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THE FLAGS OF OUR FIGHTING ARMY
[Illustration:
=1.= Second Troop of Horse Guards, 1687.
]
[Illustration:
=2.= 5th Dragoon Guards, 1687.
]
[Illustration]
[Illustration:
=3.= and =4.= 2nd Dragoon Guards, 1742.
]
[Illustration:
=5.= General Grove’s Regiment (10th Foot), 1726.
]
[Illustration:
=6.= 27th Inniskilling Regiment, 1747.
]
[Illustration:
=7.= 103rd Regiment, 1780.
]
[Illustration:
=8.= 14th Regiment (Second Battalion), 1812.
]
PLATE 1. EARLY REGIMENTAL COLOURS AND STANDARDS
THE FLAGS
OF OUR FIGHTING ARMY
INCLUDING STANDARDS, GUIDONS, COLOURS AND DRUM BANNERS
BY STANLEY C. JOHNSON,
M.A., D.Sc., F.R.E.S.
Author of “The Medals of Our Fighting Men,” “Peeps at Postage Stamps,”
etc.
WITH EIGHT FULL-PAGE
PLATES IN COLOUR
A. & C. BLACK, LTD.
4, 5 & 6 SOHO SQUARE, LONDON, W. 1
TO MY BROTHER
IN THE
ROYAL GARRISON ARTILLERY.
A UNIT OF THE ARMY IN
WHICH THE GUNS SERVE THE
PURPOSE OF REGIMENTAL
STANDARDS.
Published, 1918.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PREFACE
Very little has been written in the past dealing with the subject of the
standards, guidons, colours, etc., of the British Army. Scattered
amongst Regimental histories, biographies of illustrious soldiers, and
military periodicals, a fair amount of information may be discovered,
but it is, of necessity, disjointed and difficult of viewing in proper
perspective. Many years ago, a capital book was written by the late Mr.
S. M. Milne, entitled “Standards and Colours of the British Army.”
Unfortunately, this work was published privately and, accordingly, did
not receive the full measure of appreciation which it merited.
Students of Army Flags should consult this book whenever possible; also
“Ranks and Badges of the Army and Navy,” by Mr. O. L. Perry; and the
articles which appeared in _The Regiment_ during the latter weeks of
1916. Messrs. Gale & Polden’s folders dealing with Army Flags are also
instructive.
The author wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to Mr. Milne, Mr. O.
L. Perry, and the Editor of _The Regiment_. He is also very grateful for
the assistance extended to him by Lieutenant J. Harold Watkins and
Lieutenant C. H. Hastings, Officers in charge of the Canadian War
Records.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I.— INTRODUCTION 1
II.— A HISTORY OF MILITARY COLOURS 6
III.— STANDARDS, GUIDONS AND DRUM BANNERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD 36
CAVALRY, DRAGOON GUARDS AND CAVALRY OF THE LINE
IV.— YEOMANRY GUIDONS AND DRUM BANNERS 47
V.— THE COLOURS OF THE FOOT GUARDS 54
VI.— THE COLOURS OF THE INFANTRY 64
VII.— COLOURS OF OUR OVERSEAS DOMINIONS 115
VIII.— MISCELLANEOUS COLOURS 121
IX.— BATTLE HONOURS 124
Appendix.— REGIMENTAL COLOURS OF CANADIAN INFANTRY BATTALIONS 139
INDEX 147
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
IN COLOUR
1.—EARLY REGIMENTAL COLOURS AND STANDARDS _Frontispiece._
FACING PAGE
2.—CAVALRY STANDARDS, GUIDONS AND DRUM BANNERS 36
3.—COLOURS OF THE FOOT GUARDS 54
4.—SAVING THE COLOURS OF THE BUFFS AT ALBUHERA 68
5.—COLOURS OF THE INFANTRY OF THE LINE (REGULAR 80
BATTALIONS)
6.—REGIMENTAL COLOURS OF THE TERRITORIAL FORCE 98
7.—COLOUR PARTY OF THE 15TH SIKHS 116
8.—MISCELLANEOUS GUIDONS AND COLOURS 122
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE FLAGS OF OUR
FIGHTING ARMY.
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Ever since the time when the Romans went into battle, inspired by the
vexillum or labarum, military flags or colours have commanded a respect
bordering almost on the sacred. Our own history is crowded with
incidents which go to prove this contention. Who is there, for instance,
who has not heard of the gallant deeds of Melvill and Coghill, two
heroes who lost their lives in an endeavour to preserve the Queen’s
colour after the disastrous Zulu encounter at Isandlwana? Or let us take
the case of Lieutenant Anstruther, a youngster of eighteen, in the Welsh
Fusiliers. In defending the colour he carried up the treacherous heights
of the Alma, a shot laid him low, and eager hands snatched up the emblem
without a moment’s hesitation lest it should fall into the possession of
the enemy. No one thought of the danger which might overtake them whilst
guarding the cherished but conspicuous banner; all were resolved to
perish rather than it should be wrested from their grasp. And, let it be
said, five men won the Victoria Cross that day at the Alma for their
gallant defence of the colours. At the battle of Albuhera, in 1811, a
colour of the 3rd Buffs was carried by Ensign Thomas. The French
attacked in great force, and, surrounding Thomas, called upon him to
give up the silken banner. Thomas’s answer was discourteous, but to the
point; a moment later he lay dead, and the French bore away the flag
with triumph. To the credit of the Buffs, we must add that the emblem
was back in their possession before nightfall. These are just a few
cases in which men have been ready, and even eager, to make the great
sacrifice rather than lose their colours. They could be readily
multiplied a hundredfold.
Fortunately, we have now reached an age when valuable lives can be no
longer spent in defending military flags against the onslaughts of enemy
rivals, for, to-day, there is a rule in our army regulations which
forbids the taking of colours into the field of action. Before setting
out to meet the foe, they are placed in safe keeping, and the rites
which attend this ceremony partake of the utmost solemnity.
If military flags, which comprise the standards, guidons and drum
banners of the cavalry, and also the colours of the infantry, have been
reverenced in war, they are equally respected in peace time. They may
never be sent from place to place without a properly constituted escort,
which “will pay them the customary honours,” and an army regulation says
that “standards, guidons, and colours when uncased are, at all times, to
be saluted with the highest honours, viz., arms presented, trumpets or
bugles sounding the salute, drums beating a ruffle.” When new colours
are taken into service their reception is impressively conducted, and
the old ones are trooped before being cased and taken to the rear.
* * * * *
The following miscellaneous instructions are given in the King’s
Regulations with respect to military flags in general:—
“Standards and guidons of cavalry will be carried by squadron
serjeant-majors. Colours of infantry will be carried by two senior
second-lieutenants, but on the line of march all subaltern officers
will carry them in turn.
“Standards, guidons and colours are not to be altered without the
King’s special permission signified through the Army Council.
“The consecration of colours will be performed by chaplains to the
forces, acting chaplains, or officiating clergymen in accordance
with an authorised Form of Prayer.
“The standard of cavalry, or the King’s colour of battalions of
infantry, is not to be carried by any guard or trooped, except in
the case of a guard mounted over the King, the Queen, and Queen
Mother, or any member of the Royal Family, or over a Viceroy, and is
only to be used at guard mounting, or other ceremonials, when a
member of the Royal Family or a Viceroy is present, and on occasions
when the National Anthem is appointed to be played; at all other
times it is to remain with the regiment. The King’s colour will be
lowered to the King, the Queen, the Queen Mother, and members of the
Royal Family, the Crown, and Viceroys only.”
Special regulations apply to the Brigade of Guards, as follows:—
“The colours of the brigade will be lowered to His Majesty the King,
Her Majesty the Queen, the Queen Mother, members of the Royal
Family, the Crown, Foreign Crowned Heads, Presidents of Republican
States, and members of Foreign Royal Families.
“The King’s colour is never to be carried by any guard except that
which mounts upon the person of His Majesty the King, or Her Majesty
the Queen, or the Queen Mother.
“The regimental colours will only be lowered to a field marshal, who
is not a member of the Royal Family, when he is colonel of the
regiment to which the colour belongs.
“A battalion with uncased colours meeting the King’s Life Guards or
King’s Guard, will pass on with sloped arms, paying the compliment
‘eyes right’ or ‘eyes left’ as required.
“A battalion with cased colours or without colours, or a detachment,
guard, or relief, meeting the King’s Life Guard or the King’s Guard
with uncased standard or colour, will be ordered to halt, turn in
the required direction, and present arms; but will pass on with
sloped arms, paying the compliment of ‘eyes right’ or ‘eyes left’ as
required, if the standard or colour of the King’s Life Guard or
King’s Guard is cased.”
Two regulations which affect the whole of the Army may well be given in
conclusion:—
“Officers or soldiers passing troops with uncased colours will
salute the colours and the C.O. (if senior).
“Officers, soldiers, and colours, passing a military funeral, will
salute the body.”