Flags or their equivalents have served to remind men of past resolves, past deeds and past sentiments of esprit de corps, or personal devotion, patriotism or religion. Regimental Colours have an ancestry almost as long as man himself, for they have their origin in the desire of primitive man to distinguish himself from his neighbours. Primitive man painted distinguishing marks on his body to denote to which family or tribe he belonged. When making war the badge of the Chief was hoisted upon a pole so that it could be seen at a distance and serve as a rallying point. . The placing of family badges on banners ended when professional leaders ousted noblemen from positions of authority. However, companies and regiments were assigned colours which would be recognisable on the battlefield. Thus the term "Colour' came to be used to designate regimental insignia. The ceremony known as Trooping the Colour is believed to have been originated by the Duke of Cumberland during the reign of George II. The ceremony stems from the days of the early mercenaries when men were taught to use their flag as a rallying point in battle. It became customary in the British Army before a battle to salute the colours by beat of drum (this is what the expression "Trooping" means) before carrying them along the ranks so that every soldier could see them and be able to recognise them later. The modern-day procedure for the Trooping is as follows:
The guards march on to the parade ground, halt and proceed to form up, and post their Warrant Officers (WO's) and Student Officers (SO's). The No 1 Guard (Es**rt to the Colour) then march to where the Cadet Detachment Colour is handed to the Ensign who will carry it. The Es**rt presents arms while the right and left guides turn outwards to show that they are ready to prevent anyone from taking liberties with the Colour. The Colour is then solemnly carried at a slow march between the ranks of the assembled troops, escorted by an armed guard. The Es**rt will then re-join the main guard. The Dais Party then takes its place on the dais, where after the colour will be paraded, first at a slow march followed by a quick march, before the Officer taking the Salute, the assembled members of the Cadet Detachment and spectators. To conclude the parade, the band and guards will then march off to the tune of The Grey. The first 'Trooping' at Grey was held once on October 31, 1938, but it was only on June 3, 1955 as the climax of the Centennial celebrations, that the ceremony was again performed. It was not until 1957 that it was decided to hold this parade annually. There is no record of when or by whom the Grey Colour was made, but a photograph is shown in 1938 in a copy of the Eastern Province Herald. There were attempts to replace it in the late 70's, but the high costs, as well as red tape involving heraldry caused the project to be dropped. The flag was stitched back to health by Grey mothers at the time, and so it now continues to "answer to the breeze". The parade is the main essence of the year's cadet training for these cadets. As you watch the intricate manoeuvres performed by the cadets and listen to the band you will no doubt realise the amount of effort and devotion required of both cadet staff and cadets.
