Quote:
Originally Posted by jf42
Greetings again, Bob. ( I drafted a reply days ago but it disappeared into the ether).
Curiously, only the 15th and the 47th were actually at Quebec. The 17th were 'in theatre,' notably at Louisburg in 1758, but were not part of Maj Gen Wolfe's command when he died. I don't quite know how the 31st got involved.
Lt. Col. John Hale (47th) carried dispatches from Canada, with news of the victory at Quebec and the death of Wolfe. He later formed the 17th Light Dragoons and it was said the 'Motto' on their helmet caps of a death's head and the words 'Or Glory' commemorated this connection.
As far Sir John Moore was concerned, The 42nd RH alone seem to have had the honour of carrying the general from the field after he was mortally wounded However, both the 92nd Highlanders and the 9th East Norfolks claimed to have attended his burial in the ramparts of Coruña. In addition to the distinctions mentioned above, I believe the black tombstone badge-backing on the Royal Norfolk [?officers] khaki beret was said to commemorate the episode. Likewise, I believe 1st Royal Anglian drummers have black bugle cords.
|
That’s interesting about the action at Quebec. The references to the tradition of the black worm of the four regiments concerned mentions only the commemoration of Wolfe and his death at the battle, so perhaps they deemed it sufficient purely to have been under his command. The black drummers cords of the Royal Anglian I thought related to the facing colour of the 2nd Battalion Northamptonshire, the old 58th. There’s been so much amalgamation now that it’s difficult to keep track.
You make an interesting reference to the tombstone shaped black patch, but the first unit to wear the khaki beret in all of the infantry was the so-called Tiger Company of the Royal Anglian Regiment, which was the rump of the Leicestershire Regiment belatedly sent to join the Anglians when the Foresters Brigade was broken up and dispersed. They briefly became 4 Royal Anglian before being reduced to company strength while their fate was decided. I seem to recall they did last over a year before defence cuts led to their complete disbandment. It was not long after that the Anglians adopted the erstwhile Leicester’s regimental button as their own, which it remains today.