 1948 3 RAR - 1949 3 RAR - 1950 3 RAR - 1974 6 RAR - 1975 6 RAR - 1976 5/7 RAR - 1977 5/7 RAR - 1978 6 RAR - 1979 6 RAR - 1981 2/4 RAR - 1982 6 RAR - 1983 8/9 RAR ‐ 1984 6 RAR - 1985 6 RAR - 1986 1 RAR - 1987 1 RAR - 1988 3 RAR - 1989 8/9 RAR - 1990 1 RAR - 1991 6 RAR - 1992 6 RAR - 1993 2/4 RAR - 1994 1 RAR - 1995 3 RAR - 1996 2 RAR - 1997 1 RAR - 1998 3 RAR - 1999 1 RAR - 2003 1 RAR - 2004 1 RAR - 2005 1 RAR - 2007 2 RAR - 2008 6 RAR - 2009 2 RAR - 2010 3 RAR - 2011 3 RAR - 2012 2 RAR - 2013 2 RAR - 2014 6 RAR - 2015 1 RAR - 2016 3 RAR - 2017 2 RAR - 2018 6 RAR - 2019 2 RAR - 2020 Not held due to COVID-19. 2021 Not held due to COVID-19. 2022 3 RAR - 2023 2 RAR -
Royal Australian Air Force The RAAF's Gloucester Cup recognises the most proficient flying squadron during a calendar year. The winner is announced at the Air Force Awards night, held in April or May annually. Originally awarded for the most proficient squadron, the basis for the award changed in 1989 and again in 1993 and the Cup is now awarded annually to the most proficient Wing, Squadron or Operational Unit within the RAAF's Air Command.
The selection process considers the unit's achievement of objectives set for the year, initiatives taken to develop proficiency in operations, administration, dress and bearing, and morale.
The most-awarded unit is No. 36 Squadron, with seven Cups. In 1991, No. 2 Airfield Defence Squadron became the first non-flying unit awarded the Cup.
Winning squadrons
Royal Australian Air Force recipients of the Gloucester Cup Year earned Winner Reference 1947 No. 38 Squadron - 1948 No. 87 Squadron 1949 No. 30 Squadron - 1950 No. 77 Squadron 1951 No. 1 Squadron 1952 No. 36 Squadron 1953 No. 23 Squadron - 1954 No. 38 Squadron - 1955 No. 1 Squadron 1956 No. 10 Squadron - 1957 No. 11 Squadron - 1958 No. 11 Squadron - 1959 No. 1 Squadron 1960 No. 1 Squadron 1961 No. 2 Squadron - 1962 No. 36 Squadron 1963 No. 79 Squadron - 1964 No. 79 Squadron - 1965 No. 5 Squadron - 1966 No. 2 Squadron - 1967 No. 35 Squadron - 1968 No. 9 Squadron 1969 No. 9 Squadron 1970 No. 9 Squadron 1971 No. 2 Squadron - 1972 No. 75 Squadron 1973 No. 3 Squadron 1974 No. 38 Squadron - 1975 No. 38 Squadron - 1976 No. 37 Squadron 1977 No. 11 Squadron - 1978 No. 12 Squadron - 1979 No. 6 Squadron - 1980 No. 5 Squadron - 1981 No.2 Squadron - 1982 No. 35 Squadron - 1983 No. 34 Squadron 1984 Australian Contingent to the Multinational Force and Observers (Egypt) - 1985 - - 1986 No. 9 Squadron - 1987 No. 38 Squadron - 1988 No. 10 Squadron - 1989 No. 36 Squadron 1990 No. 76 Squadron - 1991 No. 2 Airfield Defence Squadron - 1992 No. 492 Squadron - 1993 No. 486 Squadron - 1994 No. 82 Wing 1995 Air Transportable Telecommunications Unit - 1996 No. 1 Radar Surveillance Unit - 1997 No. 86 Wing 1998 No. 1 Squadron 1999 No. 395 Expeditionary Combat Support Wing - 2000 No. 36 Squadron 2001 No. 37 Squadron 2002 No. 92 Wing 2003 No. 38 Squadron - 2004 No. 86 Wing - 2005 No. 92 Wing 2006 No. 33 Squadron 2007 No. 36 Squadron 2008 No. 75 Squadron 2009 No. 11 Squadron 2010 No. 34 Squadron 2011 No. 37 Squadron 2012 No. 36 Squadron 2013 No. 37 Squadron 2014 No. 36 Squadron 2015 No. 33 Squadron 2016 No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit 2017 No. 1 Squadron 2018 No. 2 Squadron 2019 No. 34 Squadron 2020 - - 2021 No. 10 Squadron 2022 - -
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