Thank you so much for all this, ShaunJ. It's helping me build up a picture of Gilbert's life and times. Your last post with the 1878 Army List has helped me finally track down some information about the 5th Rifles (the word Plaistow was the magic key) - seems they were basically a Docklands regiment! And initially commanded by a dock manager. Interesting in light of Gilbert's later work as a foreman - it seems that commanding men in the army or on the docks made use of the same sort of skillset, perhaps.
