The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

Merseman · Joined: 07 Aug 2013 Posts: 339 Location: Duns, Berwickshire

Not war memorials in the normal sense - but in many county town, burgh, and garrison town churches you find 'laid-up' colours. Is there any kind of written or online resource, to find out more about where they are, and the history of them?

There are certainly a couple in Berwickshire: from the Coldstream Guards in Coldstream Parish Church, and the KOSB in Duns Parish Church.

I also saw several in Edinburgh over 'Doors Open' weekend.

Kenny

DerekR · Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 5:07 pm Post subject:

I don't know of any resources for this.

There is a Laid-up colour in St.Mary's church in Hawick and I believe that the colours of the 7/8th KOSB from 1919 are somewhere within Hawick Museum.
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Time but th' impression stronger makes, As streams their channels deeper wear.

spoons · Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 6:19 pm Post subject:

Hi Kenny

You are correct that laid up colours are an unusual form of memorial and some consider them not to be war memorials at all. However the UK National Inventory has chosen to accept and list them as war memorials as has the War Memorials Trust in their War Memorials Online database, therefore we list them here too.

To laid up Regimental Colours I would also add ships white ensigns, ships bells and even the Queens Truncheon (Gurkhas) as these all serve a similar function when in use and are usually laid up 'in memory of those who served under them'. I have myself posted quite a number on this forum.

There are no doubt books on the subject but I have never found a simple guide and I have all good intentions of writing one myself sometime. Most infantry Battalions will have two colours, the Queens Colour and the Regimental Colour - the latter often with the Regiment/Battalion number in Roman Numerals.

Ownership of colours is odd to say the least. New colours are ordered and paid for by the Ministry of Defence and presented to the Regiment by the Queen or her representative. During their service, colours are on the official inventory of the Regiment and when retired (by replacement or when the Regiment ceases to be) then they are laid up in memory of those who served under them. At this time they are 'taken into the care' of the organisation (usually a church) where they are laid up. Note that this phrase does NOT imply a transfer of ownership. However the MOD has no means of recording Colours past the date of being laid up, nor seemingly any interest in their future.

St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh had a large number of laid up colours, as witnessed by the plaques still on the columns. However during the refurbishment in the 1990s the church saw fit to remove the majority from display and dispose of them to 'suitable places'. Unfortunately the church no longer has any record of where they went. Undoubtedly some went to Regimental Museums, but the rest???????

Given the above, I have no doubts that some laid up colours are respected and well cared for whereas there are others whose whereabouts are unknown.

\Paul

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 6:41 pm Post subject:

Paul - thanks for that briefing, I didn't know any of that.
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Ken