Gamling the Old lived in Rohan's Westfold, where he herded horses. A retired Warrior of exceptional renown, Erkenbrand the Marshall asked him to move to the safe citadel of the Homburg in the early days of the War of the Ring (T.A. 3019). There Gamling served as Erkenbrand's Counsel. While he was considered too old to fight and did not march with Erkenbrand's soldiers to challenge the army of the White Hand at the Fords of Isen, he ended up commanding the forces on Helm's Dike and later directed the defense of Helm's Deep during the short siege by Saruman's minions.