Battle honour

A battle honour is a military tradition practiced in the Commonwealth countries of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and India and is an official acknowledgement awarded to military units for their achievements in specific wars or operations of a military campaign.

This tradition also occurs in Sweden.

A theatre honour is similar to a battle honour, except that it is given in the case of units distinguishing themselves in a campaign in a particular theatre of war rather than in a specific battle.

A battle honour is granted through the Royal Prerogative of the monarch of Great Britain and the Commonwealth, and by the 20th century was granted only after lengthy historical review of a particular conflict. It is comparable to a unit citation in other national traditions. In India, battle and theatre honours are granted by the Government of India.

Origins

For the British Army, the need to adopt a system to recognize military units' battlefield accomplishments was apparent since its formation as a standing army in the later part of the 17th century. Although the granting of battle honours had already been in place at the time, it was not until 1784 that infantry units were authorized to bear battle honours on their colours. Before then, a regiment's colours were practical tools for rallying troops in the battle field and not quite something for displaying the unit's past distinctions.

The first Battle Honour was granted to the 15th Hussars for the Battle of Emsdorf in 1759. Thereafter, other Regiments received battle honours for some of there previous engagements.

The oldest battle honour in the British Army, chronologically, is Tangier 1662-80, granted to the 2nd Regiment of Foot, or The Tangier Regiment, the senior English regiment in the Union (after the Royal Scots the senior Scottish and British Regiment), for their protracted 23-year defence of the Tangier Garrison. The battle honour is still held by the successor regiment of the 2nd Regiment of Foot, the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment. During these early years of a British standing army, however, a regiment needed only to engage the enemy with musketry before it was eligible for a battle honour. However, older battle honours are carried on the standards of the Yeomen of the Guard and the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, neither of which are part of the army, but are instead the Sovereign's Bodyguard, in the personal service of the Sovereign.

The need to develop a centralized system to oversee the selection and granting of battle honours arose in the 19th century following the increase of British military engagements during the expansion of the British Empire. Thus in 1882, a committee was formed to adjudicate applications of battle honour claims. This committee, later called the Battles Nomenclature Committee in the Second World War, still maintains its functions in the British Army today.

Entitlement

A battle honour may be granted to infantry/cavalry regiments or battalions, but with the exception of Royal Navy ships and Royal Air Force squadrons, they are rarely granted to sub-units such as companies, platoons and sections in the army. Battle honours are usually presented in the form of a name of a country, a region or a city where the regiment's distinguished act took place, together with the year when it occurred.

Not every battle fought will automatically result in the granting of a battle honour. Conversely, a regiment or a battalion might obtain more than one battle honour over the course of a larger operation. During the Falklands War in 1982, for instance, the 2nd Battalion of the Scots Guards had played a crucial role in the capturing of Mount Tumbledown (see Battle of Mount Tumbledown). As a result, the battalion was awarded two battle honours for the same war, one for a specific action "Tumbledown Mountain" and one for the overall conflict "Falkland Islands 1982." Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry likewise received an honour for both "Kapyong" and "Korea 1951–1953".

A unit need not have defeated an adversary in order to earn a battle honour. For instance, although the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps were unable to stop the invading Japanese army from capturing Hong Kong in 1941 (see also the Battle of Hong Kong), the unit was nevertheless awarded the battle honour "Hong Kong" for its actions.

Supporting corps/branches such as medical, service, ordnance, artillery, engineer, or transport do not receive battle honours. Commonwealth artillery does not maintain battle honours as they carry neither colours nor guidons--though their guns by tradition are afforded many of the same respects and courtesies. However, both the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers were in 1832 granted by King William IV the right to use the Latin Ubique, meaning everywhere, as a battle honour. This is worn on the cap badge of both corps. The practice was later extended to these same corps in the successor Commonwealth armed forces.

Battle honours for the Second World War

A special committee known as the Battles Nomenclature Committee was formed in Britain during the Second World War, composed of military representatives from all Commonwealth nations. The committee's responsibility was to advise the operational Army Headquarters Staff on matters pertaining to the granting of battle honours.

At the end of the war, the committee submitted a report to the Army Headquarters containing:

• The definitions of war theatre, battle, action and engagement
• A detail list of all theatres, battles, actions and engagements throughout the entire war for which regiments could be granted battle honours

A copy of this document was then forwarded to each regiments' honours committee. By army orders a regimental honours committee would comprise at least five officers of the regiment. These officers should include the regiment's past and present commanding officers as well as Honorary Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel.

Upon a review of this list, and based on the actions undertaken by the regiment during the war, the regimental honours committee could then submit an application to the Army Headquarters to claim their corresponding battle honours. In cases where regiments took part in actions which were not listed, the honours committees could also submit additional claims in their applications. Whatever the situation, it was the regimental honour committee's responsibility to submit evidence to prove that the regiment concerned was worthy of the battle honours they claimed.

Once the final approval was granted in Britain, a public announcement would be made. The ceremonial granting of new battle honours would be made in the form of the presentation of new Regimental and Sovereign's Colours to the regiment by the British monarch or an agent of the Crown, such as the Governor General of a commonwealth dominion.

Display

Main article: Regimental colours

Main article: Colours, standards and guidons

File:GUIDON2.jpg

The Guidon of the Canadian reserve regiment, the 1st Hussars, showing the regiment's Battle Honours.

In British and Commonwealth armies a unit's battle honours can normally be found engraved, painted or embroidered on:

• The Queen's Colour or King's Colour (in regiments of Foot Guards)
• The Regimental Colour (for infantry units) or the Regimental Guidon (for cavalry regiments)
• The Queen's Truncheon of the Royal Gurkha Rifles
• Drums of the regimental band and/or pipes and drums
• The baldric worn by the Drum Major of the regimental band/pipes and drums
• The Drum Major's mace
• A regimental pipes and drums' pipe banners

Battle honours are listed in choronological order, either in a single list, or in multiple even numbers of columns, reading left to right, and top to bottom. On drums, the honours are listed on scrolls, usually with the cap badge central, and other unit devices present (such as a representation of a unit distinction or motto.)

The honours for the First and Second World War were restricted in that only a certain number of honours could be selected for emblazonment - ie appear on colours or drums. This was due to the large number of Battle Honours awarded. It is often the case that battle honours not carried on the colours (limited by space and design) will be emblazoned on drum major's baldric.

Significance

While Regimental colours and guidons are no longer carried on operations in British and Commonwealth military, as was their initial military function, customs the battle honours they carry are held in high esteem by military personnel. Regiments take pride in their battle honours, and the winning of further battle honours, as these are seen to enhance a unit's reputation.

It remains a tradition that whenever military personnel meet a colour or guidon, it must be saluted. This is not only because it is an object which represents the authority of the Crown, but also because the colours contain a regiment's battle honours, and thus represent the regiment's history and its dead. Saluting a colour or guidon is thus a pivotal act in retaining an awareness of regimental history and traditions--key in the functioning of the regimental system. It remains common for army instructors to ensure that their recruits have memorized and are able to recite all of their regiment's battle honours. Such methods are meant to bring the new soldier into the regimental ethos and sub-culture by means of imprinting shared history.

In some cases where a battle honour was not granted, a special uniform distinction has been substituted. For example soldiers of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment wear a cap badge on both the front and the rear of their hats. This so-called "back badge" is unique in the British Army and was awarded to the 28th Regiment of Foot for their actions at the Battle of Alexandria in 1801. Knowledge of that battle honour, represented by the back badge, is said to have encouraged the soldiers of the Gloucestershire Regiment in the defence of Gloster Hill during the Battle of the Imjin River in April 1951 during the Korean War.

Other uniform distinctions include:

• Oakleaf Shoulder Badge (The Calgary Highlanders, The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) and The Winnipeg Light Infantry), awarded for "Kitcheners' Wood" in April 1915. No battle honour had been granted and the units petitioned for a special badge.
• Sphinx: Several British regiments have a sphinx on their regimental colour as well as cap badges and belt buckles to commemorate service in Egypt, specifically the Battle of Alexandria in 1801.
• Eagle: The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards have an eagle on their cap badge to commemorate the capture of a French Imperial Eagle at Waterloo by the Royal Scots Greys.

Overseas Awards

Subject to approval by the Sovereign, awards made by other allied nations may be permitted to be worn or carried. For example, several units have been awarded the French Croix de Guerre, the ribbon of which can be worn on the uniform. The US Presidential Unit Citation, and other similar citations, is similarly worn on the uniform (usually on the arm), but is also carried on the colour or guidon of the unit it has been awarded to. In the Commonwealth, three units are permitted to carry this award on their Regimental Colour:

• 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
• 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
• D Company, 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (Awarded to D Company but carried by the rest of the battalion)

The 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment received their awards for their actions at Kapyong during the Korean War. Although their regiments carry the honour "Kapyong" as a whole, only these specific battalions are permitted to carry the PUC streamer that denotes the award by the United States and wear the ribbon on the uniform. D Company, 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment were awarded their Presidential Unit Citation for their actions during the Battle of Long Tan in the Vietnam War. Although awarded to D Company, it is carried on the 6th Battalion's Colours and worn on the uniform of all members of the battalion.

Battle and theatre honours in India

The battle honours and theatre honours continue to be awarded to the regiments and corps of the Indian Army after independence in 1947. The battle and theatre honours continue to be listed, emblazoned on the President's Colours with battle honour days being celebrated by a few units or regiments. Some battle honours, granted to the units for battles or campaigns in India against the local rulers or nationalist forces, have been declared as 'repugnant' and are not celebrated or held in esteem.

Unusual awards of battle honours

La Martinere College in Lucknow in India is the only school in the world to be awarded a battle honour for the role played by its students and teachers during the mutiny of 1857. McGill University in Canada is the only other educational institution in the British Empire to be awarded the same honour for its role in World War I.

References

• Battle Honours, website of the Ministry of Defence
• A list of British, Imperial and Commonwealth battle honours, website of regiments.org

See also

• RAF battle honours

External links

• Canadian Army Battle Honours
• Battle Honours of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps
• Battle Honours of the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
• Battle Honours of the Royal Navy, 1939-1945