The official colors of the army

In the British army colours are carried by guards and line (except rifle) battalions, each battalion having two colours, the king’s and the regimental.moreover, The size of the colour is 3 ft. 9 in. by 3 ft., and the length of the stave 8 ft. 7 in. The colour has a gold fringe and gold and crimson tassels, and bears various devices and “battle honours.” Both colours are carried by subaltern officers, and an escort of selected non-commissioned officers forms the rest of the colour party. The ceremony of presenting new colours is most impressive.

The old colours are “trooped” (see below) before being cased and taken to the rear. The new colours are then placed against a pile of drums and then uncased by the senior majors and the senior subalterns. The consecration follows, after which the colours are presented to the senior subalterns. The battalion gives a general salute when the colours are unfurled, and the ceremony concludes with a march past. “Trooping the colour” is a more elaborate ceremonial peculiar to the British service, and is said to have been invented by the duke of Cumberland. In this, the colour is posted near the left of the line, the right company or guard moves up to it, and an officer receives it, after which the guard with the colour files between the ranks of the remainder from left to right until the right of the line is reached.

Australian Army color

After service Colours are laid up in sacred or public buildings in order to maintain an atmosphere of veneration. Colours are not disposed of or destroyed when their appearance has deteriorated beyond recognition, they are meant to be left to turn to dust as do the bodies of the fallen soldiers who served them.
The fact that colours have, from the early ages, been consecrated would give them an aspect of sacredness, which could not be wholly ignored when consideration was given to their disposal. In view of the reverence paid them whilst they are in service it is not surprising that care has been taken to ensure that they ultimately repose in sacred edifices or other public, buildings where their preservation is ensured with due regard to their symbolic significance and historic association.

Laying up of Colours

In the past the custom was for Guidons or Colours to be laid up in a place selected by the Commanding Officer in the case of an existing unit, or by the last Commanding Officer or Unit Association in the case of a unit not now on the ‘Order of Battle’. In 2011 this was changed so that Chief of Army has final approval on the requested location. The following are places that Colours have been laid up in the past:

• The Australian War Memorial in Canberra,
• A state war memorial,
• A cathedral, church or military chapel,
• A military corps, regimental or unit museum,
• A military corps school,
• Unit or Brigade Headquarters,or
• A civic building.

It was formerly the practice that ‘laid up’ colours could not be removed from their resting-place and taken back into service. This however has now been modified and the laid up colours of disbanded or amalgamated units may be retaken into service, by those units should they be brought back onto the Order of Battle, provided the colours are deemed serviceable.