| EMBLAZONED with the RAR's,
"Duty First" the new regimental flag will be flown officially
for the first time on Anzac Day 2004. Many RAR Associations have
unofficially flown locally manufactured flags in the past, but it was
not until 2003 that AHQ officially approved the flag design.
Receiving the Royal assent on March
23, 1949 and as each battalion was raised from 1949 to 1972, the nine
full-time infantry battalions flew their own officially assigned and
distinctively coloured unit flag. Although each unit flag is adorned
with the regiment's Skippy badge as the flag's regimental device, there
was no one regimental flag. This changed in 2003 when a three-stripe
scarlet, rifle green and scarlet regimental flag was authorised.
When selecting the date on which the
flag would be officially flown for the first time, the regimental
colonel, Brig Chris Appleton, said that there were many significant and
important historical events in the regimental calendar. He cited
examples such as the battle honours of Korea (Samichon, Maryan San and
Kapyong) and South Vietnam (Coral-Balmoral and Long Tan) to name but a
few.
The RAR's November 23 birthday was
also a consideration but he decided on Anzac Day as it is that one day
of the year when members of the Regiment remember their forebears from
all campaigns.
The flag will be flown at RHQ at Lone
Pine Barracks, Singleton, as well as in each of the six remaining
full-time battalion locations in Darwin, Townsville, Brisbane and
Sydney.
|
