Colours and Honours
Like most British regiments, the 52nd carried flags known as "colours": the First, or "King's Colour", and the Second, or "Regimental Colour". The First had the Union Flag with the Regiment's number in the centre, surrounded by a wreath. Following the presentation of their colours in 1799, the 52nd's King's Colour included the Royal Cipher in the centre, a non-standard addition. The Second was in the colour of the regimental facings (buff, in the 52nd's case) with a small Union Flag in the corner; the regimental number took the centre. The colours were carried into battle for identification, and as a rallying point, in the care of sergeants or ensigns. Attending the colours in battle was dangerous, since they were a target for enemy artillery and assault; due to the symbolic significance of the colours, their loss was a grave issue, and extreme measures were often taken to prevent such dishonour occurring. The skirmishing and forward positions maintained by light infantry frequently made the bearing of colours inconvenient. For this reason, the newly raised 95th Rifles received no colours, but the converted line regiments, such as the 52nd, retained their existing colours. While some light infantry regiments opted not to carry them in the Peninsula, the 52nd and 43rd did.
Battle honours are awarded to a regiment for their performance in certain battles and campaigns, and are displayed on their colours. The 52nd received the following honours: Hindoostan, Vimeiro, Corunna, Bussaco, Fuentes d'Onor, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vitoria, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse, Peninsula, Waterloo and Delhi 1857.
Read more about this topic: 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment Of Foot
Famous quotes containing the words colours and, colours and/or honours:
“The sounding cataract
Haunted me like a passion: the tall rock,
The mountain, and the deep and gloomy wood,
Their colours and their forms, were then to me
An appetite: a feeling and a love,
That had no need of a remoter charm,
By thought supplied, or any interest
Unborrowed from the eye.—”
—William Wordsworth (1770–1850)
“The sounding cataract
Haunted me like a passion: the tall rock,
The mountain, and the deep and gloomy wood,
Their colours and their forms, were then to me
An appetite: a feeling and a love,
That had no need of a remoter charm,
By thought supplied, or any interest
Unborrowed from the eye.—”
—William Wordsworth (1770–1850)
“Come hither, all ye empty things,
Ye bubbles rais’d by breath of Kings;
Who float upon the tide of state,
Come hither, and behold your fate.
Let pride be taught by this rebuke,
How very mean a thing’s a Duke;
From all his ill-got honours flung,
Turn’d to that dirt from whence he sprung.”
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745)