The plume, the rising sun, and the dragon are badges of the Prince of Wales. They were assigned to the old 23rd as a reward for its services in Marlborough’s campaign. The red dragon is, of course, frequently associated with Welsh, tradition.
The battle honours are: Namur, 1695; Blenheim; Ramillies; Oudenarde; Malplaquet; Dettingen; Minden; Corunna; Martinique, 1809; Albuhera; Badajoz; Salamanca; Vittoria; Pyrenees; Nivelle; Orthes; Toulouse; Peninsula; Waterloo; Alma; Inkerman; Sevastopol; Lucknow; Ashantee, 1873-4; Burma, 1885-87; South Africa, 1899-1902; Relief of Ladysmith; Pekin, 1900.
25. King’s Colour of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. |
26. Regimental Colour of the Norfolk Regiment. |
27. Regimental Colour of the buffs (East Kent Regiment). |
28. Regimental Colour of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. |
29. Regimental Colour of the Bedfordshire Regiment. |
30. Regimental Colour of the Hampshire Regiment. |
31. Regimental Colour of the Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire) Regiment. |
32. Regimental Colour of the Dorsetshire Regiment. |
| Plate 4. Colours of the Infantry of the Line (Regular Battalions) | |
The King’s colour of this regiment is shown in Fig. 25.
The Brecknockshire Battalion possesses a colour bearing the Red Dragon, passant.
The South Wales Borderers.—Facings, grass green.
R.C.—The Sphinx, superscribed “Egypt,” placed below the union wreath, and, within the circular badge, the regimental number.
The honorary distinctions are: Blenheim; Ramillies; Oudenarde; Malplaquet; Cape of Good Hope, 1806; Talavera; Busaco; Fuentes d’Onor; Salamanca; Vittoria; Pyrenees; Nivelle; Orthes; Peninsula; Punjaub; Chillianwallah; Goojerat; South Africa, 1877-8-9; Burma, 1885-87; South Africa, 1900-02.
This regiment is the proud possessor of an unique distinction—a silver wreath of immortelles, presented by Queen Victoria—which it wears on the King’s colours in memory of the gallantry displayed by Lieutenants Melvill and Coghill, V.C. Mr. Philip A. Wilkins, in his book, “The History of the Victoria Cross,” describes the thrilling work of these two fine soldiers, as follows:—
“Lieutenant Coghill had been told off to act as galloper to Colonel Glyn on the unfortunate reconnaissance made from Isandlwana Camp, on January 22nd, 1879, but that officer, seeing he was quite lame, insisted that, he should remain behind and nurse his knee, injured while out foraging a few days before. He therefore remained in the camp, which, as soon as the Zulus had drawn off Lord Chelmsford and the main body of our troops, was attacked by an impi of 25,000 men, completely surrounded, and practically annihilated.