Talk:49th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) (Hertfordshire) Regiment of Foot

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Change use[edit]

I've cancelled the re-direct and added a brief history of the regiment up to 1881, to bring the article in line with other, similar articles. Xyl 54 (talk) 03:11, 9 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Brandywine Creek & red hackle[edit]

The 'Brandywine distinction' was only adopted in 1934 by the Royal Berkshire Regiment "to commemorate the part played by the Light Company of the 49th Regiment in action at Brandywine Creek in 1777" (War Office letter No 54/OFFICERS/30 Ya (MGO.Yb) dated 4th April 1934). The 49th regiment had become the 1st Battalion, the Berkshire Regiment, in 1881.

In Regimental circles, however, it was recognised that the action being commemorated was really the attack ten days later at Paoli Tavern after which, tradition states, the detached light companies comprising the 2nd Light Infantry battalion adopted red feathers in their hats in defiance of American threats of revenge ('The China Dragon', No 94. July 1934). There is no evidence that this in fact happened and many practical objections to the legend being true. The 49th Regiment records, dating from the 1840s, are ambiguous. The 46th Regiment, whose light company was also present at Paoli Tavern, nonetheless successfully claimed the privilege of a red cap distinction in 1833, having returned from nineteen years abroad wearing a red plume in their light company shakos instead of the regulation green.

Despite the red feather story, the 'Brandywine Distinction' was never a red hackle. It was authorised in 1934 that:

(a) Officers will wear a red cloth background to the metal portion of the cap badge worn with

Service Dress

(b) Other Ranks will wear a square patch of red cloth under the cap badge worn with Service Dress

(c) All Ranks will wear, on the pagri, on the right side of the foreign service helmet, a strip

of red cloth 1 ¼” in width.

After the Second World War a inverted red triangle was adopted for wear behind the cap badge on the blue beret. Said to recall the shape of a red plume, this came to be known as the 'Brandywine Flash' and was worn by the descendants of the Royal Berkshires until the Royal Gloucester, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry was absorbed into The Rifles in 2007. The term 'flash' probably comes from the fact that for 25 years the Royal Berkshires had one battalion or the other serving east of Suez and unit distinctions worn on the side of the regulation sun helmets were known as 'flashes.' In 1934, the 1st Battalion notes announced: "We now wear the red flash on the right side of our helmets, and very smart it looks." (The China Dragon, No 94. July 1934). JF42 (talk) 15:10, 9 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Royal title[edit]

The Berkshire regiment did not receive its 'Royal' title until four years after the the regiment was formed. I have adjusted the article accordingly.JF42 (talk) 15:10, 9 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]