Colour Sash

[Graham Stewart]

This may very well get me into trouble here and I'm not sure if this is the right place within the GMIC to discuss this, but on a very well know auction site this item has come up on a number of occassions.

It allegedly is a Colour Sash of the 2nd Bn, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, the problem being that is bares a Queens(St.Edwards) Crown & 'EIIR', so you have to be looking at an item that was into use by the regiment on Princess Elizabeth's assencion to the throne, therefore becoming Queen Elizabeth the 2nd.

No problem with that, apart from the fact that the 2nd Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was disbanded in Newcastle in 1948 after a formal standing down parade at the Moorish Castle, Gibraltar on the 5th July of the same year, which in my own maths mind was some five years ahead of when Queen Elizabeth II was proclaimed our monarch.

I did actually point this out to the seller who said that "I must be mistaken", as he was serving in the 2nd Battalion,R.N.F., when they "became the 1st Bn, Royal Regt of Fusiliers in 1968 and they were formed with three battalions".

Again something of a phallacy, as it was the 1st Bn,R.N.F. that formed the 1st Bn, R.R.F. on St.Georges Day 1968 and there were infact 'four' new battalions created that day as the 1st Bn, R.Warwickshire Regt was converted to Fusiliers to become the 4th Bn, R.R.F. under the new 'large regiment' scheme.

Now as the starting price has now been doubled by the owner, to a three figue sum - I would advise potential bidders to approach this item with some caution. I add the following from the 2nd Battalion C/O;-

2nd Bn, Fifth Fusiliers Special Order by Lt-Col B.J.Leech, D.S.O.

Gibraltar - Monday 5th July 1948.

"The Regiment raised in 1674, has been in continuous existence since that date. During this period of 274 years the Regiment has been composed of a number of Bn's, as occassion demanded, the greatest number being fifty-two battalions in the 1914-18 War, a record for the British Army; but for a great many years the Regiment in common with other Regiments of the Infantry of the Line was a single battalion Regiment."

"The 2nd Bn, was first raised in 1799 and disbanded in 1802, raised again in 1804 for the Peninsular War and disbanded after the Treaty of Paris in 1816. The 2nd Bn was raised a third time in 1857 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne for service in the Indian Mutiny, rising to a strength of 1,000 in two months, and this last period of 91years has been broken until now."

"With the introduction of the Cardwell Reforms in 1882 all Regiments of the Infantry of the Line were placed on an establishment of two regular Bn's, and this year 1948 all Regiments are required to revert to the single battalion establishment by Army Council Instruction, which His Majesty the King has approved with great regret. Thus once again the 2nd Bn is disbanding."

"The disbanding of the Bn will take place at Newcastle-upon-Tyne when the Representative Cadre assemble there and the Colours will be laid up with the old Stands of Colours in the Cathedral. The Cadre will be commanded by Major R.M.Pratt."

"The Representative Cadre will embark today under the command of Lt J.T.Watson in the Troopship "Cheshire" and thus the 2nd Bn, Fifth Fusiliers leaves the Fortress and Garrison of Gibraltar to return to England, leaving the 1st Bn, Fifth Fusiliers in its place."

(B.J.Leech),

Lieut - Col, Commanding

2nd Bn, The Fifth Fusiliers.

Edited November 28, 2007 by Graham Stewart

[leigh kitchen]

Just from that photo, who can tell - but to me it has the air of the modern Pakistani or whatever bullion items that can be made to order via faxed or e-mailed designs.

Battle honours etc may be crammed onto these things, but there's something about this arrangement that just seems ill thought out.

Having said that, Id've thought that it may be possible for a sash to be produced for a battalion optimistically regarded as "just" in suspended animation in the way that new patterns of cap badges were produced for some units which had already been amalgamated, although it seems a bit extreme in the circumstances to produce a St Edwards Crown item if there would be a Kings Crown version in store.

Personally, the vendor's inaccurate claims relating to the history of the unit & his alleged service are enough to keep me well away from this sash, never mind the look of the item itself.

[Graham Stewart]

Leigh,

Thanks for your input on this item, as there is one other point about it that has me doubt it's authenticity and that Colour Sashes were often produced in the facing colour of the regiment. In the case of this sash its dark blue, whereas I almost certain those carrying the Colours of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers were in the facing colour of "Gosling Green".

Graham.