Regimental colour
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A regimental colour is a flag carried or maintained by British Army and Commonwealth infantry regiments or battalions to:
- Distinguish one regiment or battalion from another
- Be used as a rallying point for the regiment's/battalion's soldiers while in garrison or in battle. (This tradition is no longer in use in modern warfare)
- Display the regiment's/battalion's battle honours or military accomplishments to members of the public
In British Army and Commonwealth tradition, only infantry or line regiments carry Regimental Colours. Armoured regiments carry an equivalent item known as the Regimental Guidon. The Royal Artillery's guns are its Colours (and as such it is the only regiment which still takes its Colours into battle). Other arms and services such as the Royal Army Medical Corps or the Royal Engineers do not carry Colours at all.[citation needed].
Apart from the regimental colour, a regiment or a battalion would also carry a King's or Queen's Colour. Together, these two Colours constitute the regiment's "stand of colours." However, several infantry regiments carry a third colour that is permitted to be paraded on special occasions.
The term regimental colour was first mentioned in historical military document in ca. 1747. According to a document known as the "Regulations for the Uniform Clothing of the Marching Regiments of Foot, Their Colours, Drums, Bells of Arms, and Camp Colours, 1747", a Regimental Colour is:
- Also called the Second Colour of a regiment or battalion as it is second in seniority to the King's or Queen's Colour
- Its appearance should be constituted of the colour of regiment's facings[1] with a Union Flag on its top left hand corner
- In the centre of the Colour is a stylized version of the regiment's crest with its ranking number in Roman numbers
The practice of adding a regiment's or a battalion's battle honours onto its Regimental Colours came into existence around 1784. At the time it was a way to show a regiment's military accomplishments to its enemies and thus intimidate them. Since nowadays regiments no longer carry their colours to battles this tradition has become a means for the regiments to show off their past military achievements to its own members, the public as well as other regiments.
In general British and Commonwealth infantry or line regiments have battle honours only on their Regimental Colours. Exception is made to regiments of the Foot Guards where battle honours can be seen on both their Regimental and King's or Queen's Colours.
A Regiment Colour, like the King's or Queen'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 Royal monarch's authority but also to the regiment's past accomplishments as well as those who have died for them.
A Regimental Colour is normally presented to a regiment or a battalion by the British sovereign or an agent (e.g. a Governor-General) 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.
