7th (Princess Royal’s) Dragoon Guards.—The type as before. In the centre, the coronet of her late Majesty, the Empress and Queen Frederick of Germany and Prussia as Princess Royal of Great Britain and Ireland. As the facings are black, the letters VII. P.R.D.G. appear on a groundwork of this colour in the second and third corners. The battle honours are: Blenheim; Ramillies; Oudenarde; Malplaquet; Dettingen; Warburg; South Africa, 1846-7; Egypt, 1882; Tel-el-Kebir; South Africa, 1900-02.
1st (Royal) Dragoons.—A guidon of crimson silk, bearing in its centre the crest of England, within the Garter, is the flag of this regiment. The imperial crown ensigns the badge and the union wreath encircles it. The four corners contain small labels, as was the case with all the Dragoon Guard standards; the first and fourth are embellished with the White Horse, and the second and third with the initials I.D. on a blue ground. Below the union wreath is the motto, “Spectemur agendo” (Judge us by our deeds), and below this is a silver eagle, a replica of the one taken from the 105th Regiment of French Infantry at Waterloo. The battle honours are: Tangier, 1662-80; Dettingen; Warburg; Beaumont; Willems; Fuentes d’Onor; Peninsula; Waterloo; Balaklava; Sevastopol; South Africa, 1899-1902; Relief of Ladysmith.
2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys).—A guidon as for the 1st Dragoons, but with the following badge: A thistle within the circle, and the motto of the Order of the Thistle, “Second to None,” below the circle. The second and third corners contain a blue label with the inscription II.D. The battle honours are: Blenheim; Ramillies; Oudenarde; Malplaquet; Dettingen; Warburg; Willems; Waterloo; Balaklava; Sevastopol; South Africa, 1899-1902; Relief of Kimberley; Paardeberg. The French eagle is placed below the motto. (Fig. 15.)
3rd (King’s Own) Hussars, 4th (Queen’s Own) Hussars, 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers—no guidons.
6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons.—A guidon as for the 1st Dragoons, but with the following badge: The castle of Inniskilling, flying the St. George’s Cross, and the word “Inniskilling” underneath. The second and third corners contain a primrose-coloured label with the inscription VI.D. The battle honours are: Dettingen; Warburg; Willems; Waterloo; Balaklava; Sevastopol; South Africa, 1899-1902. (Fig. 16.)
7th (Queen’s Own) Hussars, 8th (King’s Royal Irish) Hussars, 9th (Queen’s Royal) Lancers, 10th (Prince of Wales’s Own Royal) Hussars, 11th (Prince Albert’s Own) Hussars, 12th (Prince of Wales’s Royal) Lancers, 13th Hussars, 14th (King’s) Hussars, 15th (The King’s) Hussars, 16th (The Queen’s) Lancers, 17th (Duke of Cambridge’s Own) Lancers, 18th (Queen Mary’s Own) Hussars, 19th (Queen Alexandra’s Own Royal) Hussars, 20th Hussars, 21st (Empress of India’s) Lancers—none of these regiments fly guidons.
Almost as attractive as the standards and guidons are the drum banners, or drum cloths, of the cavalry. These appointments are usually made of brilliant coloured fabric, richly embroidered in gold, and bear the devices and, at times, the battle honours peculiar to each regiment. To our minds, it is unfortunate that the material chosen in making them does not always correspond with the facings of the unit. Hussars and Lancers, it is pleasing to know, have not been deprived of these banners or cloths.
The three sister regiments of Life Guards and Horse Guards have chosen very similar drum banners. They are crimson, and bear the Royal Arms, with two flying cherubs placed above. Gold embroidery enters largely into the decoration of these fine emblems. No battle honours are shown. The 1st Dragoon Guards carry a blue banner, richly embroidered, with the Royal Arms. The 2nd Dragoon Guards display their nickname, “Bays,” within a golden wreath, surmounted by an imperial crown, all on a cream-buff ground. The motto, “Pro Rege et Patria” (For King and Country), is inscribed on a red scroll. The 3rd Dragoon Guards have selected a banner of the same colour as their facings, namely, yellow. The Prince of Wales’s plume, the motto, “Ich Dien” (I serve), the White Horse, the Rising Sun, the Red Dragon of Cadwallader, and a union wreath all appear on this fine cloth. The 4th Dragoon Guards carry a blue banner bearing the Harp and Crown and the Star of the Order of St. Patrick, emblems showing the Irish origin of the regiment. The White Horse and a union wreath also enter into the scheme of decoration. The 5th Dragoon Guards display the White Horse, the regimental initials V. D.G., and the title, “Princess Charlotte of Wales,” on a blue scroll, all on a crimson cloth; (the facings are dark green). The 6th Dragoon Guards have a semi-circular banner of white material, tastefully decorated with a number of blue labels and a gold wreath encircling the regimental badge—a shield supported by a pair of crossed carbines, surmounted by an imperial crown. The 7th Dragoon Guards carry a neat blue banner decorated with the Royal Arms, a golden wreath and a scroll inscribed “The Princess Royal’s Dragoon Guards.” Turning now to the 1st Royal Dragoons, we have a dark blue cloth bearing, in gold, the Crest of England within the Garter, the Eagle, of which we spoke, a wreath of oak and laurel, the motto “Spectemur agendo,” and the regimental title. The 2nd Dragoons, the Scots Greys, show a light crimson banner, having in the centre the Thistle, around which is inscribed the motto, “Nemo me impune lacessit” (No one hurts me with impunity). The French Eagle, two flaming grenades, a wreath of golden thistles, and the motto, “Second to none,” are also given. The 3rd (King’s Own) Hussars have silver decorated drums, and possess no drum cloths. The 4th Hussars have the Royal Arms and a number of battle honours on their yellow banner. The 5th Lancers own a neat green cloth which bears the Harp and Crown, the motto, “Quis separabit” (Who shall separate?), a golden-brown wreath, two crossed lances, and a scroll inscribed with the words, “Fifth Royal Irish.” No battle honours appear. This cloth is shown in Fig. 13. The 6th Dragoons reveal their connection with Inniskilling by using the castle as a badge. A golden wreath and the imperial crown are also given, all on a yellow background. The 7th Hussars possess a dark blue banner, ornamented with the monogram Q.O. (i.e., Queen’s Own) interlaced within a garter, and surmounted by a crown. Battle honours are given on light blue scrolls. The 8th Irish Hussars display the harp and crown, a number of battle honours, and the regimental initials 8.K.R.I.H. (King’s Royal Irish Hussars) on a brownish-red cloth. The motto, “Pristinæ virtutis memores” (The memory of former valour), is given on a blue scroll. One of the most attractive designs is that used by the 9th Lancers. The cypher of Queen Adelaide, reversed and interlaced, within a garter, is surmounted by an imperial crown, and backed by a pair of crossed lances. The numerous battle honours are given in a circular ring, whilst the figures IX. are placed below the ring. The cloth is crimson. The 10th Hussars have the alternative title of the Prince of Wales’s Own. Their banner, accordingly, bears the Prince’s plume and motto. The honours are woven into a golden wreath which encircles the Rising Sun and Cadwallader’s Red Dragon. The material is royal blue. The 11th Hussars display the late Prince Consort’s crest and motto, “Treu und fest” (True and firm), the Egyptian Sphinx, the regimental initials, XI.H., all surmounted by a crown, and the inscription, “Prince Albert’s Own Hussars.” The cloth is crimson. The 12th Lancers also have a crimson banner, embellished by the plume of the Prince of Wales, the Egyptian Sphinx, the regimental number XII., a golden wreath, and a pair of crossed lances. The 13th Hussars wear the royal cypher enwreathed with leaves of laurel and oak, the imperial crown, and the usual array of battle honours. The motto, “Viret in Æternum” (Virile for ever), figures on this cream-buff banner. (Fig. 14). The 14th Hussars, being known as the 14th King’s Light Dragoons, bear this title on a golden scroll, which is placed above the royal crest within the Garter. The battle honours are inscribed upon the leaves of a laurel wreath. The cloth is crimson. Of the same colour is the drum banner of the 15th Hussars. This regiment displays the royal crest, the King’s cypher, the figures XV., the battle honours, and a golden wreath of laurel and oak. A royal blue cloth is carried by the 16th Lancers; it bears the crossed lances, which figure on all Lancer drum cloths, except those of the 17th Lancers. In this case, the well-known device of a skull and crossbones is placed within a garter, surmounted by a crown and enwreathed with a band of oak and laurel leaves. The cloth is deep blue. (Fig. 12.) The 18th Hussars are known by their deep crimson banner, bearing, among the battle honours, the inscriptions, XVIII. Hussars, Queen Mary’s Own, and the motto, “Pro rege, pro lege, pro patria conamur” (For king, for law, for country we strive). The 19th Hussars have a white cloth, showing the letter A, interlaced with the Dannebrog,[[9]] below which is the White Elephant of Assaye, and around it a number of labels bearing battle honours, and the inscription, Queen Alexandra’s Own Royal Hussars. The 20th Hussars favour a crimson banner, which is embellished by a large golden wreath from which are growing roses, thistles and shamrocks. The royal cypher and the imperial crown are given the central position. The last cavalry regiment, the 21st (Empress of India’s) Lancers, owns probably the most fanciful drum banner. The letters V.R.I. are cleverly interlaced and supported by a pair of crossed lances, the whole encircled by a union wreath and the imperial crown. “Khartoum” is inscribed upon a dark blue scroll. The banner is French grey.
CHAPTER IV
YEOMANRY GUIDONS AND DRUM BANNERS
Following on the Cavalry, in the Army List, comes the Yeomanry, which forms part of the Territorial Force. This unit of the Army is divided into Dragoon, Hussar and Lancer divisions, an example of each being the Westminster Dragoons, the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars, and the City of London Rough Eiders. The Dragoons, as a rule, are the only section which carry flags—in all cases they are guidons—but it must be mentioned that some Dragoon regiments display no colours, whilst a certain few of the other divisions possess these emblems, though they may not have received official recognition. Most regiments own drum cloths, but some of those raised since the Boer War carry no drums and, in consequence, wear no drum cloths. In one or two instances, i.e., in the North Somerset Yeomanry, ornamental drums are provided which need no cloth embellishments.