Border Regiment
 

In perusing Jon Mill's Badges on Battle Dress, he notes on pg 82 that the Border Regiment's flash included green, yellow and purple. Does anyone know the significance of the colours, in particular the purple?

Yellow was the facing colour of the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment and the 55th (Westmoreland) Regiment had facings of green.

Purple. It appears that no one knows for sure. Here is a view from the regimental museum in Carlisle.

"The purple colour appeared after 1881 in Border Regimental ties, blazers, caps, etc and we think was introduced to be more distinctive, because a number of other regiments post-1881 had green and yellow as their regimental colours.

With thanks to Stuart Eastwood, Museum Curator, The Regimental Museum of the Border Regiment and the Kings Own Royal Border Regiment."

Thanks jf42. Do you know what shade of purple? (There is a reason behind the questions. In the post First WW Cdn militia, the Saskatchewan Border Regiment was allied with the Border Regiment. They were amalgamated with the Weyburn Regt in 1936, forming the South Saskatchewan Regt who used a mauve purple for their Coloured Field Service Caps and purple mauve, gold and white on their shoulder titles. I think they may have used the purple for a couple of reasons, including the alliance with the Border Regt.)

I am afraid I can't help much, Bill. My notes on the Border Regt relatied mainly to the 34th, but as the colour featured in regimental items across the board- stable belts, ties etc, it ought not be too hard to find examples.

The regimental museum at the former Border Regiment HQ in Carlisle Castle should be able to point you in the right direction: https://www.cumbriasmuseumofmilitarylife.org/

Stop press. This might be a guide:

https://www.cumbriasmuseumofmilitary...-regiment-tie/

I hope that helps.

JF

Bingo. Thank-you JF. That is the shade of purple used on the SSR CFSC and some of the shoulder titles. (The purple was apparently very difficult to match in dye lots.)
The other explanation for the colours the SSR chose was indigenous flowers, either the prairie crocus or prairie lily, but the latter was not close.

I'm glad the unit connection adds up. Sometimes uncertainties demand explanations where none actually exist. A simple shrug just isn't as satisfying :cool: