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
“The former 74th, now the 2nd Battalion Highland Light Infantry, was one
of the corps which was granted a third Colour for bravery at Assaye.
This banner—which was white, bearing the elephant and ‘LXXIV.’ within a
wreath, and inscribed with the victories of Assaye and Seringapatam—was
referred to by an inspecting officer in 1830 as ‘a very honourable, but
useless, appendage, and takes one officer to carry it, who would be much
better with his company,’ and the same year it was ordered to be
abandoned by the regiment, except on gala days, reviews, etc.”[19]
=Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, the Duke of
Albany’s).=—Facings, buff, except for the 5th (Sutherland and Caithness
Highland Battalion), which are yellow.
R.C.—In each of the four corners the late Duke of York’s cypher and
coronet (i.e., Frederick, at one time Duke of Albany). The motto,
“Cuidich’n Righ” (Help the King), was given to the Mackenzie as a reward
for protecting Alexander II. when attacked by a wounded stag. Also the
Elephant, superscribed “Assaye.”
The battle honours are: Carnatic; Mysore; Hindoostan; Cape of Good
Hope, 1806; Maida; Java; South Africa, 1835; Sevastopol; Persia;
Koosh-ab; Lucknow; Central India; Peiwar Kotal; Charasiah; Kabul,
1879; Kandahar, 1880; Afghanistan, 1878–80; Egypt, 1882;
Tel-el-Kebir; Chitral; Atbara; Khartoum; South Africa, 1899–1902;
Paardeberg.
This regiment was awarded a third colour by the East India Company for
services at Assaye (see Highland Light Infantry). It was made of white
silk and bore the word “Assaye” above a representation of an elephant,
the whole surrounded by a laurel wreath. The regimental number figured
prominently on this banner, which is often called the “Elephant colour.”
The colour was lost, and its history after about the year 1810 is
unknown.
=The Gordon Highlanders.=—Facings, yellow.
R.C.—The Sphinx, superscribed “Egypt”; also the Royal Tiger,
superscribed “India.” (One in each of the lower corners.)
The many battle honours are: Mysore; Seringapatam; Egmont-op-Zee;
Mandora; Corunna; Fuentes d’Onor; Almaraz; Vittoria; Pyrenees; Nive;
Orthes; Peninsula; Waterloo; South Africa, 1835; Delhi, 1857;
Lucknow; Charasiah; Kabul, 1879; Kandahar, 1880; Afghanistan,
1878–80; Egypt, 1882, 1884; Tel-el-Kebir; Nile, 1884–85; Chitral;
Tirah; South Africa, 1899–1902; Defence of Ladysmith; Paardeberg.
“The Regiment,” in its issue of October 28th, 1916, gives the following
interesting account of the Gordons’ colours:—
“One Colour of the original set presented to the gallant 92nd on its
formation in 1794 has disappeared, but its companion, the regimental
Colour, is not only still in existence, but is even in a good state of
preservation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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