COLOURS OF OUR OVERSEAS DOMINIONS.
It is unnecessary here to speak of the splendid work performed by the
overseas regiments in combating the war lust of the Central European
Powers, for the fame of these gallant bodies of men is now world-wide.
Many of the units of our far-flung Empire which in 1914 were unborn or
unknown in the Mother Country are as household words to us now, and we
reckon them as much a part of the British Army as we do the Buffs or the
Black Watch. Thus it is imperative in a work of this nature to write of
the colours of our overseas as well as our home regiments.
The Army of the Indian Empire, many units of which came into such
prominence in the early part of the War, possesses a very fine array of
regimental flags. In the main these emblems follow the rules as we have
given them when dealing with the home forces. Each regimental colour,
for instance, bears a central crimson badge bearing an appropriate
device, number or title, and the whole is surmounted by the usual
imperial crown. Surrounding this is the regulation union wreath composed
of roses, thistles and shamrocks, whilst honorary distinctions are
arranged upon a circular laurel wreath, or, when few in number, on
either side of the union sprays. The ground colour of these flags is
controlled by the regimental facings in exactly the same way as they are
at home. Also, it may be said that the King’s colours are Union flags,
each with a central crimson badge.
Most of the regimental flags bear no distinctive device but a few
display a motto. The following possess one or other of these features:
=2nd Queen Victoria’s Own Rajput Light Infantry.=—Facings, blue. The
Royal and Imperial Cypher of Queen Victoria within the Garter as central
badge. Fourteen battle honours are given upon an outer laurel wreath.
=7th Duke of Connaught’s Own Rajputs.=—Facings, yellow. The Duke of
Connaught’s Crest and Cypher. Eight battle honours.
=12th Pioneers (the Kelat-i-Ghilzie Regiment).=—This unit carries a
special regimental colour, the groundwork of which is red, yellow and
blue in three horizontal bars. A mural crown superscribed “Invicta,” and
the names of eight battle honours appear on this flag. (Fig. 43).
=14th King George’s Own Ferozepore Sikhs.=—Facings, yellow. The Plume of
the Prince of Wales appears in the central badge and the Royal and
Imperial Cypher is given in each of the four comers. There are five
battle honours.
=16th Rajputs (the Lucknow Regiment).=—Facings, white. There are three
battle honours, of which one, “Lucknow,” is placed above a turreted
gateway.
[Illustration:
COLOUR PARTY OF THE 15TH SIKHS
]
=32nd Sikh Pioneers.=—Facings, blue. No device on the central badge, but
the motto “Aut vivam inveniam aut faciam,” on a scroll beneath the union
wreath. Four battle honours are given.
=61st King George’s Own Pioneers.=—Facings, white. The Plume of the
Prince of Wales in the centre and the Royal and Imperial Cypher in each
of the four corners. Eleven battle honours appear.
=62nd Punjabis.=—Facings, emerald green. An elephant, a golden dragon
wearing an Imperial Crown and five battle honours appear on these
colours. (Fig. 44).
=63rd Palamcottah Light Infantry.=—Facings, emerald green. These colours
bear no special device, but carry the motto “Now or Never,” and seven
honorary distinctions.
=64th Pioneers.=—Facings, white. The central badge bears a numeral, but
the elephant of India is given below the union wreath. Five distinctions
appear.
=66th Punjabis.=—Facings, emerald green. A golden dragon, wearing an
Imperial Crown, and six battle honours are depicted on these colours.
=69th Punjabis.=—Facings, emerald green. A galley with the motto, in
Persian characters, signifying “By Sea and Land,” and five honours
ornament these colours.
=74th Punjabis.=—Facings, emerald green. On this flag appears a dragon
with the motto, in Persian, “Ready and True,” and six battle honours.
=83rd Wallajahbad Light Infantry.=—Facings, emerald green. The motto
“Now or Never,” and three battle honours are the distinctive features of
these colours.
=84th Punjabis.=—On an emerald green flag, the elephant of India and
three battle honours appear.
=91st Punjabis.=—The motto “Now or Never,” and two honours are given on
a cherry coloured flag.
=101st Grenadiers.=—Facings, white. The White Horse appears in the
central circle and two honours are given on the three lowest limbs of
the St. George’s Cross.
=102nd King Edward’s Own Grenadiers.=—Facings, white. The Plume of the
Prince of Wales, the Sphinx, the Royal and Imperial Cypher of King
Edward VII., and four battle honours are the special features of this
flag.
=113th Infantry.=—Facings, yellow. The Sphinx appears below the central
badge. Five honours are mentioned.
=121st Pioneers.=—Crossed axes and seven honorary distinctions are given
on a white flag bearing the red St. George’s Cross.
=127th Queen Mary’s Own Baluch Light Infantry.=—Facings, scarlet. In
each of the four corners of these colours appears the Cypher of Her
Majesty the Queen. Five battle honours.
=128th Pioneers.=—Facings, white. The motto, “Progredior,” and six
honours are the special features of this flag.
=The Canadian Military Colours= are also planned on the lines set down
for those of the Mother Country. The King’s colours are Union flags with
central badges and the regimental colours depend for their hue upon the
facings of the uniforms. The union wreaths, however, are not always of
the strict standard pattern, though they vary but slightly; also, Arabic
numerals are often used instead of Roman numerals to give the regimental
number. In a few cases, a complete departure has been made from the
regulation pattern in the case of certain regimental colours. Instead of
the union wreath, a large and beautiful maple leaf is spread across the
flag, and placed upon it centrally is a badge bearing the usual
particulars.
[Further details of the Canadian military colours are given in an
appendix at the end of this book.]
Unfortunately, there are no colours to record of the =Australian
Imperial Force=, as none of the units are in possession of these
emblems.
=The West India Regiment= is placed in the Army List almost following on
the London Regiment (Territorial Force). The facings are white and,
consequently, the regimental colours are white with the red cross of St.
George. The design follows the standard pattern of the home infantry,
and the battle honours, which testify to splendid services in various
parts of the world, are: Dominica; Martinique, 1809; Guadaloupe, 1810;
Ashantee; West Africa, 1887, 1892–3–4; Sierra Leone, 1898. The Dominica
and Sierra Leone honours refer to the French attack between 1778 and
1805. (Fig. 47).
=The King’s Own Malta Regiment of Militia.=—This regiment possesses a
King’s colour of usual type, and a regimental colour of blue material,
with a central badge bearing the Royal Cypher, surrounded by the
standard union wreath and surmounted by the imperial crown. A Maltese
Cross is placed in each of the four corners. A battle honour, “MDCCC,”
refers to the French surrender of the island to the British on September
5th, 1800.