The Regimental Headquarters

The Regimental Colour

The design of the Regimental Colour was approved by the Regimental Board. It was agreed that there would be identical colours for each battalion (less the distinction of battalion numbers). The use of the Cross of St George as a background, as for PWO and DWR, was approved. Garter King at Arms, the Inspector of Regimental Colours and PS 12 (A) all approved use of this form as it would be unique to the Regiment. This also has the additional advantage of conforming to the Honorary Colours that are held in the Regiment. It is permitted to carry 46 non-World War Battle Honours on the Regimental Colour. There are 42 as follows:

NAMUR 1695 BLENHEIM RAMILLIES OUDENARDE MALPLAQUET DETTINGEN LOUISBURG QUEBEC 1759 BELLE ISLE MARTINIQUE 1762 HAVANNAH ST LUCIA 1778 MYSORE MARTINIQUE 1794, 1809 TOURNAY SERINGAPATAM ALLY GHUR DELHI 1803

LESWARREE DEIG CORUNNA GUADELOUPE 1810

JAVA NIVE PENINSULA WATERLOO BHURTPORE ALMA INKERMAN SEVASTOPOL NEW ZEALAND ABYSSINIA AFGHANISTAN 1879–80 TIRAH RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY PAARDEBERG RELIEF OF LADYSMITH SOUTH AFRICA 1899–1902 AFGHANISTAN 1919 THE HOOK 1953 KOREA 1952–53 IRAQ 2003

These Battle Honours are shown on the Drum Majors’ Maces of each regular Battalion.

Other Distinctions

Four antecedent emblems are placed on the Regimental Colour – the White Horse of Hanover in the top right corner; the Star of Brunswick bottom left; the Dannebrog Cross bottom right and the Elephant & Howdah bottom centre. The appropriate Battalion Roman Numeral is placed in the top left corner.

Presentation of Colours

The Yorkshire Regiment were first presented with Colours on 18th June 2010 at Imphal Barracks, York by the Colonel in Chief.

Regular Battalion Colours are normally replaced every 20 years and Reserve Battalion Colours every 30 years.

Lodgement of the Colours

The Colours will normally be lodged in the Officers’ Mess in the charge of the Senior Subaltern and under the direction of the Adjutant. The Senior Subaltern will ensure that the Colours are carefully cased as detailed in ‘Ceremonial for the Army’ and secured under lock and key at night and during periods when the Mess is unattended. He will report at once any damage to the Adjutant.

Care should be taken that the Colours are at all times shown the proper respect, that they are only displayed on appropriate occasions and that they are not handled by unauthorised persons. The only persons permitted to handle the uncased Colours are: Ɋ The PMC Ɋ The Senior Subaltern Ɋ Officers of the Colour Party Ɋ The Adjutant in the course of his duties Ɋ The Orderly Officer in the course of his duties (he may request another officer to assist him in casing the Colours) Ɋ The Regimental Sergeant Major in the course of his duties Ɋ The Drum Major in the course of his duties Ɋ The Mess Colour Sergeant in the course of his duties

When displayed on a Colours’ stand, the Queen’s (or Sovereign’s) Colour is on the right with its pike behind that of the Regimental Colour.

If the Colours are wet after being carried on parade it is the responsibility of the Senior Colour Ensign to see that they are completely dried before being cased.

When the Colours are being moved from or to their usual place of lodgement an escort is invariably to accompany them. If the Colours are to be moved any distance they are to be cased. The casing is the responsibility of the Senior Subaltern or the Orderly Officer, as directed by the Adjutant.

When the Colours are to be uncased on parade the Drum Major has the honour of carrying out this duty in accordance with the procedure laid down in ‘Ceremonial for The Army’.

Procedure for Casing and Uncasing the Colours

The Ensign or Orderly Officer will hold the Colour in a horizontal position. His assistant, who according to the circumstances may be another officer, the Mess Colour Sergeant or, on parade, the Drum Major, will take the top of the Colour pike in his left hand and, with his right hand, take hold of the bottom right-hand corner of the Colour, the Ensign at the same time taking hold of the bottom left-hand corner. The edge of the Colour will then be lifted and placed over the top of the pike. This procedure is repeated twice, care being taken to ensure that the Colour is not rucked in any way. Finally, the Ensign will raise the Colour to the order and his assistant will tie the tapes of the case. When uncasing a Colour, the procedure described above is carried out in reverse. All subalterns are to be instructed in this drill on first doing duty as Orderly Officer.

Procedure for Dressing the Colours

When a Colour is uncased the Colour Ensign will Dress the Colour. This consists of taking the left-hand top corner (the free end) with his left hand and bringing the Colour to a perpendicular position. This will result in the lowest corner falling straight down the pike. The Colour will then be evenly distributed on either side of the pike, and when carried on the shoulder the pike will always be covered by the overhang of the Colour. When changing arms, care must be taken to ensure that the same overhang is on the left shoulder as on the right. Should the Colour become disturbed, the Ensign may use his disengaged hand to put it back in the correct position. This is not a drill movement and should not be carried out unobtrusively.

Movement to the Parade Ground

Colours are carried on all ceremonial parades. Prior to a Battalion Parade, the Colour Party will form up at the entrance of the Officers’ Mess or other place of lodgement. There they will receive the uncased Colours from the Drum Major. The Drum Major will have the Queen’s Colour in his right hand and the Regimental Colour in his left hand, and will be accompanied by the Sergeants of the Colour Party. The Colour Ensigns will salute the Colours with their swords, then return swords before receiving the Colours from the Drum Major, Queen’s Colour first. On the command of the Senior Colour Ensign, carrying the Queen’s Colour, the Colour Party will then proceed to a point adjacent to the parade ground and await the order to march on.

Marching on the Colours

The procedure and words of command for marching on the Colours will be as follows:

The Parade Commander will order ‘Slope arms’, followed by ‘March on the Colours’. The Senior Colour Ensign will answer ‘Sir’. The Parade Commander will immediately order ‘X Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, salute to the Colours, present arms’. The Senior Colour Ensign will then order ‘Colour Party, by the centre, quick march’. The Band and Drums will then play the Regimental Quick March while, by a series of forms and turns ordered by the Senior Colour Ensign, the Colour Party will take up its correct position on parade. When the Colour Party are in position, the Band and Drums will cease to play and the Senior Colour Ensign will order ‘Colour Party, present present arms’, after which the Parade Commander will order ‘X Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, slope arms’.

Marching off the Colours

The procedure for marching off the Colours will be as follows:

With the Battalion at the slope arms, the Parade Commander will order ‘March off the Colours’, to which the Senior Colour Ensign will answer

‘Sir’. The Parade Commander will then immediately order ‘X Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, salute to the Colours, present arms’. The senior Colour Ensign will order ‘Colour Party, by the centre, quick march’. The Band and Drums will play the Regimental Quick March and the Colour Party, under the orders of the Senior Colour Ensign, will march off the parade and straight back to the place of lodgement, where the Colours will be disposed of in accordance with instructions issued by the Adjutant for that day.

Compliments to the Colours Off Parade

When Colours are uncased, all ranks passing them will salute. When uncased Colours pass an individual he or she will halt, face the Colours and salute or, if armed, present arms. Formed bodies will stand to attention and the senior rank will salute; if armed, they will be ordered to present arms.

When the Colours are cased, compliments will not be paid to them but will be paid to the Colour Ensigns in the normal manner. All ranks will give precedence to a Colour Party marching with Colours cased and will stand to attention as the Colours pass.

Compliments will be paid to the Colours, Standards and Guidons of other Regiments as to our own.

Adorning the Colours

It is a Regimental custom on certain occasions to adorn both the Queen’s and Regimental Colour with a small garland of white roses. These are positioned over the tips of the pike staffs. The occasions are: Ɋ When in the presence of the members of the Royal Family. Ɋ When Trooping the Colours on any one of the five Regimental

Days. Ɋ At the Presentation of new Colours.

This custom has been adopted from the East Yorkshire Regiment.

Colours in Church

During a Church parade or other appropriate service, the Colours may be laid on the altar. The procedure is as follows:

After the choir and clergy have processed, the Band will strike up the Regimental Slow March and the Colour Party will slow march up the aisle to the chancel, halting before the altar rails. Arms will be carried, with bayonets fixed, and head-dress will be worn. The Senior Colour Ensign will then order the Colour Party to present arms. The Chaplain will first take the Queen’s Colour and lay it on the altar with the pike to his right and the Colour draped over the front of the altar. He will then take the Regimental Colour and drape it with its pike to his left. The Senior Colour Ensign will then bring the Colour Party to the shoulder. They will then left/right turn and march off to their seats, where they will unfix bayonets, remove head-dress and take their places.

At the end of the Service, the reverse procedure will be followed, and the Colours will be marched out of Church to the Regimental Quick March.

In Church, all commands are to be given and drill movements carried out with dignity, reverence and the minimum of noise.

Laying Up of Colours

When old Colours have been replaced it is normal practice for them to be laid up in a Regimental Chapel, museum or other public/civic building in the Regimental Area in accordance with the decision of the Regimental Board. Old Colours laid up in a Chapel should be netted or otherwise conserved within 5 years. The procedure for the replacement and laying up of old Colours is set out in Queen’s Regulations. The ceremonial and form of prayer appropriate to the laying up of old Colours is laid down for guidance in ‘Ceremonial for The Army’.

Active Service

When a Battalion proceeds on active service and local conditions are such that it would not be appropriate to take the Colours, they are to be sent under escort to be deposited for safe keeping, normally at Regimental Headquarters. Under no circumstances are they ever to be left in unoccupied unit lines.

The Honorary Colours

The Honorary Queen’s Colour and a Honorary Regimental Colour, were originally awarded to the 76th of Foot (2 DWR), for service in India by the Honourable East India Company, for the part the Regiment played in the capture of the fortress of Ally Ghur and the capture of Delhi in 1803. At the end of the campaign, at the behest of the East India Company, the Regiment was authorised to wear the word ‘Hindoostan’ on its Colours and Appointments. At the same time the Commander-in-Chief, Lord Lake, obtained permission for the Regiment to use the badge of an ‘elephant’. A Howdah was added later. Note the ‘old style’ square Colours and the ‘frozen in time’ list of Battle Honours. These Colours are copies of the nineteen century issue Colours with a list of Battle Honours correct up to 1881, when the 76th merged with the 33rd Foot. These Colours are unique in the British Army.

Following the part that the 76th Foot played in reduction of the fortress at Ally Ghur and the capture of Delhi in September 1803 a General Order was issued granting Honorary Colours to the Regiment. The new colours, paid for by the East India Company and with spearheads suitably inscribed to record the gift, were presented to the Regiment in 1808. They also bore the names and dates of the two other victories and battle honours from the campaign of Agra and Leswaree. In addition, they bore the emblem of an “Elephant” circumscribed by the word ‘Hindoostan’ in their centre. Following the campaign, it had been authorised, at the behest of the East India Company, to wear the word ‘Hindoostan’ on its Colours and Appointments and, at the request of the Commander-inChief, Lord Lake, to use the badge of an ‘elephant’. A Howdah was added later. Uniquely within the British Army the dimensions of the Honorary Colours are those of the pre-1858 ‘Battle Colours’, 6ft 6ins by 6ft. In 1858 the size of the regulation colours was reduced to 4ft by 3ft 6ins. The design of the Honorary Colours has also remained unchanged from 1881. The original spearheads are still borne in the colour pikes and are inscribed:

76 Regt THESE COLOURS WERE PRESENTED TO

THE REGT BY THE CHAIRMAN AND COURT OF DIRECTORS OF THE HONOURABLE EAST INDIA COMPANY IN TESTIMONY OF ITS MERITORIOUS SERVICES AND DISTINGUISHED BRAVERY IN THE

DIFFERENT ACTIONS RECORDED UPON THEM

The Award of Colours

The award of the Honorary Colours was notified by the Governor General of India by Order in Council dated 1st October 1803. The following is the relevant extract from the Order.

In testimony of the peculiar honour acquired by the army under the personal command of His Excellency General Lake, the GovernorGeneral in Council is pleased to order that Honorary Colours, with a device properly suited to commemorate the reduction of the fortress of Ally Ghur on the 4th, and the victory obtained at Delhi on the 11th September, be presented to the Corps of Cavalry and Infantry (European and Native) respectively employed on those occasions; and that a public monument be erected at Fort William to the memory of the brave officers and men (European and Native), who have fallen in the public service during the present campaign. The Honorary Colours granted by these orders to His Majesty’s 27th Regiment of Dragoons, and to the 76th of Foot, are to be used by those Corps while they shall continue in India, or until His Majesty’s most gracious pleasure be signified through His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief.