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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.”




                               CHAPTER II
                     A HISTORY OF MILITARY COLOURS


In the period 1633-1680, the first five infantry regiments, as we know
them to-day, were established, and this may be taken as a convenient
point from which to begin a study of the standards and colours of our
Army. Before this time the military forces of England and Scotland went
into battle with a full array of waving emblems, decorated with rampant
lions, powdered leopards,