"Regiment Wings and the Colour Party?" Topic

Hello all,

When British regiments fought in wings during the AWI where did the colours resided? With the "senior wing' with the CO or would they divided the colours, the King's Colour with one wing and the Regimental Colour with the other wing?

You are assuming they even carried colours, which might not have been the case.

No colours in the field.

When the regiment/battalion split up, the colours were supposed to go with the largest detachment; if equal, then they went with which was commanded by the unit's CO.

That said, Lamb mentions carrying the King's Colour of his regiment at Camden; I believe he refers to being in the centre of the right wing ("usual place" or something like that). He doesn't mention where the Regimental Colour is, which suggests (no more) to me that it was in the centre of the other wing.

In theory, the 1764 Manual provides for a Colour Guard being "told off" and assigned prior to action (about 20 men and some junior NCOs from memory). However, I've never come across any reference to it being done prior to an AWI action – though obviously that doesn't mean it never was.

In theory, the 1764 Manual provides for a Colour Guard being "told off" and assigned prior to action (about 20 men and some junior NCOs from memory). However, I've never come across any reference to it being done prior to an AWI action – though obviously that doesn't mean it never was.</q.

This would have been done at morning parade, the same time the battalion (or detachment) was told off into four divisions. So every morning.

@ rmaker,

Thanks, I hadn't realised that it was done each morning, rather than immediately prior to going into action – obviously makes more sense.