1927-07-09 — Page 18

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THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.

THE SANCTITY OF THE COLOUR.

AN EVOLUTION OF WAR.

of the Colour.

SATURDAY,

JULY

1927.

ment could fy its colours with ut ahame.

A Regimental Matter-

The point is that colours wore wholly a regimental matter; and they remained so for long in the Among the other observances British Army. The first regi which marked His Majesty's birth-ments were formed, like the lands day was the customary Trooping though for the service of the King knechte, as a private venture,

alone. The regiment was the pro- In the following article in the|perty of the colonel, and the com- Observer Sir John Fortescue, who panies were the property of the is the leading authority upon Bri-captains; and the colours did not tish military history, traces the necessarily bear any symbol of the origin and development of "col- tion to which the regiment belong- King's supremacy nor of the na- ours" and of the peculiar sanctity ed. At often as not they were with which they have come to be plain squares of silk, all of one invested.

hue, with some small badge to dis- tinguish those of the different companies. Tho sentiment at tached to them was, however, deep and powerful. At Steenkirk the Colonel of the Royal Scots dashed forward himself to rescue one of his colours from the French, and foll dead as he flung it back to his regiment. But it was for the regi ment's sake. rather than the King's.

What is the origin of the sanc- tity of the colour? From the earl- lest times savage and civilised peoples alike have used a flag, or some other object at the end of a pole, as a rallying point for their armed bands; but they have not made it so to speak, into the ark of their covenant. Froissart, after the victories of Crecy and Poitiers, tells us something of the numbers that wère slain and of the

booty that was takon, but says not

Company-colours fell gradually into disuse, except in camp, and a word of banners captured. Yet the number of colours to a battal- the banner had a very distinct mean-ion was reduced first to three, and' ing as a signal, for the word for about a third of the way through a general advance was "Forward, the eighteenth century to two- banner"; and at the close of the the King's colour and the regimen- battle of Poitiers, the Black Prince' tal colour, na "at present. The ordered the banners to assemble King's colour is the Union flag, the on a hill in order to rally his seat-regimental colour frequently tered army. Of course some par- shows some badge of royalty; and ticular barner might have been the staves of both are surmounted blessed by some prelate or holy by the Royal crest. But the senti man, which, to the band which ment about them continued to be fought under it, might vest it with wholly regimental. I have not peculiar sacredness; but banners been able to discover exactly when at large seem to have been design the presentation, of colours becume ed for practical uses, and to have a religious ceremony, but I am possessed no sentimental value certain that it is comparatively re- cent, and that the sanctity of the colour owes nothing whatever to it.

whatever

Burning Old Flags.

During the great development of infantry in the sixteenth century it was the practice of every com pany to carry a colour, and as the strength of a company varied from

Nor was it formerly the custom fifty to four hundred, a regimeut might carry ten or a dozen colours to instal old colours, as now, in a At the end of the century we find church, though captured colours, Sir Francis Vere mentioning the for some reason, were frequently capture of forty or fifty "enaigns" deposited in churches and chapels. at the Battle of Turnhout in 1597, Regiments in former days often which shows that they had acquir kept the same actual flaga for ed sorte value as trophies. But forty or fifty years; and then, if drums also were likewise prized torn to latters by bullets, they pre- as trophies, which shows that col-sented a really moving spectacle. ours enjoyed no tinction; and. of

. thousand twenty brought. Bay, ten dozen

unique 'dis- if 21 urmy men

of coloury and arms into action, the capture of a score could have been no great matter. How, then, did the colour take to itself such sacredness? The answer, I think, is to be found in the precedent set by the German free companies, or landsknechte, from whom our in- fantry has borrowed a great deal, though the Germans, in turn, may have borrowed from the Sviss.

John Leech portrayed in Punch Mr. Punch taking off his hat to some glorious old rogs. In some regiments the cld colours were burned with great ceremony, and all ranks celebrated the occa sion by getting gloriously drunk.

And yet, the sentiment for the credness of the colour only drew deeper with the passing of the years. It was not in action only that men were jealous for their safety. During the great hurricanent Dominica in 1800 were being

when the barracks

torn to pieces by the storm, and A German Origin.

its timbers whirled a mile away, the sentry over the colours of the When a company of German Forty-sixth (2/Duke of Corn- mercenary infantry was formed, wall's) remained unmoved, and re- the commanding officer read the fused to quit his post. He stood terms of service to the men, who, by his charge until an adjacent each raising three fingers, swore building crashed down and buried in the name of the Trinity to ob him in the ruins; and not until serve them.

Then a ring was the fury was overpast was he dug formed, and the commanding offi- out, a dying man, to learn before cer, calling the ensigns into the he expired that the colours were midst of it, delivered to each the safe. Again, when the transport, colour of his company and ex- Sarah Sands, was burned at sea in horted him to defend it to the 1857, a private of the regiment and death. The ensign was no beard a quarter-master of the ship barat less youth, but hardened old through the dense masses of warrior, who ranked next to the smoke that filled the saloon, to captain. The fife and the drum

save the colours of the Fifty- of each company were under his fourth (2/Dorsets). By a des- charge-that is to say, that he perate effort they brought them controlled the Bound-signals as

out on deck and then fell, both of well as the visual signal of the them unconscious. Men would colour-and he was always cm-

not only be shot down, but would ployed to conduct negotiations be burned or buried alive rather with the enemy, the drum being than abandon those few square the instrument whereby the wish feet of silk.

for a parley was heralded. This accounts for the ranking of the drum with the colour as a trophy, both being a part of the ensign's

cause.

Trooping the Colour.

It is long since a British regi-

charge; but it does not appear that ment took its colours on active any religious ceremony took place service. Their day on the field of to impart special sanctity to the battle has gone, and the ser- either. The importance of the timent for them is naturally not colour aroge from a different quite so keen as it was. More- over, since 1870, the Army has gradually ceased to be a mere col- If any crime wore committed ection of regiments, as it used to which brought disgrace on the be; and to the public the colour regiment, the provost-marshal laid stande mainly for the Sovereign. his complaint before the ensigns,The trooping of the colour is an who thereupon thrust their col- honour paid to the King's colour ours point downward into the only. It is said (though I cannot ground and vowed that they would vouch for the fact) that the cero- never fly them again until the re-mony was first introduced in order proach was wiped off. Thus we to make sure that the officer on ace that the colours were already guard at the King's palace should the symbol of the regimental hon-be sober; and this is possible, for, our. The men then inquired into the case without the intervention when in 1738 burglars entered and robbed Kensington Palace, It was of any officer: and, if the culprit found that the guard had acted in was found guilty, the men drew themselves up in two ranks, north collusion with the thieves. But. and south, facing inwards. The whatever its origin, the ceremony, ensigns, with colours flylag, then though little noticed forty years posted themselves at the eastern go, has become one of the sights end of the lane; and the prisoner of London. A more striking cere was brought to the western end.mony still, though witnessed only The provost-marshal clapped him by a few, took place when the King thrice on the shoulder in the received into his own charge. the name of the Trinity and bade him colours of the disbanded Irish re- run, and the doomed man plunged almanta, "to be preserved," as he Into the lane to be stabbed and told them, "at Windsor Castle, and hewn and cut by pike and harbord honoured for ever." His Majesty did not claim them. He only and award until he fell. His com offered to keep them if the regi- rades then kneeled down together and prayed God rest his soul, and ments were willing and very will- then all rose and filed silently od graceful an act so gracefully Ing they were to take advantage of thrice round the corpse. Lastly done. Most of the officers and the musketeers fired three volleya

In the name of the Trinity; the men present were in tears, and ceremony was over, and the regi- the King himself had some ado

to stoady his voice.

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