Battle honour

Before then, a regiment's colours were practical tools for rallying troops in the battlefield and not quite something for displaying the unit's past distinctions.

[1] 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.

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.

Battle honours are usually presented in the form of a name of a country, region, or city where the unit's distinguished act took place, usually together with the year when it occurred.

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.

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 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.

In British and Commonwealth armies a unit's battle honours can normally be found engraved, painted or embroidered on: As there is no order of precedence for battle honours, they are listed in chronological order,[2] either in a single list, or in multiple even numbers of columns, reading left to right, and top to bottom.

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.

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 the new soldier into the regimental ethos and sub-culture by means of imprinting shared history.

This so-called "back badge" is unique in the British Army and was awarded to the 28th Regiment of Foot for their actions at the Battle of Alexandria in 1801.

[3] Other uniform distinctions include: Subject to approval by the sovereign, awards made by other allied nations may be permitted to be worn or carried.

D Company, 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment were awarded their Presidential Unit Citation for their actions during the Battle of Long Tan in the Vietnam War.

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.

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).

[14] In recognition of this service, King Edward VII granted the battalion the Battle Honour "South Africa 1900-1902".

[15] They are permitted to wear a miniature KRRC cap badge with this single battle honour, and call their members "riflemen" rather than cadets.

The honours are sewn in gold letters on the regiment's flag or standard under the form battle name, date (such as Austerlitz, 1805).

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.

[10] 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 the defence of Lucknow during the Mutiny of 1857.