"British Infantry Colours?" Topic

I hope this link copies in:

link

The second illustration is of the cover of a small book from the 1970's by Dino Lemonifides (who?), and it talks of no black British regular army regimental colours before the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The 50th Foot would have had white regimental colour with red cross.

Does anyone have access to that book? Con you confirm that comment? Mine is packed away deep in my garage for the past 18months, as we have tried to sell our home and move to Pennsylvania.

GdeP

I don't have that book, but others confirm or refute the black colours.
'Flags and Standards of the Napoleonic Wars" by Keith Over says that black faced Regts. had colours with a red cross on a black background.
The Osprey "Flags of the Nap. Wars (2)" says that regulations were for a red cross on black , but they were never put into effect and black faced Regts. had a red cross on white background instead.
Also, the colours of the 89th Ft. in Canada are depicted as red cross on black :
warof1812.ca/89thcolours.htm
link

Cliff

Hello GdeP

Back to those pesky regiments with black facings again!

Maybe I'm missing it but I've been checking my copy and can't find this comment. It quotes the 1768 Warrant on regiments with black facings without comment.

The table at the end indicates that the 89th carried a black regimental colour till 1889 and the 58th till 1960!

Is it fair to assume that if the Victorian regimental colour was black, its Napoleonic predecessor would have been black as well? Or could black regimental colours have been out of fashion in Napoleonic times only to come back into favour in Victorian period? Who knows! (Perhaps someone does?)

Re the author, the dust jacket says he was a member of the BMSS (British Model Soldier Society).

There was another book at that time about British infantry regiments from the days of uniforms into the 1960's, and between the two, I recall the 5th Northumberland Foot had pale yellow regimental colors – not "Gosling Green." Their drummers wore white; their sergeants had no stipe down the length of the waist sash – solid crimson. They has a 3rd color, smaller, for special occasions in a "true" green.

Does this book mention the colours of the 5th?

GdeP

"5th Regiment (The Northumberland Fusiliers)
Pale yellow, St George in white armour on a brown horse, and green dragon. In the three corners a crown and rose. NB: No crown above badge." The table of regiments at the end has this note for the 5th: "Parades small green 'drummers colour' on St George's Day".

GdeP

C.C.P.Lawson's 'the Uniforms Of The British Army' Vol. V mentions the third colour of the 5th:
"The 5th Regt. also had a third Colour – carried by a sergeant – and tradition thought it dated from the battle of Wilhelmsthal. It is described as of green silk with a fringe, but smaller than the other Colours and bearing St. George and the Dragon with motto 'Quo fata vocant' and the rose and crown in the corners. The pike head was a plated crescent within a laurel wreath."

Cliff

Thanks, gentlemen. Now to find someone whom does the 5th Foot regimental colour in yellow! for 28mm.

Wilhelmsthal was during the 7 Years War, right?

GdeP

" Wilhelmsthal was during the 7 Years War, right? "

Yes. In 1762.