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105-444: As long as armies existed there was a need for soldiers to know where their comrades where. A solution to this problem was the carrying of colourful banners or other insignia. Such flags or banners either showed a personal symbol of the leader of said units or a symbol for the "state" they represented. Such banners or flags also came to represent a units identity and history. They were therefore treated with reverence as they represented

210-539: A military campaign . In Great Britain and those countries of the Commonwealth which share a common military legacy with the British, battle honours are awarded to selected military units as official acknowledgement for their achievements in specific wars or operations of a military campaign. These honours usually take the form of a place and a date (e.g. " Cambrai 1917 "). Theatre honours , a type of recognition in

315-465: A platoon -size element, usually consisting of 16 to 44 soldiers or marines. A rifle platoon is composed of several squads with each squad led by a non-commissioned officer as squad leader . The second lieutenant is usually assisted by a platoon sergeant who advises and supports the platoon's commanding officer in leading the unit. In the Army, until December 1917, the rank bore no insignia other than

420-498: A sous-officer (NCO). Until World War I sous-lieutenants were distinguished by a single gold fringed epaulette worn on the right shoulder (silver for cavalry). Modern rank insignia is reduced to a single braid stripe on each shoulder strap and (when worn) kepi . In Indonesia , "second lieutenant" is known as letnan dua ( letda ) which is the most junior ranked officer in the Indonesian Military . Officers in

525-416: A battle honour board. This is usually a solid wooden board (traditionally teak ) mounted on the ship's superstructure, carved with the ship's badge and scrolls naming the ship and the associated honours, and either left completely unpainted, or with the lettering painted gold. The size of the board and number of scrolls is dependent on the number of honours earned by a ship and her predecessors, although it

630-723: A battle honour for the ships that served in the Vietnam War, then moved to a completely independent system before 1993, to avoid HMAS  Newcastle (named for the city of Newcastle, New South Wales ) inheriting the battle honours of Royal Navy ships named Newcastle . The Royal Canadian Navy began displaying battle honours in the 1950s, but after the Unification of the Canadian Forces in 1968, new units entering service would only carry those honours earned by Canadian ships. The earliest recorded naval battle honour

735-501: A battle honour, such as École polytechnique 's Pour la Patrie, les sciences et la gloire ('for Fatherland, sciences and glory') in addition to the "true" battle honour Paris, 1814 . During the 19th century, honours were limited to eight on a regiment's flag, leading to the removal of some honours to make room for newer ones. This limitation was upped to twelve honours after the Second World War. Some units, such as

840-466: A battle or campaign, or those for single-ship actions . Honours for battles take their name from the location of the battle, while honours for actions are named for the opposing ship. These are rendered differently, in order to distinguish between the two types and to limit confusion between battle honours with the same name (for example, between the multi-ship Battle of the Chesapeake in 1781, and

945-549: A brown sleeve braid on blouses and an officer's cap device and hat cord . In December 1917, a gold-colored bar similar to the silver-colored bar of a first lieutenant was introduced. In U.S. military slang , the rank is sometimes called "butterbar" or "brown bar" in reference to the insignia. The rank of second lieutenant has existed in the Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Navy since the Liberation War . It

1050-531: A certain number of honours (up to ten each for the First and Second World Wars) could be selected for emblazonment , that is appear on colours or drums. This was due to the large number of battle honours awarded. It is often the case that battle honours not carried on the colours (limited by space and design) will be emblazoned on the drum major's baldric. While regimental colours and guidons are no longer carried on operations by British and Commonwealth military, as

1155-402: A colour officer, one ensign or senior NCO holding the flag of their respective country as the national colour or the unit colour, and two enlisted personnel assisting the ensign. Active units, military academies, and guards of honour carry sabers in the colour guard, if needed, rifles may be substituted. The guard wears full or combat dress uniform. If there are multiple colour guards marching in

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1260-491: A country, region, or city where the unit's distinguished act took place, usually together with the year when it occurred. Not every battle fought will automatically result in the granting of a battle honour. Conversely, a regiment or a battalion might obtain more than one battle honour over the course of a larger operation. For example, the 2nd Battalion of the Scots Guards were awarded two battle honours for their role in

1365-690: A dignitary (such as the President of the Republic ) or a military leader (such as the Chief of the Defence Staff ). Colour guards of the Bundeswehr follow the old German traditions of a three-man colour guard team. A tradition stemming from the days of empire, the colour guard is made up of an ensign, usually a senior NCO (and historically a lieutenant), and two unarmed escorts. In Indonesia ,

1470-422: A maneuver derived from the standard counter-column command, generally known as counter march or color reverse march , in order to keep the precedence of flags in order. Other drill movements performed by the colour guard include presenting arms , left and right wheel (turns) marches, eyes right (upon passing the reviewing stand during a parade), casing / uncasing the colour , and fixing/unfixing bayonets (by

1575-663: A parade at the same time, one guard is required to march directly behind the first guard. During the Soviet era, the Soviet flag was never allowed to be paraded by a military colour guard, with military and regimental flags only being paraded in colour guards. On occasion during the Soviet era, the Victory Banner was also used in colour guard teams, with the last known occasions being in 1975, 1977, 1985, 1987 and 1990. However, several post-Soviet armed forces have deviated/modified

1680-558: A rank of second lieutenant and the Royal New Zealand Air Force has its exact equivalent, pilot officer . However, the Royal New Zealand Navy breaks with British tradition and uses the name ensign for its most junior commissioned officer rank (rather than the usual equivalents, such as acting sub-lieutenant or second lieutenant). The rank of second lieutenant (2Lt) was introduced throughout

1785-410: A regiment by a head of state during a ceremony, which was considered a high honour usually reserved for elite units, and colours may be inscribed with battle honours or other symbols representing former achievements. Due to the advent of modern weapons, and subsequent changes in tactics, colours are no longer used in battle but continue to be carried by colour guards at events of formal character. In

1890-647: A second lieutenant named, for example, Smith is addressed and referred to as Mr Smith , with the exception that the alternative titles ensign ( Foot Guards ) and cornet (in the Blues and Royals and Queen's Royal Hussars ) are still used. In the Royal Air Force , the comparable rank is pilot officer . The equivalent in the Royal Navy is midshipman . In the United States , second lieutenant

1995-512: A ship are inherited by all subsequent warships of the same name. Battle honours for Commonwealth warships were initially awarded and controlled by the British Admiralty , under the "Commonwealth Battle Honours List". Warships of Commonwealth navies would also inherit the honours of any preceding British warship of the name. Commonwealth navies later moved to independent but parallel systems. Australia began moving away by instituting

2100-492: Is Valmy, 1792 , the last one to date is Koweït, 1991 . The honours are sewn in gold letters on the regiment's flag or standard under the form battle name, date (such as Austerlitz, 1805 ). In some cases, the honour refers to a whole conflict and take the form geographical designation, date (such as AFN, 1952–1962 ) or simply war, date (such as Grande guerre, 1914–1918 ). Some military schools and academies have their motto sewn on their flags as

2205-580: Is ARMADA 1588, the defeat of the Spanish Armada at Gravelines by a combined British-Dutch fleet. Because of the significant number of ships sunk during World War I and World War II , only three battle honours have been awarded for single-ship actions since the start of the 20th century: to the Town-class cruiser HMAS  Sydney for sinking the German light cruiser SMS  Emden during

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2310-633: Is a pip and the Royal Canadian Air Force insignia for lieutenant is one thick braid. The equivalent rank for the Royal Canadian Navy is acting sub-lieutenant . Also known as an Ensign in the Foot Guards units ( Canadian Grenadier Guards & Governor General's Foot Guards ). Sous-lieutenant is the most junior commissioned rank in the modern French Army, Airforce and Gendarmerie . It dates historically from

2415-462: Is also used by the Royal Marines . New British Army officers are normally commissioned as second lieutenants at the end of their commissioning course at RMA Sandhurst , and continue with specific training with their units. Progression to lieutenant rank usually occurs after about a year. In the British armed forces, second lieutenant is a rank which is not used as a form of address. Instead

2520-559: Is common for blank scrolls to be included in a design. Other designs are also in use: these include plaques for the ship and honours mounted on a backing board, or the details painted onto a flat board. The British Admiralty set honour board sizes for various types of ship: 10 by 6 feet (3.0 by 1.8 m) for capital ships and shore bases, 6 by 5 feet (1.8 by 1.5 m) for cruisers and large auxiliary ships, 4 by 3 feet (1.22 by 0.91 m) for all other surface ships, and 21 by 17 inches (53 by 43 cm) for submarines (the size restriction

2625-548: Is enshrined in the United States Flag Code and U.S. law. In the U.S. military, individuals or units passing or being passed by uncased (unfurled) colours render honours when outdoors. Individuals who are not part of any formation begin the hand salute when the colours are six paces distant and hold it until they have passed six paces beyond the colours. Civilians are expected to stand at the position of attention with their right hand placed over their heart for

2730-445: Is no order of precedence for battle honours, they are listed in chronological order, either in a single list, or in multiple even numbers of columns, reading left to right, and top to bottom. On drums, the honours are listed on scrolls, usually with the cap badge central, and other unit devices present (such as a representation of a unit distinction or motto). The honours for the First and Second World Wars were restricted in that only

2835-568: Is recited, even though it's not mandated by law to do so, and finally the colour guard march off. Normally, the honour of being part of such colour guards—or as known in Mexico escoltas —is bestowed upon disciplined students with high grades in the latest school year (6th grade in elementary schools, 9th grade in middle schools, and 12th grade in high schools). Sometimes, though, students from lower years or with lower grades may be chosen. Some schools only employ female students. The layout consists of

2940-513: Is so the board can be moved through the submarine's hatches, as it is only displayed when the submarine is on the surface). Two educational institutions have been awarded battle honours. La Martinere College in Lucknow , India was awarded a battle honour, Defence of Lucknow 1857 , for the role played by its students and teachers during the mutiny of 1857. McGill University in Canada received

3045-517: Is the normal entry-level rank for most commissioned officers in the Army , Marine Corps , Air Force , and Space Force . It is equivalent to the rank of ensign in the Navy , Coast Guard , Public Health Service Commissioned Corps , and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps . In the Army and Marine Corps, a second lieutenant typically is a platoon leader who leads

3150-783: The Indian Army continued after independence in 1947 and these honours continue to be listed against a regiment's achievements. Battle honours, but not theatre honours, are permitted to be emblazoned on the President's Colours , which have replaced the King's colours after independence. Battle honour days are celebrated by a few units or regiments. Present battle honour days however pertain to battles for which honours have been won post-independence. Some battle honours, granted prior to independence to units for battles or campaigns in India against

3255-510: The 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment , have been awarded more than twelve honours, but their flag displays only the twelve considered the most important in the history of the regiment. Other units, such as the 1st Marine Infantry Regiment , have been granted a dispensation allowing them to emblazon all their battle honours, regardless of their number. In addition to battle honours, military units can be awarded collective military decorations and collective mentions-in-dispatches , leading eventually to

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3360-782: The Battle of Alexandria in 1801. Knowledge of that battle honour, represented by the back badge, is said to have encouraged the soldiers of the Gloucestershire Regiment in the defence of Gloster Hill during the Battle of the Imjin River in April 1951 during the Korean War . Other uniform distinctions include: Subject to approval by the sovereign, awards made by other allied nations may be permitted to be worn or carried. For example, several units have been awarded

3465-687: The Battle of Cocos in November 1914 ('Emden' 1914), to the Commonwealth warships involved in the pursuit and last battle of the German battleship  Bismarck in May 1941 ('Bismarck' 1941), and to the Leander -class cruiser HMAS  Sydney for the mutually destructive engagement with the German auxiliary cruiser  Kormoran in November 1941 ('Kormoran' 1941). As warships do not carry regimental colours , battle honours are instead displayed on

3570-731: The Battle of Long Tan in the Vietnam War. Although awarded to D Company, it is carried on the 6th Battalion's Colours and worn on the uniform of all members of the battalion. The PUC was awarded to the 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment for its actions at the Battle of Imjin River in 1951, with the tradition continued by its successor, the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment , until its amalgamation into The Rifles . Naval battle honours are battle honours awarded to warships. There are two types of naval battle honours: those awarded to ships that participate in

3675-590: The British Army in 1877 to replace the short-lived rank of sub-lieutenant , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery , Royal Engineers , Fusilier and Rifle regiments . At first the rank bore no distinct insignia. The rank was abolished in 1881 but reintroduced in 1887. In 1902, a single Bath star was introduced; the ranks of lieutenant and captain had their number of stars increased by one to (respectively) two and three. The rank

3780-456: The British Army , the need to adopt a system to recognise military units' battlefield accomplishments was apparent since its formation as a standing army in the later part of the 17th century. Although the granting of battle honours had already been in place at the time, it was not until 1784 that infantry units were authorised to bear battle honours on their colours . Before then, a regiment's colours were practical tools for rallying troops in

3885-725: The Colony of Tangier . The battle honour is still held by the successor regiment, the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment . During these early years of the British standing army, a regiment needed only to engage the enemy with musketry before it was eligible for a battle honour. However, older battle honours are carried on the standards of the Yeomen of the Guard and the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms , neither of which are part of

3990-459: The Colour of the institution. The Pataka are modeled from the former Dutch practice and is led by a colour sergeant positioned at the middle of the guard (rear of the ensign), while the ensign who carries the colour is usually a junior lieutenant (2nd Lieutenant or Ensign). For a battalion level, the colour is carried by a Sergeant / chief petty officer . In the case of a massed colour guard,

4095-617: The Falklands War ; "Tumbledown Mountain" specifically for the Battle of Mount Tumbledown , and "Falkland Islands 1982" for the overall conflict. Similarly, while in Korea, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry earned both "Kapyong" (for the Battle of Kapyong ) and "Korea 1951–1953" (for the overall war). Victory is not required to earn a battle honour: the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps received

4200-735: The Officer Cadet School, Portsea which closed in 1985. (Graduates of the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) and the Royal Military College, Duntroon (RMC-D) are commissioned as lieutenants .). The rank of second lieutenant is only appointed to officers in special appointments such as training institutions, university regiments and while under probation during training. Trainees undertaking Special Service Officer (SSO) training are appointed at their officer rank prior to undertaking

4305-555: The Royal Logistic Corps has five battle honours inherited from its previous transport elements, such as the Royal Waggon Train . Commonwealth artillery does not maintain battle honours as they carry neither colours nor guidons—though their guns by tradition are afforded many of the same respects and courtesies. However, both the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers were in 1832 granted by King William IV

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4410-525: The capture of USS Chesapeake by HMS Shannon in 1813). In older sources and on battle honour boards, battles are written in all capitals, while actions are capitalised normally and surrounded by single quotation marks (CHESAPEAKE 1781 and 'Chesapeake' 1813). Newer sources display battles with normal capitalisation, and italicise actions in the same way ships' names are italicised; both may or may not be contained in double quotation marks ("Chesapeake 1781" and " Chesapeake 1813"). The battle honours awarded to

4515-427: The flag of France as the national colour, two non-commissioned officers assisting the ensign, and three enlisted personnel behind to guard the colour. The colour guards of France's military academies tend to wear swords; those of NCO schools, other educational institutions and active units carry rifles instead. This design is used in other countries with Francophone populations. French colour guards render honours on

4620-587: The fourragère award. Prior to independence , battle honours were awarded to British Indian Army as part of the British military tradition. Awards prior to the takeover of the Presidency Armies by the Crown in 1858 were done by the Governor General in India or the respective Presidency government that the units belonged to. The practice of awarding battle honours and theatre honours to

4725-508: The military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until 1986. In the colonial forces, which closely followed the practices of the British military, the rank of second lieutenant began to replace ranks such as ensign and cornet from 1871. New appointments to the rank of second lieutenant ceased in the regular army in 1986. Immediately prior to this change, the rank had been effectively reserved for new graduates from

4830-544: The military of the United States , the colour guard carries the national colour and other flags appropriate to its position in the chain of command . Typically these include a unit flag and a departmental flag ( Army , Marines , Navy , Air Force , Space Force or Coast Guard , plus the National Guard Bureau ( Army and/or Air Force )). In addition to the flag bearers, who are positioned in

4935-682: The 1st Royal Dragoons), the oldest line cavalry regiment of the British army, who in 1969 amalgamated with the Royal Horse Guards to become The Blues and Royals. Also awarded the honour was the 2nd Regiment of Foot, or the Tangier Regiment now The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, the senior English regiment in the Union (after the Royal Scots , the senior Scottish and British Regiment), for their protracted 23-year defence of

5040-476: The 2000s. Given a shared heritage with Austria and Turkey plus its own traditions, the modern Serbian Armed Forces maintains a colour guard component. Every unit of the Armed Forces has a colour company that includes the colour company commander and the colour guards; which includes one ensign, usually a subaltern officer, two armed senior NCOs serving as colour escorts, and two honour guard platoons guarding

5145-492: The 2023 Philadelphia Latino Film Festival. The film follows the journey of an all-female color guard team at Bel Air High School whose goal is to qualify for the 2020 WGI World Championships , which were ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic , with a performance dedicated to the victims of the 2019 El Paso Shooting . Contemporary Color is a 2016 documentary film directed by Turner Ross and Bill Ross IV. The film

5250-580: The 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment received their awards for their actions at the Battle of Kapyong during the Korean War. Although their regiments carry the honour "Kapyong" as a whole, only these specific battalions are permitted to carry the PUC streamer that denotes the award by the United States and wear the ribbon on the uniform. D Company, 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment were awarded their Presidential Unit Citation for their actions during

5355-927: The Air Force. Since 1981, the PLA has continued a tradition of the colour guard detail with the PLA flag leading the Beijing Garrison Honor Guard Battalion in military parades. In December 2017, the Beijing Garrison Colour Guard Company of the People's Armed Police , which is present during flag ceremonies in Tienanmen Square in Beijing carrying the national flag, was officially attached to the honour guard battalion. Its colour guard squad follows

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5460-536: The Argentinean Armed Forces, the Color Guard is composed by a junior officer (normally the most junior in the unit) carrying the colors, accompanied by two senior NCOs with rifles, who provide the escort. The group is followed by a senior NCO carrying the regimental standard, with two junior NCOs (sometimes, privates) as escorts. In academies and schools, the colors are carried by the student of

5565-551: The Battles Nomenclature Committee, still maintains its function in the British Army today. A battle honour may be granted to infantry / cavalry regiments or battalions , as well as ships (see Naval battle honours below) and squadrons ; they are rarely granted to sub-units such as companies , platoons and sections in the army. Battle honours are usually presented in the form of a name of

5670-599: The British Army, the Royal Air Force, the Royal Marines and the Royal Navy have several types of colours, there are also colour guards for these colours and these colours and their colour guards are as follows: In the cavalry, the King's Standard or Guidon and the regimental/squadron standard or guidon (for the light cavalry only) are the equivalents to the King's and regimental colours. Colour guards in

5775-437: The British military tradition, were awarded honour titles instead. These honour titles were permitted to be used as part of their official nomenclature, for example 13 Field Regiment (Chushul) . Similar honours in the same tenor include unit citations . Battle honours, theatre honours, honour titles and their ilk form a part of the wider variety of distinctions which serve to distinguish military units from each other. For

5880-429: The British tradition closely allied to battle honours, were introduced to honour units which provided sterling service in a campaign but were not part of specific battles for which separate battle honours were awarded. Theatre honours could be listed and displayed on regimental property but not emblazoned on the colours. Since battle honours are primarily emblazoned on colours, artillery units, which do not have colours in

5985-448: The Ensign ( 1st Lieutenant /Lieutenant (junior grade) rank leads the formation. In the Army , the Horse Cavalry Detachment ( Detasemen Kavaleri Berkuda ) maintains a mounted colour guard unit. The uniform of the colour guard in Indonesia is all-white, wearing a white ceremonial combat helmet similar to the M1 helmet , white full dress uniforms , white leather flag carrier worn by the ensign, and white parade boots. The colour guard from

6090-499: The French Croix de guerre 1914–1918 and Croix de guerre 1939–1945 , the ribbon of which can be worn on the uniform. The United States Presidential Unit Citation , as with other similar citations, is similarly worn on the uniform (usually on the arm), but is also carried on the colour or guidon of the unit it has been awarded to. In the Commonwealth, three units are permitted to carry this award on their Regimental Colour: The 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and

6195-421: The French practice. In the Mexican Armed Forces, National Guard and state police formations the colour escort squad is made up of: In Mexican schools, during flag ceremonies—or as known in Mexico juramentos a la bandera or honores a la bandera —the school's colour guard march around the schoolyard while the rest of the students and school staff sing the national anthem; once they finish, the pledge of allegiance

6300-414: The Indonesian National Armed Forces are commissioned through one of four major commissioning programs. Upon graduation the candidates are promoted to the rank of second lieutenant, thus becoming commissioned officers . The four programs are: Like many other Commonwealth countries, the rank structures of the New Zealand Defence Force usually follow British traditions. Hence the New Zealand Army maintains

6405-411: The PLA up to the parade of 1959, but with the ensign and escorts drawn from individual formations. Today, only honour guards are granted colour guard duty to represent the whole of the PLA. Being the senior-most branch of the PLA, the Ground Forces representative serves as the ensign in the service colour guard, with the officer to his/her right being from the Navy and the officer to their left being from

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6510-404: The RCMP received the honorary distinction of the badge of the Canadian Provost Corps , in recognition of the fact that the first Canadian military police unit was formed from volunteers from the RCMP. The Army Post Office Corps (APOC) was the first British Volunteer unit to be awarded a battle honour for their participation in the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War . The honour (Egypt 1882) was displayed on

6615-460: The ROCAF General Headquarters, today as in the past, is similarly composed but is more larger, with its composition being Colour guards are used in the military throughout the Commonwealth of Nations , including Australia , Canada , Jamaica , New Zealand , and the United Kingdom . A colour guard unit typically consists of the standard-bearer , who is of the rank of second lieutenant or equivalent (pilot officer or sub-lieutenant), positioned in

6720-454: The United Kingdom, with an ensign of second lieutenant rank (or equivalent), armed escorts, and a colour guard commander. All wear full dress uniform as a general rule. The practices of the colour guards for the armed forces of a number of post-Soviet states in the Commonwealth of Independent States are similar to one another, adopting the practice from the former Soviet Armed Forces . Colour guards from these states are typically composed of

6825-411: The United States practice after 1959 ), North Korea and Vietnam have adopted this variant of the Soviet system. A standard template for a colour guard formation in the Romanian Armed Forces follows French precedent but with the addition of a colour officer leading the formation. The front of the guard is made up of the ensign, a junior officer, flanked by two armed or unarmed escorts, together with

6930-409: The arms bearers). Liberation Day parade. The colour guard renders honours when the national anthem is played or sung, when passing in review during a parade, or in certain other circumstances. In these cases, the unit and departmental flags salute by dipping (leaning the flag forward). However, with the exception of a response to a naval salute, the United States national flag renders no salute. This

7035-434: The army, but are instead the Sovereign's Bodyguard , in the personal service of the sovereign. The need to develop a centralised system to oversee the selection and granting of battle honours arose in the 19th century following the increase of British military engagements during the expansion of the Empire . Thus in 1882, a committee was formed to adjudicate applications of battle honour claims. This committee, later called

7140-478: The artillery units are technically the lead gun's crew and leader (except in the Honourable Artillery Company which uses both guns and colours) and there are no colour guards in the rifle regiments (nowadays The Rifles ), the Royal Gurkha Rifles (which use the King's Truncheon) and in the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. All of the RN's King's Colours are identical. Within the RN a colour guard unit consists of: A French colour guards typically includes one ensign holding

7245-495: The authority of the Crown , but also because the colours contain a regiment's battle honours, and thus represent the regiment's history and its deeds. Saluting a colour or guidon is thus a pivotal act in retaining an awareness of regimental history and traditions—key in the functioning of the regimental system . It remains common for army instructors to ensure that their recruits have memorised and are able to recite all of their regiment's battle honours. Such methods are meant to bring

7350-422: The award for their contingent's bravery at Arras in 1917 during the First World War . The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , although a civilian police force, was awarded the status of a dragoon regiment by King George V following the service of many of its members during the First World War . As a consequence, it then became entitled to display the many honours it had won dating back to 1885: In addition,

7455-447: The battalion the Battle Honour "South Africa 1900-1902". They are permitted to wear a miniature KRRC cap badge with this single battle honour, and call their members " riflemen " rather than cadets. In France, battle honours, known officially as inscriptions des noms de batailles au drapeau (literally "inscriptions of names of battles on the flag"), were created during the Wars of the French Revolution . The first honour such awarded

7560-490: The battle honour "Hong Kong" despite the defeat and capture of most of the force during the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong , while the cruiser HMAS  Sydney was awarded the naval engagement honour " Kormoran 1941" after being sunk with all aboard by the German raider Kormoran . Supporting corps/branches such as medical, service, ordnance, or transport do not currently receive battle honours. However, and uniquely

7665-484: The battlefield and not quite something for displaying the unit's past distinctions. The first battle honour to be awarded in the British Army was granted to the 15th Hussars for the Battle of Emsdorf in 1760. Thereafter, other regiments received battle honours for some of their previous engagements. The earliest battle honour in the British Army is Tangier 1662–80, granted to the Tangier Horse (later known as

7770-407: The center of the colour guard, there are two or more individuals who carry rifles and or sabres . This is a symbol that the flag (and its nation) will always be protected. In the U.S., traditionally, the unit's sergeant major is responsible for the safeguarding, care, and display of the organizational colours. The sergeant major is also responsible for the selection, training, and performance of

7875-568: The centre of the colour guard, flanked by two or more individuals, typically armed with rifles or sabres. A colour sergeant major typically stands behind the colours carrying a pace stick . So, the formation (when the colours are combined on parade) is as follows: Aside from presenting arms and sabres, colour guards of the Commonwealth of Nations are expected to lower their flags to the ground in full and regular salutes in ceremonies and parades. Civilians should stand during such times and soldiers are expected to salute them when not in formation. As

7980-472: The circumstance and subject to the orders of their commander, members may wear full dress or less formal uniforms . It is mandatory for all members of the colour guard to wear headgear, for example, a garrison cap , beret , or service cap . On occasion, certain colour guards can be horse - mounted . A US colour guard is made up of a "Color Sergeant" carrying the National Colours and serves as

8085-607: The colour from the rear also armed. Unlike in other countries the colour guard company wears either full or combat dress. The Guard of the Serbian Armed Forces has its colour company wearing dress uniform. In Sweden the colour guard can be composed in three distinct manners: Greater colour guard, smaller colour guard and an officers guard. Each regiment, or military unit that carries a colour, in Sweden sets up its own colour guard. The Swedish military rank of fänrik (and

8190-709: The colour guard is known as "Pataka" an abbreviation from the Indonesian term Pasukan Tanda Kehormatan which is the term used in various uniformed institutions including the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the Indonesian National Police (Polri), the Municipal Police units , etc. The Pataka consists of white-uniformed 9 to 12 guardsmen which are present during ceremonial events carrying and escorting

8295-514: The colour officer, with three rear escorts behind the ensign. From 1949 to 1986 the Army of the Socialist Republic of Romania and Securitate followed Soviet practice in colour guard training and protocols. Since that year the old tradition was restored in the uniformed organizations and thus remains till today in the country. Colours of battalions and brigades are not provided with a colour guard at all since they were introduced in

8400-399: The command of present arms (présentez arme). On command, the two NCOs and three enlisted will execute present arms, whether it be by presenting their sabre vertically or by putting the right hand over the handle of their weapon while the ensign lowers the national colour/unit colour somewhere close to their legs. On some occasions, the flag is not lowered unless the guard is in the presence of

8505-433: The corresponding cavalry rank of kornett ) was originally intended for the holder of the company flag. This duty was considered so prestigious that an officer was necessary to carry it out. Today, it is a regular officer rank. A expanded colour guard composed of two commissioned officers, called fanförare (ensigns, literally carriers of the colour ) and eight enlisted personnel behind the colour or colours. This stems from

8610-464: The defence of Lucknow during the Mutiny of 1857 . In the honour of this institution, The President of India also launched a stamp post in its name. Second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces . The lowest officer rank, it is usually placed below lieutenant or first lieutenant . The rank of second lieutenant existed in

8715-418: The final approval of claims. The ceremonial granting of new battle honours would be made in the form of the presentation of new Regimental and Sovereign's Colours to the regiment by the British monarch or an agent of the Crown, such as the Governor General of a commonwealth dominion. In British and Commonwealth armies a unit's battle honours can normally be found engraved, painted or embroidered on: As there

8820-471: The flag-bearer flanked by two escorts—the right and the left escort—on the rear there are two rearguards and finally to the right escort's right is the commander. Normally the shortest members happen to be the rearguards. They wear their school dress or athletic uniform. The Dutch armed forces have similar ranks corresponding to a colour guard, the vaandrig and kornet (aspirant officers who have not been sworn in yet). The colour guard practice mirrors that of

8925-413: The honorary colonel and lieutenant colonel . The regimental committee reviewed the report to determine which battle honours were claimable based on the unit's wartime service. The regiment submitted an application of claims to the army with evidence showing that the unit was worthy of the battle honours. Claims could also be made for actions not listed in the report. In Britain, public announcements followed

9030-418: The honour and traditions of the regiment. The loss of a unit's flag was shameful, and losing that central point of reference could also make the unit break up. Therefore, regiments tended to adopt colour guards, a detachment of experienced or élite soldiers, to protect their colours. As a result, the capture of an enemy's standard was considered as a great feat of arms. Regimental flags were sometimes awarded to

9135-570: The late XVIth Century in the reign of Henry II of France . In 1674 this designation replaced that of ensign in the French infantry. By 1791 there were two sous-lieutenants in each company. After 1781 entry to this rank and beyond required four quartering of nobility - that is for all four grandparents to be recognised members of the aristocracy. The French Revolution substituted election by popular vote and later, under Napoleon, by graduation from officers' military schools or after four years of service as

9240-544: The local rulers or nationalist forces, have been declared as ' repugnant ' and are not celebrated or held in esteem. The earliest battle to be commemorated in the history of the British Indian Army was Plassey in 1757 which was awarded in 1829 vide Gazette of the Governor General No 43. La Martinière is the only school in the world to have been awarded royal battle honours for its role in

9345-495: The members. The colour guard consists of enlisted members and is commanded by the senior (colour) Sergeant , who carries the National Colors and gives the necessary commands for movements and rendering honours during drill exercises or parade ceremonies. Being assigned to the colour guard is considered an honour due to the fact that these individuals present and carry the symbols of their unit and country. Depending on

9450-560: The military or police usually carries the Lee–Enfield or M1 Garand rifle, but sometimes the M16 , FN FAL or Pindad SS1 rifle is used. In Mexico , an Escolta de la bandera or Escolta is used to describe colour guards and flag parties in the Spanish language . In Mexico these formations are made up of six individuals: the flag party commander and the escort proper of around 5, following

9555-427: The new soldier into the regimental ethos and sub-culture by means of imprinting shared history. In some cases where a battle honour was not granted, a special distinction has been substituted. For example, soldiers of The Rifles wear a cap badge on both the front and the rear of their hats. This so-called "back badge" is unique in the British Army and was awarded to the 28th Regiment of Foot for their actions at

9660-658: The practices of the former Soviet colour guard; evident with the colour guards of the Turkmen Ground Forces , and the Armed Forces of Ukraine , whose colour guards dip their flags as a form of salute. The customs practiced by the colour guards of the former Soviet Armed Forces was also adopted by the Mongolian Armed Forces , given the historical relationship between the two countries. Other countries such as Afghanistan , Cuba (replacing

9765-561: The rank of sergeant or above as a non-commissioned officer, while the colour escorts are lower ranking enlisted personnel. All wear full dress, service dress or battle dress uniforms. Since the National Day parade of 1978, the format of unit colour guards in ROCAF formations of battalion size (and of equivalent formations) is: Brigade-level colours (and above) are guided by the left and right escorts only. The joint service colour guard of

9870-584: The rank with insignia of a single gold ring around the service dress uniform cuff for both army and air personnel upon unification in 1968 until the late 2000s. For a time, naval personnel used this rank but reverted to the Royal Canadian Navy rank of acting sub-lieutenant , though the CF green uniform was retained until the mid-1980s. Currently, the Canadian Army insignia for second lieutenant

9975-737: The regimental flag of 24 Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps ( Post Office Rifles ). The only cadet unit to receive a battle honour is 1st Cadet Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC). Around 100 older cadets, principally non-commissioned officers, served in the South African War with the KRRC, the City Imperial Volunteers and the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC). Four cadets were killed in action. In recognition of this service, King Edward VII granted

10080-692: The right to use the Latin " Ubique ", meaning everywhere , as a battle honour. This is worn on the cap badge of both the Corps of Royal Engineers and the Royal Regiment of Artillery (but not the Royal Horse Artillery ). Likewise the Royal Marines , although a colours-carrying service, was granted, along with the conventional battle honour of "Gibraltar" , the "Great Globe itself" by King George IV for its very numerous battle honours around

10185-790: The same format as the guard of honor colour guard squad. In Taiwan, the colour guard tradition of the Republic of China Armed Forces is modeled on the German, Russian and US practice. Until 1976, each military unit sported a singular stand of colours on parade, as opposed to the honour guard of the ROCAF, which is more aligned with the traditions of the US Joint Service Honour Guard of the Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region . All colour bearers of formations above company level must be, following US tradition, holding

10290-553: The same period, and the hand salute applies to uniformed organizations as well (specifically the Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA ). Since recently, veterans are expected to hand salute the colours too, like their military counterparts including personnel not in uniform. " "On Guard: A Story of American Youth" is 2023 documentary film directed by Allen Otto and executive produced by Jim Czarnecki. The film premiered at

10395-544: The senior class with the highest marks, escorted by the two who follow him. In the Chinese People's Liberation Army , the colour guards include one ensign holding the flag of the People's Liberation Army as the national colour domestically or the flag of China when abroad, and two officers or senior NCOs assisting the ensign holding rifles. In the parades of the 1950s, this configuration was present in every unit of

10500-533: The time of king Gustavus Adolphus and the Thirty Years' War when all Swedish regiments had eight battalions. Each battalion contributed one soldier to the common colour guard. If one colour is carried the second officer serves as the colour officer. A smaller colour guard is composed of one commissioned officer and four enlisted soldiers. An officers colour guard is composed of three commissioned officers, one ensign and two officer escorts carrying sabres. In

10605-594: The training (usually as lieutenants or captains). This is different to General Service Officer (GSO) trainees who start off at the rank of officer cadet (ADFA/ Australian Army Reserve officer trainees) or staff cadet ( Royal Military College, Duntroon ). Ranks equivalent to second lieutenant are acting sub-lieutenant in the Royal Australian Navy and pilot officer in the Royal Australian Air Force . The Canadian Forces adopted

10710-491: The unit commander, a unit or command colour bearer, and two colour escorts carrying rifles and/or sabres. If multiple colours are carried, multiple colour bearers may be needed. The U.S. colour guard is formed and marched in one rank at close interval. Since the National Colors must always be in the position of honour on the right, the colour guard must execute a special movement to reverse direction. It does not execute rear march, nor does it execute about face. Rather, it performs

10815-467: The world. The practice was later extended to these same regiments and corps in the successor Commonwealth armed forces. The Battles Nomenclature Committee advised operational Army Headquarters on the granting of battle honours. At the end of the war, the army received a report from the committee containing: The army ordered regiments to form honours committees comprising at least five regimental officers, including past and present commanding officers, and

10920-477: Was produced as a collaboration between David Byrne , Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey and Josh Penn. Battle honours A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military tradition, military units may be acknowledged for their achievements in specific wars or operations of

11025-415: Was their initial military function, the battle honours they carry are held in high esteem by military personnel. Regiments take pride in their battle honours, and the winning of further battle honours, as these are seen to enhance a unit's reputation. It remains a tradition that whenever military personnel meet a colour or guidon, it must be saluted. This is not only because it is an object which represents

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