“Colonel Pulleine, who was in command, seeing the desperate state of affairs, called to Lieutenant and Adjutant Melvill to take the Queen’s (as it then was) colour of the regiment and endeavour to cut his way through the mass of Zulus, to prevent its falling into the enemy’s hands. This order Lieutenant Melvill proceeded to carry out, and, with Lieutenant Coghill, spurred his horse over the rocky and dangerous ground to the Buffalo River, six miles distant.... In company with one mounted soldier, Melvill and Coghill reached the Buffalo and plunged in, the soldier being at once carried away by the whirling stream and drowned. Coghill reached the Natal side in safety, and turning round, saw Melvill, whose horse had been drowned, being carried down by the rushing torrent, and that the colour he had tried so hard to save had been wrenched from his grasp, and was floating away down the river. Though unable to walk owing to his injured knee, and knowing, as he did, that any accident to his horse meant certain death to him, with safety and life at hand if he chose to take them, yet Coghill refused to consider himself, and, turning his horse’s head, rode back again into the stream to Melvill’s assistance. The Zulus kept up a hot fire upon both men, and shortly afterwards Coghill’s horse was shot. With the greatest difficulty both managed to reach and climb the steep bank, and took shelter beneath some huge boulders....
“Of their actual end no living man has ever borne witness, but when a search party under Major Black discovered the bodies of these brave men, a ring of dead Zulus around them bore silent testimony that they had sold their lives dearly, and had fought it out to the last.
“The Queen, whose colours these officers had died to save, was quick to recognise such heroic bravery, and sent two wreaths to be placed on the arms of the cross which marks their grave by the Buffalo River, and later presented to the 24th Regiment the silver wreath mentioned above.”
This act won for these gallant officers the Victoria Cross and it brought about the decision that colours should no more be carried into battle, as it caused valuable lives to be lost in guarding them. This, then, was the last occasion when these cherished emblems were taken into the array of battle.
The King’s Own Scottish Borderers.—Facings, blue.
R.C.—The Castle of Edinburgh, where the regiment was originally raised by the Earl of Leven in 1689. The motto, “Nisi Dominus frustra” (Without the Lord, it is useless). In the first and fourth corners, the Royal Crest, with the motto, “In veritate religionis confido” (In the truth of religion I confide). In the second and third corners, the White Horse, with “Nec aspera terrent.” The Sphinx, superscribed “Egypt,” below the union wreath.
The battle honours are: Namur, 1695; Minden; Egmont-op-Zee; Martinique, 1809; Afghanistan, 1878-80; Chitral; Tirah; South Africa, 1900-02; Paardeberg.
The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles).
Rifle regiments do not possess colours.
The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.—Facings, blue.