During the 20th century it was decided to confine battle honours gained in the two World Wars to the King’s Colour, so this Regimental Colour has none of the WW1 or WW2 honours. In 1930 any regiment not authorised to display their badge in the centre of the Regimental Colour was permitted to do so. And so the badge of the East Surreys is displayed, surrounded by the title and a Union wreath carefully embroidered. The King’s Crown was the same for all the Kings between 1901 and 1952. This Colour would have been used from 1945 to 1952 by which time the crown was changed to that of Elizabeth II. So it had a short life and would not have had rigorous exposure, thus the good condition. The 1st and 2nd Battalions would have had identical Colours apart from the Roman numeral in the upper canton, and the lack of a Rose below the wreath on the 2nd Battalion Colour.
