 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Encyclopedia :
C :
CO :
COL :
Colours, standards & guidons |
|
|
Colours, standards & guidonsIn the days when battle was conducted at close quarters, it was necessary for soldiers to be able to determine where, during the heat of battle, their regiment was. This was done by the regiment carrying its colours into battle. The colours are a set of large flags, unique to each regiment, that the ordinary soldier would be able to identify straight away. However, as time passed, the colours took on a more mystical significance than as mere identifying markers on the battlefield; they became the heart of the regiment, in which all of its history was woven. Such became the significance in this context that, for a regiment to lose its colours was (and still is) a major disgrace, with the capture of an enemy's colours (or equivalent) being seen as a great honour. This is why that, whenever the colours are paraded, they are always escorted.
ColoursUnited Kingdom and other Commonwealth nationsLine Infantry and Foot GuardsIn regiments of infantry of the British Army and the armies of Commonwealth countries, each battalion carries two colours, which collectively are called a stand. These are large flags, usually 36in x 45in, and mounted on a pike which is 8ft 7.5in long; the King's/Queen's Colour (or President's Colour in a country where the British Monarch is not head of state) is usually a version of the country's national flag, often trimmed with gold fabric, and with the regiment's insignia placed in the centre. The Regimental Colour is a flag of a single colour, usually the colour of the uniform facings (collar/lapels and cuffs) of the regiment, again often trimmed and with the insignia in the centre. All regiments that are designated as 'royal' regiments (that is either have the word 'Royal' or the sponsorship of a royal personage in their name) have a navy blue Regimental Colour. The colours of the five regiments of Foot Guards have the pattern of the line infantry reversed, with the the Queen's Colour being crimson and the Regimental Colour a variation of the Union Flag. =Additional Colours=Rifle RegimentsBy tradition, rifle regiments do not carry colours; this goes back to their formation, when they were used as skirmishers and sharpshooters. While individual units may have had banners or pennants to distinguish themselves from other units, regiments as a whole never needed a full stand of Colours. Today, the two rifle regiments in the British Army, the Royal Green Jackets and the Royal Gurkha Rifles carry their battle honours on their drums, while the Green Jackets also have theirs inscribed on their cap badge. In place of a Regimental Colour, the Gurkhas carry the Queen's Truncheon. EmbellishmentsWoven onto the colours are battle honours; the Queen's Colour has honours from the First World War and Second World War, while the Regimental Colour has honours from other campaigns. If the regiment has more than a single battalion, then there will be identifying marks on the colours to show which battalion they belong to. There are various other embellishments that can be added to the colours on various occasions: Because of their importance to the regiment, prior to a new stand of colours being presented, they are consecrated. Royal Hospital, ChelseaThe Royal Hospital, Chelsea had never had either colours or other distinctive device during its entire history, until 2002 when Her Majesty the Queen presented the Hospital with the Sovereign's Mace. This is now paraded by a party of In-Pensioners at all of the Royal Hospital's ceremonial events Royal MarinesThe Corps of Royal Marines has a single pattern Queen's Colour, which is the Union Flag with the foul anchor and the reigning sovereign's cypher interlaced in the centre. Above is a scroll with the single battle honour Gibraltar surmounted by St Edward's Crown. Below is the globe surrounded by a laurel wreath and below this is a scroll with the Corps' motto. Each of the three commandos (the battalion-sized formations that make up the bulk of the corps) has a Queen's Colour, with the only difference being the colour of the cords and tassels. Each commando also has its own Regimental Colour. The Regimental Colour is a dark blue flag (because the Corps is classed as a 'royal regiment') with a small Union Flag at the pike head. The Colour carries similar central embellishments as the Queen's Colour, with the exception that the cypher of George IV replaces that of the reigning monarch and the unit numeral is below. The Royal Cypher is at the other corners. The Regimental Colours also have the coloured cords and tassels, which are gold combined with the following colours: NB: The Fleet Protection Group carries on the traditions of 43 Commando, and has custody of the unit's Colours. The former 41 Commando was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for its service in the Korean War, and was thus permitted to carry the streamer on its Regimental Colour.
SuperpowersUnited StatesIn the US Army, most regiments, battalions of regiments and separate battalions also have a stand of colours. The first is the National Color, which is a 36in x 48in version of the national flag trimmed with a 2.5in wide gold fringe, and is the equivalent of the Queen's Colour in the British Army. (NB: In the Navy and Marine Corps, the National Color has no gold fringe, and is instead decorated with red, white and blue cords and tassels). The second is the Organizational Color, which is the equivalent of the Regimental Colour; this is the same dimensions as the National Color, but is a of a single colour representing the branch of the service that the unit is from; each branch also has its own fringe colour, which the Organizational Color is trimmed with. In the centre of the Color is the eagle from the Great Seal of the United States, but with the regimental coat of arms in the shield. The eagle has in its beak a scroll bearing the regimental motto, with the crest of the regiment's coat of arms above it and the regiment's name below. USAF groups have the same National Color as the Army; the Organizational Color is ultramarine blue, with the group's coat of arms beneath the USAF crest, which is an eagle on a cloud background. The fringe is in gold. The finial is a nickel or chrome plated spearhead for the Army, Air Force and Marines. Battle honours are displayed on the Organizational Color by the use of various coloured streamers attached to the top of the pike; these can either be War Service streamers, which are in the colours of the appropriate campaign medal and have the name of the campaign embroidered, or Unit Citation streamers, which have the name of the action embroidered and signify that the unit's performance in a specific action has been worthy of special mention. The streamers are 3ft x 2.75in. US units are also permitted to wear streamers of overseas awards they may have been presented with. These streamers are in the colours of the appropriate medal ribbon. In addition to individual regiments and battalions having their own colours, each branch of the services has an organizational color, which is called the ceremonial flag. Each of these is 4ft 4in x 5ft 6in, with a 2.5in gold fringe. All of them have attached campaign/battle streamers for actions in which the service as a whole has taken part. The ceremonial flag is paraded with a National Color of equal dimensions. RussiaFor many years after the end of the Soviet Union, the military forces of Russia continued to use the old Soviet symbols on their colours, though with the hammer and sickle removed. At the beginning of the 21st century however, moves were made to give the Russian armed forces their own identity separate from the old Soviet era. Initially, the Colour for the whole armed forces was a plain red flag. However, in 2003, a new colour was adopted. This was red, with on the reverse the coat of arms of the Russian Federation, and on the obverse the symbol of the armed forces. Around the edge is a gold border, with a single red star at each corner. Written on the obverse is the motto Fatherland, Duty, Honour In addition, both the Army and the Air Force have their own individual colours; the army's is similar to that of the armed forces as a whole, with the national coat of arms on the obverse and the symbol of the army on the reverse. The air force's is divided into yellow and blue segments, with the symbol of the air force on the reverse.
and the unit number or monogram in each corner as on the obverse. ItalyThe Color (bandiera di guerra) for army units (other than cavalry) is a square version of the national tricolor in silk, 99 cm x 99 cm. It is mounted on a pike 2.2 m long, made of wood covered with green velvet and decorated with ornate brass nails arranged in a spiral. The pike is topped by a 35 cm high finial consisting of an ornate gilt brass spearhead chased with a five pointed star and the monogram RI (for Repubblica Italiana), which is in turn mounted atop a gilt brass ball on which is the name and date of establishment of the unit. The pike is adorned with two silver cords 67 cm long, each with a 10 cm long silver tassel and a blue silk cravat 8 cm x 66 cm with a 8-cm silver fringe at each end, to which the unit’s decorations are pinned, the ribbons of the decorations overlapping so that the medals hang down the cravat. GreeceAll army regiments in Greece have a single colour or war flag. This is blue, with a white cross and features St George and the Dragon in the centre. This has no distinguishing features for individual regiments. Holy SeeThe flag of the Swiss Guards, the army of the Vatican City, consists of four quarters. The Coat of Arms of the current pope is in the first quarter, while the arms of Pope Julius II are in the fourth quarter. In the second and third quarters are horizontal stripes of red, yellow and blue, the colours of the unit's uniforms: The flag also has the coat of arms of the commander within a wreath, on a background of the colour of his canton. The design of the flag changes with the election of a new pope and the appointment of a new commander. South American NationsBrazilUnits of the army of Brazil carry two Colours. The standard of the Army measures 80 x 120 cm, white with the Army coat of arms in the centre, trimmed with gold fringe. The name of the service is inscribed in gold letters on a green scroll beneath the shield. Above the shield is a knight's helmet with red and sky blue mantling. The staff is topped by a nickel-plated lance-head finial, 32 cm high. Below the lance-head, there is a cravat (laço militar) divided lengthwise, sky blue and red, with a gold fringe at the end, tied in a bow and fastened with a cockade of blue with the Cruzeiro do Sul in white stars, red, and blue. Ten red streamers with campaign honors inscribed in sky blue letters are also attached below the lance-head. The staff is 212 cm long, not including the lance-head, and 3.5 cm in diameter. It is covered in sky blue velvet with a red spiral strip. The color belt is 10 cm in width, covered with sky blue velvet with red velvet stripes. Brazilian army units also carry the national flag as a Colour. This is in the dimensions 90 x 128 cm. It is mounted on the same size staff and with the same finial as the Army standard, but the cravat is divided lengthwise yellow and green, with a gold fringe at the end, tied in a bow and fastened with a cockade of blue with the Cruzeiro do Sul in white stars, yellow, and green. The staff is covered in green velvet with a yellow spiral strip. The color belt is 10 cm in width, covered with green velvet with yellow velvet stripes of width and number varying with the rank of the organization's commander. ChileUnits of the Chilean army carry one main Colour, known as the estandarte de combate (combat standard). This is the same as the national flag, but with an embroidered star and with the unit designation, honorific title, founding date and place, and, depending on the unit, other historic information and honours embroidered diagonally across the fly in gold. The flag is also trimmed with gold fringe. It is mounted on a staff with a gilt condor finial; below the finial is a cravat in the national colours with decorations attached. In addition to the military Colour, particularly distinguished units may carry a second Colour known as a bandera coronela (colonel’s colour). This is a red field with a large white five-pointed star. In the angles of the star are the names and dates of battle honors surrounded by laurel wreaths, all in gold, while in an arc above the star is the designation of the unit, also in gold. The flag is surrounded by gold fringe. Guidons and StandardsUnited Kingdom and CommonwealthIn cavalry and armoured regiments, the equivalents of the colours are the standard and the guidon (pronounced gee-don). The standard is carried by the two Household Cavalry regiments (the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals), as well as by dragoon guards regiments, such as The Governor General's Horse Guards. This is a banner much smaller than infantry colours, 27in x 30in, on a pole that is 8ft 6in long, designed to be carried by a soldier on horseback. The guidon is traditionally carried by the dragoon regiments, and in modern times by hussar and lancer regiments as well. It is swallow-tailed, 27in x 41in, with a pole identical to that for a standard. Both the standard and the guidon are usually of crimson, again often trimmed in gold and with the regiment's insignia in the centre. However, because cavalry regiments only have a single guidon, instead of a stand of colours, all of the battle honours won by the regiment are woven into it, using both the obverse and reverse. United StatesIn the United States armed forces, guidons are much more prevalent, with units below battalion size being authorized to use them. These are swallow tailed flags that are 20in x 27in, and are in the colour of the branch of the service the unit is from, with the branch's insignia the most prominent device. Also on the guidon is included the unit's identifying letter, and the number(s) of its parent unit. War service and campaign streamers are not attached to these guidons, but unit citation streamers can be. Other NationsDenmarkCavalry (armor) units carry an estandart, of similar design to the infantry fane, but smaller and square, with the cross centered on the field. The royal cypher is in the upper hoist and the initials of the regiment in the lower hoist. FranceIn the French Army, mounted units carry étendards (standards). Mounted units include Armoured corps and Cavalry (including Dragoon Paratroopers and Legion Cavalry), Artillery (including Marine Artillery, Legion Artillery, etc.), Transportation, Army Aviation, Supplies. The étendard is a 64 x 64cm square flag identical to the drapeux carried by the infantry. ItalyIn the Italian Army, cavalry units carry a stendardo (standard) of the same pattern as the bandiera di guerra, but which measures 60 cm x 60 cm. GunsIn regiments of artillery in British and Commonwealth forces, the guns are afforded the status of colours, due to the difficulty of artillery regiments being able to carry flags onto the battlefield. As a consequence, whenever artillery regiments parade, the etiquette that would normally be applied to the colours is applied to the guns.
EtiquetteSee alsoExternal links
|
|
|
This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. |
|
| © 2008 Chamas Enterprises Inc. |
