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| Colours & Standards |
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| Traditions & Etiquette |
Such became the significance in this context that, for a regiment to
lose its colours was (and still is) a major disgrace, with the capture
of an enemy’s colours (or equivalent) being seen as a great honour.
In the case of the Colours being threatened it was a soldier’s duty to
pick up the Colours and, at all costs, save them. “Indeed a greater act
of cowardice cannot be found than to suffer the Colours to be lost”
records Francis Grose in his Military Antiquities (1786–88).
In the old tradition, if a mortally wounded ensign wrapped the Colours
around his body and died with them, the Colours were not considered
lost. The honour of the Colours was carried with the ensign’s soul to
heaven “to the possession of the eternal forever” and the enemy was
denied the honour of having captured them. This is why that, whenever
the Colours are paraded, they are always escorted by armed guards and
paid the highest compliments by all soldiers and officers, second only
to the Head of State.
Due to the advent of modern weapons, and subsequent changes in tactics,
Colours are no longer carried into battle and instead, they are carried
in parades and reviews, and displayed in formations and ceremonies in
remembrance of their former presence on the battlefield. It remains a
tradition that whenever military personnel meet a Colour, it must be
saluted. This is not only because it is an object which represents the
authority of the Head of State but also because the Colours contain a
regiment’s battle honours, and thus represent the regiment’s history and
its dead.
Saluting a Colour is thus a pivotal act in retaining an awareness of
regimental history and traditions and is key in the functioning of the
regimental system. The Regimental Colour (or Standard or Guidon) is
always paraded whenever the regiment is on a formal parade. However, the
King’s/Queen’s or President’s Colour is only paraded on certain
occasions.
A Regiment Colour, like the King's/Queen's or President’s Colour, is a
highly revered object in the military. Any military personnel who comes
across a Regimental or King’s or Queen’s Colour must salute to it. This
is a tribute paid not only to the Head of State’s authority but also to
the regiment’s past accomplishments as well as those who have died for
them.
When the Colours are being paraded, they are carried either by an
officer or warrant officer, dependent on the regiment. The Colours
always have an armed escort, the Colour Party, who would normally be
non-commissioned officers.
‘Trooping the Colours’ is an old ceremony first performed during the
reign of Charles II whereby the battalion would fall in by companies and
the Colour Party would ‘troop’ or march the Colours through the ranks so
that every man would see that the Colours were intact. This was done
before and after every battle. This ceremony has been retained through
time and is today largely ceremonial.
When a regiment is presented with new Colours, the old Colours, which
will now never again be paraded, are laid up (i.e. put on permanent
display) in a place sacred to the regiment (for example the regimental
church).
Because of their importance to the regiment, prior to a new stand of
colours being presented, they are consecrated. Consecration is the
solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious.
The word ‘consecration’ literally means ‘setting apart’. When the
Colours are not being paraded, most regiments house them in their
Officers’ Mess.
A Regimental Colour is normally presented to a regiment or a battalion
by the British sovereign or Head of State in a high-profile military
parade ceremony. The presentation of a new Regimental Colour and King’s
or Queen’s Colour is normally performed in a regiment once every few
decades, and the old or retired Colours are safe-kept in the regiment’s
church or chapel for public display. An old Colour is never destroyed
because of its historical value and the Royal Authority that it
represents.
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Other forms of ‘Colours’
By tradition, rifle regiments do not carry colours; this goes
back to their formation, when they were used as skirmishers and
sharpshooters. While individual units may have had banners or
pennants to distinguish themselves from other units, regiments
as a whole never needed a full stand of Colours.
Today, the two rifle regiments in the British Army, the Royal
Green Jackets and the Royal Gurkha Rifles carry their battle
honours on their drums, while the Green Jackets also have theirs
inscribed on their cap badge. In place of a Regimental Colour,
the Gurkhas carry the Queen’s Truncheon.
Heavy Cavalry (i.e. Horse Guards and Dragoon Guards) carry a The
Standard as their equivalent to infantry colours. At 27in. ×
30in., on an 8ft. 6in. long pole, it is much smaller than
infantry colours, so that it can be carried by a soldier on
horseback.
The Guidon is the equivalent for the Light Cavalry (ie:
Dragoons, Light Dragoons, Hussars and Lancers). It is
swallow-tailed, 27in × 41in, with an 8ft 6in long pole.
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The word ‘guidon' is a corruption of the French
guide homme—‘guide man’. Originally each troop had its own, but
this was quickly reduced to a single, regimental one. With the
increased dispersion of troops required in the light cavalry
role, their operational function had ceased by the 1830s and
they were discontinued.
The regiment's kettledrums, with the Battle Honours woven onto
the Drum Banners (with the exception of 3rd The King’s Own
Hussars and its successors, where they are uncovered, with the
Battle Honours engraved onto the kettledrums themselves) became
the focal point of the regiment’s loyalty. In 1952 King George
VI reintroduced the Guidons of the Light Cavalry for ceremonial
purposes.
Both the Standard and the Guidon are usually of crimson trimmed
in gold and with the regiment’s insignia in the centre. The
regiment’s battle honours are emblazoned on both the obverse and
reverse, upto a maximum of 22 on each side. |
The History &
Traditions of the Colour
of
The Rhodesian Light Infantry
(Extract from the October 1980 RLI Cheetah Magazine)
There are two Stands of Colour of the Rhodesian Light Infantry,
these being, the Pre- and Post-Republic Stands.
Pre-Republic Colours
On the 19th June 1965, the First Battalion The Rhodesian Light
Infantry received their Colours on a full ceremonial parade from
the then Governor of Rhodesia, His Excellency Sir Humphrey
Gibbs, K.C.M.G., O.B.E.
A dedication ceremony and drum head ceremony was held, conducted
by chaplains of the Rhodesian Corps of Chaplains.
The Colours were approved by Her Majesty The Queen on 15th July
1963, and the College of Arms and bearing the signature of Queen
Elizabeth II, were hung in the office of the Commanding Officer.
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The Queen’s Colour bears the Royal Crown and the
inscription ‘The Rhodesian Light Infantry’ on the traditional
background of the Union Jack.
The Regimental Colour consists of the Regimental badge
surrounded by the words ‘The Rhodesian Light Infantry’ and a
laurel wreath of flame lilies surmounted by the Royal Crown on a
green background.
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| The Regimental Colours of the RLI are unique
among all Regiments that have served the British Monarch, in
having a wreath of flame lilies surrounding the Regimental Crest
instead of the traditional wreath of roses and thistles. |
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The Colours were housed in the Silver Room of
the Officers’ Mess. They were only removed for ceremonial
parades and formal mess functions. The Colours were looked after
by officers so appointed by the Adjutant and were not to be
handled by any other person. This rule was waivered during mess
functions in the Warrant Officers’ and Sergeants’ Mess when the
Commanding Officer gave authority to the Regimental
Sergeant-Major for the Colours to be transferred from the
Officers’ Mess for display purposes. The Regimental
Sergeant-Major was then responsible for organizing a proper
escort party to collect and return the Colours.
After a ceremonial parade, the Colour Party marched to the main
entrance of the Officers’ Mess. Once the subalterns returned the
Colours to the Silver Room, the Mess Sergeant would bring to the
Colour Party a silver tray bearing a decanter of sherry and five
glasses. Each member of the Colour Party would receive a glass
of sherry before dismissal.
The Adjutant and Regimental Sergeant-Major were responsible for
selection of the Colour Party. The escort, consisting of a
warrant officer and two colour sergeants or sergeants, would be
nominated by the Regimental Sergeant-Major.
In 1966, a tradition was commenced whereby the RSM, in the
evening after a ceremonial parade, when the Colours had been
paraded, would send from the Warrant Officers’ and Sergeants’
Mess, liquid refreshment for the ensign or ensigns being in the
form of congratulations on their expected high standard of drill
on that day’s parade.
The Queen’s Colour has not been carried on any parade since the
1st April 1970 following the declaration of the Republic of
Rhodesia.
Post-Republic Colours
The design for the new Colours for the RLI were approved by His
Excellency, The President of Rhodesia, The Hon. C. Dupont, GCLM,
ID, during early 1971.
They were scheduled to be presented to the Battalion in late
1972 / early 1973. As no money was forthcoming from the
government for their manufacture, the Battalion decided to go
ahead and produce them themselves. |
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To this end a Mrs. Mealing was given the job of
producing them. She completed them in July of 1980 and they were
displayed for the first time to the Battalion on the 8th August
1980.
The President’s Colour bears the Coat of Arms of Rhodesia,
surrounded by the inscription ‘The Rhodesian Light Infantry’ on
the background of the colours of the Rhodesian flag. |
The Regimental Colour consists of the Regimental
badge surrounded by the words ‘The Rhodesian Light Infantry’ and
a laurel wreath of flame lilies, on a green background.
These Colours were never official colours as they were never
consecrated or, officially presented. However, the intention was
that they would hang with the other Battalion mementos wherever
they might be held.
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