The regiment was inspected by Major-General Brown on the 4th of May, and on the 1st of October, 1847; it was inspected on the 10th of November, by His Grace the Duke of Wellington, who expressed his approbation in the highest terms. In November the regiment was removed to Manchester by railway in three divisions, where it was completed to its establishment of 39 officers, 47 serjeants, 40 corporals, 17 drummers, and 760 privates.
1848
On the 7th of April, 1848, the regiment proceeded to Ireland, and arrived at Dublin on the following day. In July the regiment marched to Athlone.
New Colours were presented to the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, on the 19th of May, 1848, by Major-General His Royal Highness the Prince George of Cambridge, K.G., and the following account of the ceremony was given in “Saunders’ News-Letter” of the following day:—
“The interesting military ceremonial of the presentation of New Colours to this gallant and distinguished corps took place yesterday, in the ornamental grounds in front of that fine building, the Queen’s Inns, Henrietta-street, Dublin. The regiment was formed in full review order at three o’clock, shortly after which His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge, accompanied by his aide-de-camp Captain the Honorable James Macdonald, Major-General John M‘Donald, and several other officers of distinction, came upon the ground.
“In front of the line were four standards, captured by the regiment from the Sikhs, one of them taken at Ferozeshah, one at Aliwal, and two at Sobraon. The Colours of the Corps, torn to pieces from the grape-shot through which they were led to victory, and stained with the blood of the Ensigns who were killed carrying them to the muzzles of the Sikh guns, were objects of great interest to the numerous citizens who thronged the grounds. Lieut.-Colonel Spence, C.B., who commanded the gallant regiment in all these actions, except Sobraon (where he commanded the first brigade of Sir Henry Smith’s Division), was in command, and looked in admirable health and spirits.
“The survivors of the Indian campaigns were decorated with their medals. After the usual routine of parading the old colours, and giving them up, the band playing ‘Auld lang syne,’ the Regiment formed a hollow square, and the Garrison Chaplain repeated the prescribed formula for the occasion. The New Colours were then handed to Ensigns Christian and Brown, when His Royal Highness the Prince George of Cambridge briefly addressed the Regiment, stating his gratification at having this pleasing duty to perform. He had not seen service himself, and the task would have fallen more appropriately upon one who had. In encouraging the troops to the performance of their duty, he related the anecdote of the Serjeant who, when the Ensign bearing the old colour had fallen mortally wounded, seized it,—carried it onwards,—and victory resulted. The non-commissioned officer was promoted to an ensigncy in the Eighteenth, Royal Irish, regiment.[36]
“The corps then formed in line, and gave a Royal salute, the band playing ‘God save the Queen.’ The day was remarkably fine, and after the ceremony the regiment marched into its quarters in the Linen-Hall Barracks.”