Facings, Battle Honours and Motto
The facings worn on the red coats of the regiment were green by 1742, when they were illustrated in A Representation of the Clothing of His Majesty’s Household and all the Forces upon the Establishments of Great Britain and Ireland, commissioned by the Duke of Cumberland. Nine years later a royal warrant was issued on 1 July 1751 regulating the "Colours, Cloathing &c. of the Marching Regiments of Foot" where the facings were confirmed as green. The 1751 warrant and subsequent regulations also set out the design of the colours of the regiment: the first or King's (or Queen's) colour being the grand union with the regimental number in the centre in Roman numerals and the second or regimental colour being of the facing colour with the regimental number and title in the centre.
Battle honours came to be borne on scrolls on the regimental colour, and by 1881 the 36th Foot had received the following:
- Hindoostan
- Rolica
- Vimiera
- Corunna
- Salamanca
- Pyrenees
- Nivelle
- Nive
- Orthes
- Toulouse
- Peninsula
Following amalgamation the Worcestershire Regiment was belatedly awarded two battle honours for the service of the 36th Foot:
- Mysore: awarded in 1889 for services in southern India in 1780-1784 and 1790-1792.
- Belle Isle: awarded in 1951 for the capture of Belle Île.
The regimental motto was the word "Firm". The origins of this are not certainly known, although regimental tradition stated that it had been granted in 1747 for their performance at the Battle of Lauffeld It was uncertain if the regiment was authorised to use the motto until new colours were ordered at the end of 1816. The regiment corresponded with George Nayler, the Inspector of Regimental Colours as to whether the motto could be emblazoned. On 6 January 1817 Nayler issued a letter stating he was satisfied that the motto had been in use at least since 1773 and it that it could be borne. The motto was subsequently used by the Worcestershire Regiment from 1881 to 1970 and the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment from 1970 to 2007. The motto of the Mercian Regiment since 2007 has been "Stand Firm and Strike Hard", and the word "Firm" forms part of the collar badge design.
Read more about this topic: 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment Of Foot
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