Regimental Colour (orig. – 1892). Silk with gold cords. Blue ground – Union Jack (small) ay staff side, Falcon over XLVIII (48) – surrounded by Maple Leaves “Dileas Gu Brath” scrolled below. Battle Honours scrolled below: Ypres 1915; Festubert, Mount Sorrel; Somme 1916; Vimy Ridge; Hill 70; Amiens; Scarfe 1918; Drocourt Queant. More information on the World War 1 Battle Honours is HERE.
The 48th Highlanders’ first Stand of Colours was made by the Ladies of Toronto and 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. A Stand of Colours consists of the Sovereign’s Colour and the Regimental Colour.
The second and third stands of Colours hang in the chancel of St. Andrew’s Church, in which our museum is located. The fourth stand is carried today by the active regiment. The first stand was retired on 24 May 1925 and the second on 1 July 1959. The third was retired on 18 May 1991.
Interesting. If this first stand of Colours was retired in 1925 how did it end up having WW1 Battle Honours on it as those Honours were not awarded until 1928?
Regiment contacted Ottawa in 1925 for preliminary list of battle honours that were going to be announced in order to have 10 battle honours placed on colours. The colours retired in 1925 were hung in St Andrew’s Church in 1927.