A “Stand of Regimental Colours” consists of the Sovereign’s Colour and a Regimental Colour. The Sovereign’s Colour includes the sovereign’s crown and the regimental numeral or designation in the centre. Since 1985 the Sovereign’s Colour is based upon the Canadian flag, and incorporates the St. Edward’s crown and the Royal cypher. The Regimental Colour has a solid background with the regimental crest in the centre and is inscribed with twenty-two of the 48th Highlanders’ fifty battle honours.
The 48th Highlanders first Stand of Colours was presented by Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor General of Canada at a ceremonial parade on the grounds of the University of Toronto on 24 May 1892. For over thirty-three years the regiment proudly paraded and trooped these colours. In December 1918, in time for their march out of Germany, the Colours arrived from Canada to lead them home. Upon their return, the 48th Highlanders Chapter, IODE presented a set of brass laurels to adorn the tops of the colour standards. The regiment retired this first Stand of Colours and was presented with the second Stand on 24 May 1925. For this ceremony both Stands had been emblazoned with ten of the twenty-one Battle Honours from the First War. The first Stand was laid up in St. Andrew’s Church on 15 May 1927 to hang in the chancel. In 1997, with their fabric beginning to shred with age, they were stabilized and moved to the Regimental Museum, also in the church.
Interestingly the third Stand, presented in 1959 by the 48th Highlanders’ Colonel-in-Chief, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, II displayed the battle honour Passchendaele, whereas the first and second stands bore Scarpe in its place. The regimental committee, wanting the Honours on the Colour for their presentation in 1925, selected the ten Honours to be emblazoned on the first and second Stands before the final recommendation was submitted to the Crown. As Scarpe was included twice for battles in 1917 and 1918 they were confident it would be approved. When Passchendaele received Royal approval in 1928, it could have been seen as less important than 1918 Scarpe but ahead of the 1917. Further, the regimental committee may have discovered that their participation in the fourth battle of Scarpe was not in the August 26-30 1918 official period of the battle but in its continuation on August 30- September 1 which was known as Drocourt-Queant Line. Many battles flowed into another and while fourth Scarpe was mainly British, the Canadians led the D-Q battle. Since Drocourt-Queant was a Battle Honour of the 15th Battalion (48th Highlanders), and emblazoned on the Colours, it would account for the removal of Scarpe. The discovery would have been too late for the two Stands of Colours. Thus the third Stand was the first opportunity to reflect the preferred choice.
The active regiment carries the regiment’s fourth and current Stand with the Sovereign’s Colour now based on the Canadian flag.