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The Colours embody the spirit of the Regiment. They symbolise service to Queen and Country and depict the principal honours and distinctions earned by our predecessors. The Colours are consecrated before they are handed over to the safe keeping of the Regiment and for that reason they are always treated with the greatest respect and accorded the highest honours.
Colours have been carried by the Regiment since its formation in 1689 and originally had a tactical purpose as the Regiment's rallying point in battle. Defence of the Colours was of the utmost importance and the selected officers and NCOs who formed the Colour Party occupied a post of the greatest honour and danger. At Waterloo it is recorded that "14 sergeants and officers in proportion" were killed or wounded guarding the Colours of the 40th, which were shot almost to pieces. The last occasion when the Colours were carried in action by the Regiment was at the Battle of Ahmad Khel in Afghanistan, 1880, where the 59th fought in traditional close order to defeat charging waves of fanatical tribesmen and 20 picked men were detailed to defend the Colours.
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLOURS
In common with most other British infantry regiments, The Queen's Lancashire Regiment carries two Colours per battalion. The Colours of each battalion are of identical design except for the battalion number in Roman numerals.
The Queen's Colour, based on the Union Flag, displays scrolls bearing 42 selected Battle Honours from the First and Second World Wars. In the centre are embroidered in gold the Regimental title and Battalion number beneath a Queen's Crown. The Queen's Colour is fringed with crimson and gold alternate strands.
The Regimental Colour has a royal blue field (background), as we are a Royal Regiment. In the centre is the Red Rose of Lancaster surrounded by the Regimental title and surmounted by a Queen's Crown, while the Regimental motto is displayed below on a Union wreath of roses, thistles and shamrocks.
In the four corners are the crests of our Regimental forebears:
The East Lancashire Regiment (top right): A Red Rose charged with the Sphinx inscribed 'Egypt'.
The Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Volunteers) (top left): A Red Rose charged with the Prince of Wales's Feathers.
The South Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Volunteers) (bottom left): A Sphinx superscribed 'Egypt' charged with the Prince of Wales's Feathers.
The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) (bottom right): A Red Rose charged with the Royal Crest.
The Regimental Colour is encircled with the Laurel Wreath awarded for Waterloo, on which are embroidered 41 selected Battle Honours earned prior to 1914 and a Sphinx commemorating the 1801 victory in Egypt. The Battalion number is embroidered near the top of the Colour close to the pike. The Regimental Colour is fringed with blue and gold alternate strands.
PRESENTATION OF COLOURS
Regular battalion Colours are now normally replaced every 20 years and Volunteer battalion Colours every 30 years. Both the present stands of Colours were presented by HM The Queen, our Colonel-in-Chief:
1st Battalion: At Weeton Camp, Blackpool on 9th July 1990.
4th (Volunteer) Battalion: At Fulwood Barracks, Preston on 10th May 1979.
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Her Majesty The Queen, Colonel-in-Chief, presents new colours to the 4th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Queen's Lancashire Regiment, at Fulwood Barracks on 10 May 1979. These colours are still carried by the 4th Battalion's successor unit, the Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers |
LODGEMENT OF THE COLOURS
The Colours will normally be lodged in the Officers' Mess in the charge of the Senior Second Lieutenant and under the direction of the Adjutant. The Senior Second Lieutenant 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 at once report any damage to the Adjutant.
Care should be taken that the Colours are at all times shown 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:
The PMC.
The Senior Second Lieutenant.
Officers of The Colour Party.
The Adjutant in the course of his duties.
The Orderly Officer in the course of his duties (he may request another officer to assist him in casing the Colours).
The Regimental Sergeant Major in the course of his duties.
The Drum Major in the course of his duties.
The Mess Colour Sergeant in the course of his duties.
When displayed on a Colour stand, the Queen's (or Sovereign's) Colour is on the right with its pike crossing in front of 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 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 Second Lieutenant 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'.
When the Battalion proceeds on active service and local conditions are such that it would be inappropriate to take the Colours, they are to be sent under escort to be deposited for safe keeping, normally at Regimental Headquarters.
COMPLIMENTS TO THE COLOURS ON PARADE
Colours are carried on all ceremonial parades. Prior to a Battalion Parade, the Colour Party will form up at 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, accompanied by a side drummer and a fifer playing "The British Grenadiers", and await the order to march on.
The procedure and words of command for marching on the Colours will be as follows: The Commanding Officer will order "Shoulder arms", followed by "March on the Colours". The Senior Colour Ensign will answer "Sir". The Commanding Officer will immediately order "Queen's Lancashires, 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 arms". The Band will then play 'Point of War', after which the Commanding Officer will order "Queen's Lancashires, slope arms."
The procedure for marching off the Colours will be as follows: With the Battalion at the shoulder arms, the Commanding Officer will order "March off the Colours", to which the Senior Colour Ensign will answer "Sir". The Commanding Officer will then immediately order "Queen's Lancashires, 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 in accordance with instructions issued by the Adjutant for that day.
In the 1st Battalion it is the privilege of the Champion Company to provide the Escort to the Colours on any ceremonial occasion when an Escort is required. This Company occupies the position of honour on the right of the Battalion line.
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 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.
COLOURS IN CHURCH
During a Church parade or other appropriate service the Colours may be deposited on an altar. The procedure is:
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 will be normal practice for them to be laid up in a Regimental Chapel or museum in Lancashire in accordance with the decision of the Regimental Council.
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The first Colours to be carried by the 1st Battalion, The Queen's Lancashire Regiment, were presented by Field Marshal Sir Gerald Templer at the amalgamation parade of the new regiment at Connaught Barracks, Dover, on 25 March 1970. These colours are now laid up in the Regimental Council Chamber, Fulwood Barracks, Preston, having been replaced by Her Majesty The Queen during the Regiment's Tercentenary Year in 1969. |
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