BRITISH COLOURS.

Northern Advocate, 25 November 1914, Page 2

BRITISH COLOURS.

NO LONGER BORNE ON BATTLEFIELD.

PRACTICE STOPPED BY LORD WOLSELEY.

While 'German regimental Hags captured on the battlefield are being proudly exhibited in Paris, and French dags are being' similarly shown at Berlin as trophies of Teuton victories, and although scores .of Austrian regimental standards have 'been conveyed in triumph to the Tsar at Petrograd, there has been no instance yet of the capture of any English colours on the battlefields of France and Belgium. This is attributable, not to the absence of any Britisili reverses —for there have been a number of them— but because the English soldiers when on active service leave their colours at

home (writes "Ex-Attache" in the Ohi- i ea_o "Tribune.' 'j True, the white ensign _"111 proudly flutters from, the masthead of English warships when going into action, ami its liauling down is construed in the light of surrender. But for sixteen or seventeen years no Hag has been ear- I ried by any Engilsh regiineiu when campaigning. GERMANS RESENT FLAG ABSENCE. This peculiarity attracted little or no notice during the war in South Africa. But it is exciting a good deal of attention on the continent of Europe, especially iv Germany, where the failure of- tlhe English troops to bring their regimental colours with them and thus afford the Kaiser's soldiers an opportunity of capturing them is construed there in the light of a British injury, and as "another illustration of English unfairness." It is to Field-Marshal Lord Wolseley that the British Army is indebted for the absence of' English regimental colours from the scene of hostilities in the present war. He secured tlhe sanction of Queen Victoria and the Government to this departure from (time-hon-oured custom during his term as com-mander-in-chief in 1597, not without opposition. The arguments he put forward in favour of the innovation were sufficiently striking to ibe vvoriihy of reproduction:— "It would be madness and a crime to order any soldier to carry colours into action in the future. You might quite as well order him to be assassin- | ated. "All war has been transformed by the invention of the far-reaching and fate-dealing rifle and automatic gun, with which an enemy kills, whose face is not even seen." CRITICISED BY COMRADES. But Wolseley's action was condemned by military men everywhere abroad, and even by many of his own comrades in the English army. No one opposed the measures more strongly than the. now veteran Field-Marshal Sir Evelyn Wood, who, like the octogenarian Lord Roberts, is a Victoria Cross hero. • Speaking in London, in 1897, he passionately pleaded for the retention of the colours in action. "Colours are potent to check disaster to rally fugitives, to inspire attack. Whatever other armies may do. I hope *ye will not give up this powerful incentive to hang together. It is to my mind a moral question interesting, all Britons and involving some of the gloom o_ warfare." NO PLACE FOR SENTIMENT. To this Lord. Wolseley replied that, wthile Sir Evelyn's eloquent words found an echo in his breast,, he considered -sentiment out of place in the modern battlefield. The flag stands for'so much in the eyes of the soldier, all of whose most chivalrous and exalted feelings centre in tihe colours of his regiment, that it is a subject for congratulation iv England, that its absence from the. scene of action should in nowise have impaired the' spirit, enthusiasm, and bravery of tha British troops in the present war. Marshal Turenne, in reporting to his Sovereign the most tlaring act at the siege of Etampes, in 1652, declares it "would have (been impossible if the colours had not .been constantly exposed to view/ thus indicating that it was the sight of the regimental flag that spurred the soldiers under his Command to heroism.