Colours of the Regiment

French regiments carried two company flags or drapeaux d’ordonnance and one, white, colonel’s flag. The details of these flags before 1715 are to be found in the Mss. of DuVivier and La Moskowa.

White cross, cantons with 9 wavy flames alternating blue and white. (Du Vivier 309).

Red cross edged blue at cantons 1 and 4 and yellow at cantons 2 and 3 ; cantons 1 and 4 yellow, 2 and 3 red, in each the gold harp beneath the English crown, on the cross beneath the crown the letters "JR" interlaced and mirrored in gold and the motto "PRO DEO REGE ET PATRIA" in gold letters. (Du Vivier 198)

Unknown. 1702-14: probably white with white cross and the designs of the regimental flag.

Unusual for our eyes is the "French" flag with a white cross and Swiss-style blue flames in the cantons (Du Vivier 309). I think this can be explained as follows: The Irish regiments came to France in 1691 as the army of the deposed King James II and therefore carried his emblems on their flags. For the French they were "auxilliaries" – not part of their army. The treaty of Ryswick imposed the condition on Louis XIV of recognising William III as king. At this point the Irish regiments were taken into French service and presumably received the French style flags (along with French pay). Louis XIV promised James to support his son’s pretension to the English crown. On the death of William III in January 1702 he redeemed this promise by declaring the Old Pretender King of England. It was presumably at this date that the Irish regiments resumed the English style flags since they were once again the "Kings Army".

Introduction     Service History      Uniforms 
 
 

Wild Geese Home Page