King’s Colours presented

With military precision and ceremonial pomp, the retiring of the Queen’s and regimental colours was conducted. In the absence of King Charles III, Her Excellency Governor General of New Zealand Dame Cindy Kiro presented the new King’s Colours to soldiers at Burnham Military Camp recently. Reporter Dellwyn Moylan was there.

Members of the 2nd/1st Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (2/1 RNZIR) based at Burnham Military Camp farewelled retiring colours (ceremonial flags) and welcomed new ones.

The ceremonial parade of 250 officers and soldiers was a special chapter in the history of 2/1 RNZIR.

They were the first colours to be presented to the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) during the reign of King Charles III. The last time the sovereign’s colours or regimental colours were presented was in 1997.

As the notes of Auld Lang Syne echoed solemnly over a gathered crowd, the colours were marched through the ranks of those who had served under them.

With reverence, the New Zealand Army Band Drum Corps constructed a makeshift field altar.

The altar is made by building a drum pile. The pile for the consecration ceremony of the flags was draped in the 2nd/1st Battalions korowai and on top was laid a sacred stone.

The regimental and King’s flags were laid on top. The chaplains blessed and consecrated the flags turning them into colours.

Three skilled embroiderers in the United Kingdom spent over 900 hours creating the colours.

They were completely hand-stitched on 3m of silk cloth, with 75 grams of gold thread and 150g of silk thread used to make them.

The 2/1 RNZIR commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Sam Smith said it was an honour for the battalion, the army and New Zealand.

The new regimental colour had been emblazoned with eight new battle honours in recognition of former New Zealand infantry battalions that had not previously been recognised.

‘‘Today we are getting battle honours from the New Zealand Maori Contingent, the New Zealand Maori (Pioneer) Battalion, 28 (Maori) Battalion and 27 (Machine Gun) Battalion,’’ he said.

Due to their health, the last known survivors of the 28th Maori Battalion Sir Robert Gillies and 27th Machine Gun Battalion Doug Reid weren’t present to see the new regimental colours. Sir Robert Gillies passed away last Thursday.

For many present there was a long and proud tradition of generations serving. When those on parade were asked to raise their hand if they had family who had served, the vast majority raised their hands.

The colours were paraded off to be laid up in All Saints Church at Burnham.

The parade concluded with 2/1 RNZIR performing a spine-tingling rendition of the battalion haka to instill the battalion’s mana into the new colours.