The Flags of Our Fighting Army: Including standards, guidons, colours and drum bannersJohnson, Stanley C. (Stanley Currie)
History
The Flags of Our Fighting Army: Including standards, guidons, colours and drum banners
Johnson, Stanley C. (Stanley Currie)
Flags -- Great Britain
=Eighth, or the King’s Regiment.=—In the centre of both their
colours, the White Horse on a red ground, within the Garter and
Crown over it; in the three corners of the second colour the King’s
Cipher and Crown.
=Eighteenth Regiment or the Royal Irish.=—In the centre of both
their colours, the Harp in a blue field, and the Crown over it, and
in the three corners of their second colour, the Lion of Nassau—King
William the Third’s arms.
=Twenty-first, or the Royal North British Fusiliers.=—In the centre
of their colours, the Thistle within the circle of St. Andrew and
Crown over it, and in the three corners of the second colour, the
King’s Cipher and Crown.
=Twenty-third, or the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.=—In the centre of their
colours, the device of the Prince of Wales, viz., three feathers
issuing out of the Prince’s coronet; in the three corners of the
second colour, the badges of Edward the Black Prince, viz., a Rising
Sun, a Red Dragon, and the Three Feathers in the coronet; motto,
“Ich Dien.”
=Twenty-seventh, or the Inniskilling Regiment.=—Allowed to wear in
the centre of their colours a Castle with three turrets, from the
middle one of which flies a St. George’s Cross, all on a blue field,
and the name ‘Inniskilling’ above. (See Fig. 6).
=Forty-first Regiment, or the Invalids.=—In the centre of their
colours, the Rose and Thistle, on a red ground, within the Garter; a
Crown above. In the three corners of the second colour, the King’s
Cipher and Crown.
Of the period beginning with the year 1751, Milne writes as follows:[5]
“An entirely new era is now being entered upon; a complete break has
taken place in the continuity of the colours of the British infantry;
the colonel’s and lieutenant-colonel’s flags have disappeared[6],
together with their gaudy and ever varying private armorial devices,
distinctive perhaps to the educated, but to the unlettered rank and file
emblematical of but little.
“In their place, boldly and resolutely stands the regimental number,
simple in form, easily recognised, easily remembered, forming a rallying
point in the minds of soldiers, which, as decade after decade passed
away, became indissolubly connected with some glorious deed, in its turn
becoming a matter of history, adding lustre to the regimental number,
and so, gradually, but surely, building up that wonderful _esprit de
corps_ which has stood the nation in good stead on so many occasions.
“Extremely plain at first, only the number within its flowery
surroundings, the flowers will be observed to become more ornate; tokens
of honour, the remembrance of some gallant action or campaign, added
from time to time, and ultimately the names of victories duly and
discreetly authorised to be emblazoned: and all surrounding and
centreing upon the old regimental number, ever enhancing its value in
the eyes of those who had the honour of serving under it.”
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Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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