THE REGIMENTAL COLOURS

The Queen's Colour

The Queen's Colour is the Great Union Flag, bearing in the centre of the St George's Cross a crimson circle with the words "The Light Infantry" in gold and within the circle the number of the battalion in roman numerals.

Battle Honours of the Great War and Second World War are borne on the horizontal and lower vertical arms of the St George's Cross.

The following 35 Battle Honours appear on the Queen's Colour:

"Mons", "Le Cateau", "Aisne'1914,'18", "Messines, 1914,17,18" "YPRES, 1914,15,17,18", "Hooge, 1915", "Somme, 1916,18","Albert, 1916,18", "Arras, 1917,18", "Passchendaele", "Cambrai, 1917,18", "Havrincourt", "Doiran 1917, 18", "Jerusalem", "Palestine, 1917, 18", 'Tigris, 1916", "Norway 1940", "Dunkirk 1940", "Normandy Landing", "Fontenay le Pesnil", "Hill 112", "Gheel", "North West Europe 1940, 44-45", "El Alamein", "Mareth", "Argoub Sellah", "Primosole Bridge", "Sicily 1943", "Salerno","Anzio", "Cassino II", "Italy 1943-45", "North Arakan", "Burma 1942, 43-45","Kohima".

The Regimental Colour

The Regiment being a Royal Regiment, the field of the Regimental Colour is blue, with the fringe gold and blue and the tassels crimson and gold. The pike is surmounted by a Royal Crown in gilt.

The title of the Regiment (The Light Infantry) is inscribed in gold on a crimson circle within a union wreath of roses, thistles, and shamrocks, with the Regimental badge in silver on a crimson ground, the whole ensigned with the St Edward's Crown.

The number of the battalion in roman numerals is in the top corner nearest to the pike.

The honorary distinctions are, at the bottom left corner, the Sphinx superscribed "Egypt" and, at the bottom right corner, a Mural Crown superscribed "Jellalabad". The Battle Honours worn on the Colour are embroidered on the branches of the wreath, with underneath the mottoes:

"Aucto Splendore Resurgo"

"Cede Nullis"

"Faithful" (from the old nickname of the 68^th)

The Sphinx and the Mural Crown were inherited from the Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry and the three mottoes from, respectively, The King's Shropshire Light Infantry, The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and The Durham Light infantry.

The following 32 Battle Honours appear on the Regimental Colour:

"Gibraltar, 1704-5", "Dettingen", "Minden", "Nieuport", "St Lucia, 1796", "Corunna", "Fuentes D"Onor", "Salamanca", "Vittoria", "Pyrenees", "Nivelle", "Orthes", "Peninsula", "Bladensburg", "Waterloo", "Afghanistan 1839", "Inkerman", "Sevastopol", "Persia", "Lucknow", "New Zealand", "Pegu", "Ali Majid", "South Africa, 1878-9", "Afghanistan, 1878-80", "Burma, 1885-87", "Modder River", "Paardeberg", "Relief of Ladysmith", "South Africa, 1899-1902", "Afghanistan 1919", "Korea 1951-53".

Bugle Major’s Sash

The most representative battle honours of the Regiment are given below and are worn on the Bugle Major’s Sash and emblazoned on the base and side drums in Regimental bands.

Gibraltar Lucknow

Minden South Africa, 1899-1902

Corunna Ypres

Salamanca El Alamein

Waterloo Anzio

Jellalabad North West Europe 1940, 44-45

Inkerman Korea 1951-53

Presentation of Colours

The Colours of the 2^nd, 3^rd and 5^th Battalions were first presented by the Colonel-in-Chief at a combined parade at Colchester on 7 May 1971.

The Colours of the 1^st Battalion were first presented by the Deputy Colonel-in-Chief at Lemgo on 25 May 1972.

The Colours of the 7^th Battalion were presented by the Deputy Colonel-in-Chief at Durham on 14 July 1978.

The Colours of the 6^th Battalion were presented by the Colonel-in-Chief at Bath on 26 October 1979.

The Colours of the 8^th Battalion were presented by the Colonel-in-Chief at Nostell Priory, Wakefield on 15th July 1988.

New Colours to the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd Battalions were presented by the Colonel-in-Chief at Tidworth, 31 May 1991.

Go to: Colour Party Pictures - - Pictures on this page by John Martyn