COLOURS, MILITARY. The term "colours" is a collo quial expression embracing the standards and guidons carried by cavalry regiments and the colours proper carried by infantry regi ments and certain other arms. Like all national and tribal flags, colours are symbols embodying the spirit of the people who fight under them. The origin of these symbols can be traced to the dim beginnings of history, a fact which is confirmed by recent excava tions in India bringing to light evidence that there was a "cult of the standard" over 5,000 years ago. These primitive symbols were made of metal or wood. They are frequently mentioned in the Bible : "The children of Israel shall pitch every man by his own standard, with the ensigns of their fathers' house" (Num. ii., 2) . It is not until just prior to the Christian era that we find standards made of cloth, silk or damask. The standards of Julius Caesar's army were made of metal, usually surmounted by an eagle, a practice copied later by the French.
Twofold Purpose of Colours.—These military flags have always had a twofold purpose : (a) to serve as visible rallying points on the field of battle; and (b) as distinguishing marks of persons Of superior social status. Before the introduction of long range weapons it was impossible to locate one's leader in the con fusion and dust of battle unless his distinctive insignia was held aloft. Sometimes the insignia or ensign could not be seen, so the bugles, trumpets, drums, fifes, and, later, bands, usually played some music round the standard to assure the fighting men, through the sense of hearing, that the standard was still flying. This em ployment of flags and music is aptly stated in the Chinese Book of War, written 500 B.e.—"The drum and bell are used because the voice does not carry; the flag is used to assist the sight." To lose the standard, therefore, often meant that one's leader was lost, or at least there was no assurance that he was still leading, which caused the troops to become dispirited. The importance of "keeping the flag flying" was very great, but the conspicuity at tendant upon the carrying of it increased the mortality of colour or standard-bearers as long-range weapons became more efficient. The mortality of colour-bearers in the Crimean War was tre mendous and this was the last European war in which British colours were carried. They were, however, carried in the Zulu War of 1877-79, when Lieuts. Melvill and Coghill of the 1st bat talion, 24th Regiment (now the South Wales Borderers) endeav oured to save the Queen's colour at the notorious Isandlwana disaster on Jan. 22, 1879. Colours were last carried at the Battle of Laing's Nek on January 28, 1881, in the first Boer War. During the Russo-Japanese War, 1904-5, both sides car ried colours. During the World War colours were not taken into action but identification was obtained by means of small flags during the day and by coloured flares at night. As regards the second purpose, that of being employed as distinguishing marks, early evidence of this may be seen in the sculptures unearthed at Nineveh which show two designs of standards attached to the yoke of the chariot of Darius. The continuity of this idea finds expression in all ages in the personal standard of royal personages and the nobility, and, in a lesser degree, in the flags used to denote the headquarters of higher commanders of the fighting services at the present time. Early military flags were of two main types: (a) the "personal," borne in feudal armies where service was ren dered to the immediate overlord, and (b) the "national" or "stand ardized" as borne by national or standing armies. In the British service the transition period lasted from 1661, when Charles II. created the standing army, until 1743 when a clothing warrant stated "No Colonel to put his arms, crest, device, or livery, in any part of the appointments of his regiment." This abolished the "personal" aspect of the colour. The same warrant directed the "number of the rank of the regiment" to be painted in the centre of the regimental or second colour, thereby inaugurating the "regimental" aspect.
Modern Colours.—Present-day colours are the direct descend ants of the mediaeval baron's banner. The baron's regiment con sisted of companies under knights. Later the baron's flag be came the "colonel's colour" and the knights' banners the "company colours." The baron's banner was usually square and bore his coat-of-arms. The banner of a person under the rank of knight banneret was swallow-tailed like a guidon; this also bore the knight's coat-of-arms. Variety was the predominant note at this period and "standardized" colours were not introduced until about 162o when Gustavus Adolphus regularized his cavalry, and ordered that each regiment should have eight troops, with a standard to each troop, each regiment having all its standards of one pattern and bearing similar devices. During the Commonwealth both Parliamentarian and Royalist forces adopted the standardized pattern of colours. In 1661, Charles II. issued a warrant to pro vide "twelve colours or ensigns for our Regiment of Foot Guards." In the same year he issued a further warrant for another regi ment of Foot Guards then at Dunkirk, for "twelve colours of the same sort as those of Colonel Russell's Regiment," thereby pur suing the policy of standardization by ordering the same number of the "same sort" for both regiments. These warrants are also important from the fact that they authorized for these two regi ments—which were amalgamated in 1665 to form the Grenadier Guards—the royal badges which they carry, in rotation, on their regimental colours at the present day. During the early part of William III.'s reign a reorganization of infantry took place by which they fought in three divisions, pikemen in the centre and musketeers on the flanks. The colours were therefore reduced to three per regiment and the cavalry standards were also reduced to the same number. In 1707 the pikemen were abolished as a tacti cal division and this caused the colours to be reduced again to two per regiment. Many regiments appear to have kept up their three colours until when George II. issued a warrant in drastic terms. This warrant was not very clear on many points and it was followed by another in 1751, under which each regiment was to have only two colours, viz., the first, or king's colour, to be the Great Union (except for Foot Guards), and the second, or regi mental colour, to be of the colour of the facing of the regiment, with the Union in the upper canton, except those regiments faced with red or white, whose second colour was to be the red cross of St. George, in a white field and a union in the upper canton. In the case of the Foot Guards, the king's standard (crimson) is the first colour, and the second is the Great Union. Several line regi ments were also authorized to bear "royal devices and ancient badges" on their colours. This warrant, the first of its kind, was revolutionary, and made a definite break with the past. It became the foundation of all subsequent warrants and, in fact, with slight modifications, is in force to-day. Although it permitted only two colours to be borne a few regiments acquired a third, particularly those which served in India between 178o and 1806. These third colours were, however, definitely abolished in 1835.
Colours in 1928.—In 1928, in the British service, the follow ing are borne (only main features given) : Life Guards and Royal Horse Guards: 1st. L.G., three standards; 2nd L.G., three stand ards; R.H.G., four standards; crimson silk damask; 2ft. 31in. wide, 'ft. 1 o tin. deep; fringe 31in.: king's standards embroidered with royal arms with royal cypher, union standards bear Tudor rose, thistle and shamrock with royal crown and cypher sur mounted by crowns : regimental standard R.H.G. bears monogram "R.H.G." in lieu of Tudor rose, thistle and shamrock. Dragoon Guards: one standard, amalgamated regiments, two; crimson silk damask ; 2ft. 51in. wide, 2ft. 2in. deep, the corners square; title in gold in a circle, rank of regiment in gold Roman characters in centre, the whole within a wreath of roses, thistles and shamrocks, ensigned with the imperial crown; white horse in first and fourth compartments; rose, thistle and shamrock conjoined in second and third corners. Dragoons : one guidon; amalgamated regiments, two; crimson silk damask; 3ft. 5in. to ends of points of swallow tail, 2ft. Sin. deep : other details as for Dragoon Guards standards. Foot Guards: Two colours; king's, crimson; regimental, the Great Union. All Foot Guards have company badges which are carried in rotation on each regimental colour, the change taking place every 15 years when new colours are issued. Infantry of the Line (except Rifle Regiments) : Two colours; king's, the Great Union; regimental, colour of facing of regiment, except those faced scar let or white whose regimental colour is red cross of St. George in a white field. All colours are silk, 3ft. 9in. wide, 3ft. deep, staff 8ft. 7-1-in. Standards, guidons and colours bear all distinctions conferred by royal authority. Yeomanry styled "Dragoons" may bear a guidon. Territorial infantry units, other than "rifles" may bear colours identical with those of their regular battalions. Yeomanry and territorial colours are not provided by the State. The Grenadier, Coldstream and Scots Guards have special colours which are carried on state occasions.
Origin of Great Union Flag and Colours.—In the middle ages the English armies fought under, as the sovereign's banner, the red cross of St. George in a white field; in i 707 the white cross of St. Andrew was added consequent upon the union with Scotland, and in x8oI the red cross of St. Patrick was added to the first two to form the Great Union, generally referred to, wrongly, as the Union Jack. The precise origin of the term "colours," as applied to military flags, is wrapped in obscurity. The first reference is found in a play by Peele, Battle of Alcazar published in 1594 but performed in 1 S9 i—"Sultan Soliman, un der whose colours he had serv'd in the field." Barret in his Theorike and Practike of Modern Warres, published in 1598, states—"We Englishmen do call them of late Colours, by reason of the variety of colours they be made of, whereby they be better noted and known." An article of The Lawes of War, published by Hexham in 1641, states "He that . . . shal forsake his Colours or Cornet shal without any mercy be punished with death." In the 1661 warrant, Charles II. refers to "Colours or Ensigns" but in that of 1743 the term "colours" is used throughout with refer ence to the infantry and this practice has been maintained to the present day in regard to infantry flags. In i8o6 an "Inspector of Regimental Colours" was appointed to ensure uniformity in de sign. The appointment is always held by an official of the College of Arms (Heralds).
Honorary Distinctions.—The badges, mottoes and names of battles or campaigns emblazoned on colours are officially known as "Honorary Distinctions," and are the lineal descendants of the badges and mottoes in the armorial bearings previously borne on the knight's banner. The first badges authorized were to the Gren adier Guards, under the warrant of 166i. Some regiments were authorized to carry "royal devices and ancient badges" under the 1743 warrant, which implies that they were granted previous to that date. The first battle honour granted was "Emsdorff" author ized in 1768 to be borne as a motto by the 15th Light Dragoons (later 15th Hussars) for its distinguished services at that battle on July 16, 1760. "Emsdorff," however, is not the earliest cam paign to be commemorated. This distinction belongs to "Tangier 1662-80" borne by The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) and 1st The Royal Dragoons, authorized in 1909. Following on Emsdorff, George III., in 1784, authorized the word "Gibraltar" to be borne on the second colour of each regiment that had taken part in the siege of Gibraltar under Sir George Elliot. Although the "second" or regimental colour was specified in the authoriza tion it was the practice, up to 1844, to place battle honours on both colours. Since then they have only been placed on the sec and colour with these exceptions : (a) the Foot Guards, who place their honours on both colours ; (b) The Honourable Artillery Company, who place their honours on the king's colour only ; and (c) the ten selected honours for the World War of battalions of ..he line, special reserve and territorial army, which are placed on the king's colours in accordance with Army Order 47o of 1922. It would be impossible to place the whole of a regiment's World War honours on the colours, but they are all recorded in the official army list, where the ten selected "colour honours" are printed in heavier type than the remainder. After "Gibraltar" followed "Minden," authorized in 1801 ; then a badge, the Sphinx, for Egypt in 1802. The practice was now firmly established and after the Peninsular campaign the London Gazette published batches of grants monthly. It is now the established custom to grant honours immediately after a campaign. Hussars and Lancers do not carry standards but place their honours on their kettle-drum banners ; rifle regiments paint them on their drums, and, in addi tion, The King's Royal Rifle Corps and Rifle Brigade, place th€m on their cap badges. All battalions, regular and territorial, carry identical honours. These honorary distinctions, therefore, present an epitome of the history of the regiment. The first French hon our was granted in 1792 to commemorate Valmy and Jemmapes; the first German in 1808, being "Colberg 1807" to commemorate the defence of Colberg. The standard- or colour-bearer was designated "Alferis" in mediaeval times; later "Ancient" and then "Ensign." The rank of ensign was abolished in the British service in 1871. The colours are now carried by subalterns in the infantry and troop sergeant-majors in the cavalry.
Consecration and Laying-up of Colours.—Military flags have always been regarded with religious veneration. To the Romans they were the "God of War" in a mobile form. Embody ing the spirit of the people who fought under them, consecration was a natural feature at all times. Maskell, in Monumenta Ritu alia Ecclesiae Anglicanae quotes a service of the 14th century, which was performed by no one less than a bishop. The first reg ular service was instituted in 1838. Before 1855 colours were provided by colonels of regiments who disposed of them as they wished when they became unserviceable, but now they are "laid up" in churches or public buildings. The ceremony of "laying-up" is as impressive as that of consecration.