List of British colours lost in battle
Updated: 11/6/2025, 1:51:16 AM Wikipedia source
This is a list of British colours lost in battle. Since reforms in 1747 each infantry regiment carried two colours, or flags, to identify it on the battlefield: a king's colour of the union flag and a regimental colour of the same colour as the regiment's facings. The colours were regarded as talismans of the regiment and it was considered a stain on the unit's honour if they were captured. To prevent this, the colours were protected in the field by a colour party of young officers and experienced sergeants, around which the regiment would rally. As the 19th century progressed, regiments found their colour parties became increasingly vulnerable and some chose not to carry them in the field. The loss of two colours at the 1879 Battle of Isandlwana led to parliamentary debates on whether they should still be carried in the field. Heavy casualties among the colour party of the 58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot at the 1881 Battle of Laing's Nek led to a ban on them being carried in battle and since 1882 none have been taken on active service.
Tables
· List
Surrender of colours at Saratoga
Surrender of colours at Saratoga
Date
17 October 1777
Unit
37th Regiment of Foot
Colour
King's colour and regimental colour
Battle
Surrender at Saratoga
War
American War of Independence
Captured by
United States of America
Notes
Other regiments, including the 9th and 62nd Regiments of Foot, successfully concealed their colours and returned them to Britain. Other colours were sent in the personal baggage of General John Burgoyne.
The King's colour of the 7th Regiment is now exhibited at the West Point Museum
The King's colour of the 7th Regiment is now exhibited at the West Point Museum
Date
17 January 1781
Unit
7th Regiment of Foot
Colour
King's colour
Battle
Battle of Cowpens
War
American War of Independence
Captured by
United States of America
A depiction of British colours (left) during the surrender at Yorktown
A depiction of British colours (left) during the surrender at Yorktown
Date
19 October 1781
Unit
43rd Regiment of Foot
Colour
King's colour and regimental colour (possible)
Battle
Surrender at Yorktown
War
American War of Independence
Captured by
United States of America,France
Notes
The 43rd Regiment later claimed its colours weren't lost and had been left at the depot in New York. The 23rd Foot (Royal Welsh Fuzileers) and 33rd Regiment of Foot also surrendered at Yorktown but are believed to have hidden their colours beforehand. In addition to the British regiments 18 colours were captured from Hessian, Ansbach and Bayreuth units.
19 October 1781
19 October 1781
Date
76th Regiment of Foot (MacDonald's Highlanders)
Unit
King's colour and regimental colour
19 October 1781
19 October 1781
Date
80th Regiment of Foot (Royal Edinburgh Volunteers)
Unit
King's colour and regimental colour
13th Regiment of Foot
13th Regiment of Foot
Date
King's colour and regimental colour
100th Regiment of Foot (Loyal Lincolnshire Regiment)
100th Regiment of Foot (Loyal Lincolnshire Regiment)
Date
King's colour and regimental colour
102nd Regiment of Foot
102nd Regiment of Foot
Date
King's colour and regimental colour
65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment of Foot
65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment of Foot
Date
King's colour and regimental colour
King's colour (left) and regimental colour (right)
King's colour (left) and regimental colour (right)
Date
11 August 1806
Unit
2nd battalion, 71st (Highland) Regiment of Foot (MacLeod's Highlanders)
Colour
King's colour and regimental colour
Battle
First British occupation of Buenos Aires
War
Anglo-Spanish War (1796–1808)
Captured by
Spain
The Buffs defend their colours at Albuera
The Buffs defend their colours at Albuera
Date
16 May 1811
Unit
1st battalion, 3rd Regiment of Foot, "The Buffs"
Colour
Part of the regimental colour (staff, cords and part of flag lost, later recovered in counterattack)
Battle
Battle of Albuera
War
Peninsular War
Captured by
France
Notes
The regimental colour was lost to a French attack but most of the flag was recovered in a counterattack by the 7th Regiment of Foot
2nd battalion, 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot
2nd battalion, 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot
Date
King's colour and regimental colour
2nd battalion, 66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot
2nd battalion, 66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot
Date
King's colour
Two of the colours during the Siege of Bergen op Zoom
Two of the colours during the Siege of Bergen op Zoom
Date
8 March 1814
Unit
2nd battalion, 1st Regiment of Foot Guards
Colour
Unknown
Battle
Siege of Bergen op Zoom
War
War of the Sixth Coalition
Captured by
France
Notes
Source just states "colours" lost. The Foot Guards of this period carried three king's colours: the colonel's, lieutenant-colonel's and major's colours. Unlike the king's colours of line regiments these had plain crimson fields. Each company also had a colour which was the union flag defaced with a badge, the 1st Foot Guards had 24 of these, one of which was carried in rotation as the regimental colour.
4th battalion, 1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot
4th battalion, 1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot
Date
King's colour and regimental colour
Unit
The colours were weighted and thrown into the River Zoom by the regiment's adjutant in an attempt to save them from capture but were afterwards recovered by the French.
2nd battalion, 69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot
2nd battalion, 69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot
Date
Regimental colour
King's colour carried by battalions of the King's German Legion
King's colour carried by battalions of the King's German Legion
Date
18 June 1815
Unit
5th Kings German Legion Line Battalion
Colour
King's colour
Battle
Battle of Waterloo
War
War of the Seventh Coalition
Captured by
France
8th Kings German Legion Line Battalion
8th Kings German Legion Line Battalion
Date
King's colour
The last stand of the 44th, the regimental colour is shown wrapped around Souter's waist
The last stand of the 44th, the regimental colour is shown wrapped around Souter's waist
Date
13 January 1842
Unit
44th (East Essex) Regiment of Foot
Colour
Queen's colour and regimental colour
Battle
Last stand at Jugdulluk
War
First Anglo-Afghan War
Captured by
Afghanistan
Notes
Knowing they would be overrun by the Afghan forces Captain Souter and Lieutenant Cumberland took the colours from their staffs and tried to wrap them around their bodies. Cumberland was unable to button his coat over the queen's colour and handed it to Colour-Sergeant Carey who hid it under his sheepskin coat. Carey was killed and the colour lost, but Souter was captured by the Afghans who thought him worthy of ransom after mistaking the bright yellow colour for expensive clothing. Souter brought the regimental colour back with him when he was released some months later.
The 24th advance at Chillianwala
The 24th advance at Chillianwala
Date
13 January 1849
Unit
24th (The 2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot
Colour
Queen's colour
Battle
Battle of Chillianwala
War
Second Anglo-Sikh War
Captured by
Sikh Empire
Notes
The colour was separated from its staff and carried by the wounded Private Battlestone during the retreat. Having refused to give up the colours to his comrades Battlestone fell dead, unnoticed. The colour was not found by the British the following morning; as it was not paraded by the Sikhs as a trophy it was perhaps taken by local villagers or camp followers. The battle was among the worst on record for losses of British colours, with nine from the British Indian units also lost.
A depiction of a last stand around the regimental colour of the 2nd battalion, though there is no evidence that the colours were unfurled during the battle.
A depiction of a last stand around the regimental colour of the 2nd battalion, though there is no evidence that the colours were unfurled during the battle.
Date
22 January 1879
Unit
24th (The 2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot
Colour
Queen's colour and regimental colour
Battle
Battle of Isandlwana
War
Anglo-Zulu War
Captured by
Zulu Kingdom
Notes
Both colours of the 2nd battalion were lost on the battlefield, though part of one pole and a crown finial were recovered separately later.The queen's colour of the 1st battalion was also present at the battle; it was brought away by Lieutenants Melville and Coghill who were killed in their attempted flight. The colour was found in the Buffalo River by British forces on 4 February, near to where they died.
| Image | Date | Unit | Colour | Battle | War | Captured by | Notes | Ref |
| 14 August 1756 | 50th Regiment of Foot (American Provincials) | King's colour and regimental colour | Battle of Fort Oswego | Seven Years' War | France | These two units were ranked as regular regiments of foot but consisted of raw recruits from the colonies. They were disbanded shortly after the surrender at Fort Oswego. Two of these colours were recovered by British forces during the September 1760 capture of Montreal. | ||
| 51st Regiment of Foot (Cape Breton Regiment) | King's colour and regimental colour | |||||||
| 15 October 1760 | Unknown regiment | Unknown colour | Battle of Kloster Kampen | Seven Years' War | France | |||
| 20 October 1775 | 7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fusiliers) | Regimental colour | Surrender of Fort Chamblé | American War of Independence | Thirteen Colonies | Only one company of the regiment was present at this action | ||
| Surrender of colours at Saratoga | 17 October 1777 | 37th Regiment of Foot | King's colour and regimental colour | Surrender at Saratoga | American War of Independence | United States of America | Other regiments, including the 9th and 62nd Regiments of Foot, successfully concealed their colours and returned them to Britain. Other colours were sent in the personal baggage of General John Burgoyne. | |
| 1777-8 | 81st Regiment of Foot (Aberdeenshire Highland Regiment) | King's colour and regimental colour | At sea between Britain and Ireland | American War of Independence | United States of America | Captured by a privateer, possibly John Paul Jones | ||
| 16 July 1779 | 17th Regiment of Foot | King's colour and regimental colour | Battle of Stony Point | American War of Independence | United States of America | |||
| 21 September 1779 | 16th Regiment of Foot | King's colour and regimental colour | Battle of Baton Rouge | American War of Independence | Spain | |||
| The King's colour of the 7th Regiment is now exhibited at the West Point Museum | 17 January 1781 | 7th Regiment of Foot | King's colour | Battle of Cowpens | American War of Independence | United States of America | ||
| 8 September 1781 | 64th Regiment of Foot | King's colour (possible) | Battle of Eutaw Springs | American War of Independence | United States of America | The 64th Regiment returned from America without its King's colour, it was possibly lost when it was driven back at the Battle of Eutaw Springs | ||
| A depiction of British colours (left) during the surrender at Yorktown | 19 October 1781 | 43rd Regiment of Foot | King's colour and regimental colour (possible) | Surrender at Yorktown | American War of Independence | United States of America,France | The 43rd Regiment later claimed its colours weren't lost and had been left at the depot in New York. The 23rd Foot (Royal Welsh Fuzileers) and 33rd Regiment of Foot also surrendered at Yorktown but are believed to have hidden their colours beforehand. In addition to the British regiments 18 colours were captured from Hessian, Ansbach and Bayreuth units. | |
| 19 October 1781 | 76th Regiment of Foot (MacDonald's Highlanders) | King's colour and regimental colour | ||||||
| 19 October 1781 | 80th Regiment of Foot (Royal Edinburgh Volunteers) | King's colour and regimental colour | ||||||
| 26/27 November 1781 | 15th Regiment of Foot | King's colour and regimental colour | French capture of Sint Eustatius | Anglo-French War (1778–1783) | France | |||
| 13th Regiment of Foot | King's colour and regimental colour | |||||||
| 3 May 1783 | 98th Regiment of Foot | King's colour and regimental colour | Siege of Bednore | Second Anglo-Mysore War | Mysore,France | |||
| 100th Regiment of Foot (Loyal Lincolnshire Regiment) | King's colour and regimental colour | |||||||
| 102nd Regiment of Foot | King's colour and regimental colour | |||||||
| 1794 | 43rd (Monmouthshire) Regiment of Foot | King's colour and regimental colour | Invasion of Guadeloupe | War of the First Coalition | France | |||
| 65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment of Foot | King's colour and regimental colour | |||||||
| King's colour (left) and regimental colour (right) | 11 August 1806 | 2nd battalion, 71st (Highland) Regiment of Foot (MacLeod's Highlanders) | King's colour and regimental colour | First British occupation of Buenos Aires | Anglo-Spanish War (1796–1808) | Spain | ||
| The Buffs defend their colours at Albuera | 16 May 1811 | 1st battalion, 3rd Regiment of Foot, "The Buffs" | Part of the regimental colour (staff, cords and part of flag lost, later recovered in counterattack) | Battle of Albuera | Peninsular War | France | The regimental colour was lost to a French attack but most of the flag was recovered in a counterattack by the 7th Regiment of Foot | |
| 2nd battalion, 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot | King's colour and regimental colour | |||||||
| 2nd battalion, 66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot | King's colour | |||||||
| 22 July 1812 | 2nd battalion, 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot | Part of the King's colour (staff and some of the flag lost) | Battle of Salamanca | Peninsular War | France | |||
| Two of the colours during the Siege of Bergen op Zoom | 8 March 1814 | 2nd battalion, 1st Regiment of Foot Guards | Unknown | Siege of Bergen op Zoom | War of the Sixth Coalition | France | Source just states "colours" lost. The Foot Guards of this period carried three king's colours: the colonel's, lieutenant-colonel's and major's colours. Unlike the king's colours of line regiments these had plain crimson fields. Each company also had a colour which was the union flag defaced with a badge, the 1st Foot Guards had 24 of these, one of which was carried in rotation as the regimental colour. | |
| 4th battalion, 1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot | King's colour and regimental colour | The colours were weighted and thrown into the River Zoom by the regiment's adjutant in an attempt to save them from capture but were afterwards recovered by the French. | ||||||
| 2nd battalion, 69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot | Regimental colour | |||||||
| 16 June 1815 | 2nd battalion, 69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot | King's colour | Battle of Quatre Bras | Hundred Days | France | The colour came into the possession of General François-Xavier Donzelot who commanded the 2nd Infantry Division during the battle. It was inherited by his grandson who gave them away in payment for a debt. In 1909 the colour was sold to a British captain on holiday and returned to the regimental museum. The colour is now in the collection of the Regimental Museum of The Royal Welsh. | ||
| King's colour carried by battalions of the King's German Legion | 18 June 1815 | 5th Kings German Legion Line Battalion | King's colour | Battle of Waterloo | War of the Seventh Coalition | France | ||
| 8th Kings German Legion Line Battalion | King's colour | |||||||
| The last stand of the 44th, the regimental colour is shown wrapped around Souter's waist | 13 January 1842 | 44th (East Essex) Regiment of Foot | Queen's colour and regimental colour | Last stand at Jugdulluk | First Anglo-Afghan War | Afghanistan | Knowing they would be overrun by the Afghan forces Captain Souter and Lieutenant Cumberland took the colours from their staffs and tried to wrap them around their bodies. Cumberland was unable to button his coat over the queen's colour and handed it to Colour-Sergeant Carey who hid it under his sheepskin coat. Carey was killed and the colour lost, but Souter was captured by the Afghans who thought him worthy of ransom after mistaking the bright yellow colour for expensive clothing. Souter brought the regimental colour back with him when he was released some months later. | |
| The 24th advance at Chillianwala | 13 January 1849 | 24th (The 2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot | Queen's colour | Battle of Chillianwala | Second Anglo-Sikh War | Sikh Empire | The colour was separated from its staff and carried by the wounded Private Battlestone during the retreat. Having refused to give up the colours to his comrades Battlestone fell dead, unnoticed. The colour was not found by the British the following morning; as it was not paraded by the Sikhs as a trophy it was perhaps taken by local villagers or camp followers. The battle was among the worst on record for losses of British colours, with nine from the British Indian units also lost. | |
| A depiction of a last stand around the regimental colour of the 2nd battalion, though there is no evidence that the colours were unfurled during the battle. | 22 January 1879 | 24th (The 2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot | Queen's colour and regimental colour | Battle of Isandlwana | Anglo-Zulu War | Zulu Kingdom | Both colours of the 2nd battalion were lost on the battlefield, though part of one pole and a crown finial were recovered separately later.The queen's colour of the 1st battalion was also present at the battle; it was brought away by Lieutenants Melville and Coghill who were killed in their attempted flight. The colour was found in the Buffalo River by British forces on 4 February, near to where they died. | |
| 27 July 1880 | 66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot | Queen's colour and regimental colour | Battle of Maiwand | Second Anglo-Afghan War | Afghanistan | This was the last loss of British colours. |
References
- The Life of a Regimental Officerhttps://books.google.com/books?id=JPX3DwAAQBAJ
- Companion to the Anglo-Zulu Warhttps://books.google.com/books?id=mmp-AwAAQBAJ
- Looking Forward Looking Back: Customs and Traditions of the Australian Armyhttps://books.google.com/books?id=oqbuDwAAQBAJ
- Royal United Services Institution. Journalhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03071849509417953
- Wellington's Foot Guardshttps://books.google.com/books?id=UTjDCwAAQBAJ
- British Colours & Standards 1747-1881 (1): Infantry
- British Colours & Standards 1747-1881 (1): Cavalry
- British Colours & Standards 1747-1881 (1): Infantry
- British Colours & Standards 1747-1881 (1): Infantry
- Royal United Services Institution. Journalhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03071849509417946
- Companion to the Anglo-Zulu Warhttps://books.google.com/books?id=g1Z-AwAAQBAJ
- British Colours & Standards 1747-1881 (1): Infantry
- Royal United Services Institution. Journalhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03071849509417946
- Royal United Services Institution. Journalhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03071849509417953
- British Colours & Standards 1747-1881 (1): Infantry
- Royal United Services Institution. Journalhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03071849509417953
- British Colours & Standards 1747-1881 (1): Infantry
- Royal United Services Institution. Journalhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03071849509417946
- British Colours & Standards 1747-1881 (1): Cavalry
- British Colours & Standards 1747-1881 (1): Infantry
- British Colours & Standards 1747-1881 (1): Cavalry
- British Colours & Standards 1747-1881 (1): Cavalry
- Royal United Services Institution. Journalhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03071849509417953
- A History of the British Army: Volume 2https://books.google.com/books?id=NorzDwAAQBAJ
- Journal of the Society for Army Historical Researchhttps://www.jstor.org/stable/44223096
- Fusilier Museum Londonhttps://fusiliermuseumlondon.org/download?id=12390
- Royal United Services Institution. Journalhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03071849509417953
- Don Troiani's Campaign to Saratoga - 1777: The Turning Point of the Revolutionary War in Paintings, Artifacts, and Historical Narrativehttps://books.google.com/books?id=J-6YDwAAQBAJ
- For Love of Regiment: A History of British Infantry, Volume One, 1660–1914https://books.google.com/books?id=BAWSAwAAQBAJ
- Saratoga: the Decisive Battlehttps://books.google.com/books?id=g892AAAAMAAJ
- A History of the Services of the 17th (the Leicestershire) Regiment: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1688, and of Its Subsequent Services, Revised and Continued to 1910https://books.google.com/books?id=rvo2AQAAMAAJ
- Journal of the Society for Army Historical Researchhttp://www.jstor.com/stable/44225527
- Journal of the Society for Army Historical Researchhttps://www.jstor.org/stable/44223096
- Royal United Services Institution. Journalhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03071849509417953
- Royal United Services Institution. Journalhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03071849509417953
- The British Army Against Napoleon: Facts, Lists and Trivia, 1805-1815https://books.google.com/books?id=QPHGDwAAQBAJ
- Royal United Services Institution. Journalhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03071849509417953
- Wellington's Foot Guardshttps://books.google.com/books?id=UTjDCwAAQBAJ
- Royal United Services Institution. Journalhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03071849509417946
- Peoples Collection Waleshttps://www.peoplescollection.wales/items/1545446
- Historical Record of the Forty-fourth, or the East Essex Regiment of Foot. Compiled by Thomas Carter ... With illustrationshttps://books.google.com/books?id=bMBXAAAAcAAJ
- Retreat and Retribution in Afghanistan 1842: Two Journals of the First Afghan Warhttps://books.google.com/books?id=i2PNDwAAQBAJ
- Journal of Affghan War in 1842https://books.google.com/books?id=0MtLAAAAYAAJ
- Royal United Services Institution. Journalhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03071849509417953
- Royal United Services Institution. Journalhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03071849509417953
- Narrative of the second Sikh war in 1848-49. With a detailed account of the battles of Ramnugger, the passage of the Chenab, Chillianwallah, Goojerat, &c. ... Second edition, revised with additionshttps://books.google.com/books?id=O09iAAAAcAAJ
- Companion to the Anglo-Zulu Warhttps://books.google.com/books?id=g1Z-AwAAQBAJ
- Royal United Services Institution. Journalhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03071849509417953