Friday, July 23, 2004

100 years ago: The Yorkshire Volunteers were busily engaged with the button stick, smartening themselves up for camp. In his day TT didn't mind pipe-claying, and button brushing, and dubbening boots, but rolling overcoats gave him "canteen inclinations". A good overcoat roller in a company need never thirst, in fact he could, if he liked, rule his comrades with a rod of iron. TT believed every man had to roll his own things up now, and if necessary demonstrate that he could put on unaided the whole of his equipment, but that wasn't true in his day. These reminisces were prompted by the Northallertons, or as they rejoiced in describing themselves, as the 1st North Yorks, who were true to their "old love", intending to camp at Harriet Air near Helmsley, along with the Hull Rifles and the Beverley Buffs.

50 years ago: Americans seemed to observe St George's Day, "our national day", with more conscientiousness than the English did. A Malton member of the Royal Society of St George had sent in press cuttings which showed that April 23 was celebrated in New York with due deference to the importance of the occasion. Even so, it was the Scottish representatives in the shape of Yonkers Kiltie Pipers who led the parade to the special service in the nave of the Cathedral of St John the Divine. The service, attended by something like 5,000 people, had a parade of 43 patriotic and religious organisations, and a colour guard who bore the standard and banners of the participating groups. The service was under the auspices of the American Order, Sons of St George, the American Independent Daughters and the Daughters of St George, and messages to and from Queen Elizabeth II were read. In York it had been found impossible to found a branch of the Royal Society, owing to the lack of a chairman and honorary secretary, although there were 150 members in the city.

25 years ago: An infantry regiment's colours went to their final resting place at Strensall after 21 years of ceremonial use. The standards of the 1st Battalion King's Regiment were lodged in the Officers' Mess of the King's Division Depot as a tribute to the unit's work in training new recruits. New colours had been presented to them the previous year by the Queen Mother, their list of battle honours stretching back to the 18th century Battle of Blenheim.

Updated: 09:52 Friday, July 23, 2004