Entering the parade grounds at Burnham Army Camp, soldiers from 2/1 RNZIR march for the presentation of the King's Colours. October 31, 2024. Photo / George Heard
Entering the parade grounds at Burnham Army Camp, soldiers from 2/1 RNZIR march for the presentation of the King's Colours. October 31, 2024. Photo / George Heard
A rarely seen military parade at Burnham Army Camp near Christchurch today marked the presentation of the King’s Colours to the 2/1 RNZIR.
The King’s Colours replace the previous ensign of the regiment – the Queen’s Colours.
“The colours are a significant part of the unit, the unit’s soul and heart”, said Major General (retired) Evan Williams.
Williams served with the NZDF for 39 years, enlisting soon after the regiment’s Queen’s Colours were presented in 1980. King’s Colours haven’t been presented in New Zealand since before the World War II – and these are the first of King Charles III’s reign.
Major General (retired) Evan Williams accompanies the Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro to the parade grounds at Burnham Army Camp. Photo / George Heard
Speaking before the parade and ceremony, Williams explained the process of receiving the colours.
“Remember that they have not been consecrated. So, they are actually still what we will rudimentarily call flags - but they are something that has been embodied into the unit when they went to be picked up from London,” he said.
The new colours are the work of three highly skilled embroiderers based in the United Kingdom. The colours were completely hand-stitched with 75 grams of gold thread and 150g of silk thread used in the intricate embroidery. More than 900 hours of labour has gone into creating the colours.
The new colours for 2nd/1st Battalion Royal NZ Infantry Regiment.
“The stitching is absolutely intricate. It is all hand-stitched, all the battle honours and the lettering and the images are very, very detailed. The colours that we are farewelling today have lasted 44 years, so that gives you an indication of the durability,” said Williams.
In a message from Buckingham Palace, King Charles said “your country and your regiment’s history is sewn into the very fabric of these colours. They recall the courage and selfless commitment on the battlefield of soldiers who, like yourselves, were drawn from every part of New Zealand”.
King Charles also said that he greatly regrets that he “cannot be with you to present your colours in person”. In his place was Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro.
Before the new colours could be presented, the old colours were farewelled.
“Once they have a farewell from the unit or whatever terminology you want, we normally lay them up in a sacred place here at the church or a location that allows those colors to lay at rest. And in this case, the Commanding Officer [Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Smith] has decided that the colours will be laid up in the chapel here at Burnham,” said Williams.
The new colours for 2nd/1st Battalion Royal NZ Infantry Regiment.
The new colours also include new battle honours.
“Today we are getting battle honours from the New Zealand Māori contingent, the New Zealand Pioneer Battalion and the 28th and the 27th Machine Gun Battalion from World War II,” said Smith.
“These battle honours have never been emblazoned on any colours before. So, we’re really reflecting our full military heritage,” he added.
The Queen's Colours, paraded for the last time at Burnham Army Camp. Photo / George Heard
The parade saw more than 200 soldiers marching on the parade grounds, one of the largest in recent memory, according to one senior officer.
Mike Thorpe is a senior multimedia journalist for the Herald, based in Christchurch. He has been a broadcast journalist across television and radio for 20 years and joined the Herald in August 2024.
