Colours 1860

This detail is from a group photo of officers of the 34th Regiment in India where they served from 1857 to 1868. The tattered Colours had seen service in the Ionian Islands, the West Indies and the Crimea. The newspaper cutting below, is dated 30 Aug 1845 and tells of the presentation of Colours to the 34th at Athlone in Ireland by Miss Campbell on 26 Aug 1845. The regiment was in Britain from 1840 to 1845 after a 10 year posting in Canada. The Queen’s Colour is unrecognisable but the regimental Colour on the left is yellow with the Union Flag in the corner. At that time the 34th had nine battle honours: PENINSULA, ALBUHERA, VITTORIA, PYRENEES, NIVELLE, NIVE, ORTHES, SEVASTOPOL and the most recent one ARROYO DOS MOLINOS which had been granted on 30 May 1845. The award of this last honour for a battle that took place in the Peninsula War was the incentive for the regiment to have new Colours. The next battle honour won by the regiment was for Lucknow which was awarded on 3 Sep 1863, by which time further new Colours were sorely needed. The presentation was made by Miss Campbell who was the daughter of Major-General Sir Guy Campbell Bt, in command of the Athlone District from 1841 to 1848. General Sir Thomas Brisbane was Colonel of the regiment from 1826 to 1860. Also mentioned is the CO, Lt-Col Richard Airey. The CO seated beneath the Colours in this photo, with miniature medals near his neck, is probably John Simpson CB who commanded from 1857 to 1861. My thanks to Patricia Dillon for sending the cutting.

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