Nepal Sirmooree 2025

18 The Colours In the early part of its history the Regiment was a ‘line’ regiment and carried two colours: The Colours of the Regiment 1844-1850 held by Captain H D Watson (left – later Major General Sir Harry Watson) and Captain D M Watt (right) in about 1900. Of the Colours presented to the Regiment in 1844, one is the Queen’s Colour, or Great Union. The other is the Regimental Colour and is a plain black sheet with the words ‘Sirmoor Light Infantry’ encircled by a wreath, as the uniform of the Regiment was then dark green with black facings and black lace. Both are perforated with bullets and stained with blood. They were carried by the Regiment in the campaign on the Sutlej (1845- 46) and were present when it saved the cantonment and city of Ludhiana, and for the subsequent defence of that city. They were in the battles of Buddhiwal and Aliwal; in Lord Gough’s victory over the Sikhs at the latter place the Regiment lost 145 killed and wounded and the Colours were nearly shot to pieces. The pole of the Queen’s Colour was shot in half and is now spliced. The Gurkha Officer carrying the black Regimental Colour was killed and the Colour captured, but the enraged Gurkhas, by a frantic effort, recovered what was left of it but without the pole, for which they substituted the bamboo on which its honoured remains now hang. The Colours presented in 1850 were the successors of those described above. One is the Queen’s Colour or Great Union, the other is the Regimental Colour. The latter is black with the words ‘Sirmoor Light Infantry’ in gold letters in the centre and surrounded by a wreath. They were with the Regiment – one of the few which remained loyal – during its brilliant service in The Indian Mutiny 1857-59. They were at the battle of Badlee-ki-sarai and throughout the celebrated siege of Delhi, when this brave band of Gurkhas sustained and defeated 26 separate attacks on their posts on the right of the Ridge, in which they lost 8 officers killed and wounded out of 9, and 327 men killed and wounded out of 490 of all grades. Both Colours have been shot through and are blood-stained. The black Regimental Colour was cut clean in two by a 32 pounder round shot which killed 3 officers and 10 men. THE REGIMENTAL COLOURS AND THE QUEEN’S TRUNCHEON The Regimental Colours 1850-63.