Colours 1756

From the mid-18th century the Colours carried by the infantry regiments were not allowed to bear the armorial devices of their Colonels. According to the Royal Warrant of 1751 there were to be two Colours per battalion; the King's Colour and the Regimental Colour. In the same year regiments were titled by their number in the line of chronological precedence. The Kings Colour, on the left, was the Union Flag; the red cross of St George laid over the blue and white saltire of Scotland. In the middle the regimental number in Roman Numerals and a Union wreath of roses and thistles. The Regimental Colour, on the right, was predominantly buff, the facings colour of the 42nd up until 1758 the year that they became a royal regiment. The Union flag was in the upper canton and the number and wreath in the middle. The size of the Colours was 6 foot 6 inches flying by 6 foot 2 inches on the pike. The spear-headed pike was 9 foot 10 inches long. These Colours were carried in the campaigns of North America and the West Indies between 1756 and 1767.

Regimental Details | Colours