NICKNAMES OF REGIMENTS. (Cassell's Magazine)

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2074, 22 October 1885, Page 3

NICKNAMES OF REGIMENTS. (Cassell's Magazine )

It is characteristic of our countrymen to piveodd and familiar names to institutions as well as individuals. In these, they show cither admiration or affection, fun or ridicule. Nearly every regiment in the British army has its especial sobiiquet. They had their origin in various distinguishing ppculiantics, which a few of the most notable examples may be found both amusing anil interesting. The nicknames which came into vogue through some characteristic of the commanding officer, or from some feat ot the corps under his rule, at the tune when regiments were known by the name of thtir colonels, are gradually beinp forgotten. Sobnqneh more likely to survive arc those which sprang from distinguished actions, from the colours of the facings, from a play up >n number*, and so forth Recent military changes have, for the time at least, placed numbers in the hick -ground : but it is not likely, for example, that the men of the first battalion (the old 30th} of the East Lancashire Regiment will forget that they are the Treble X's (XXX) ; neither will innov.it on deprive the old 40th (now the first battalion of the South Lancashne Regiment) of the honour of being called the Excellers (XL-ers). The second battnlion of the. West Riding Regiment is stili the Seven-and-sixpennieo, from its former number, the 76th ; and although the identity of the 77th is obscured under its new designation a« thespeond bittaliou r.f the Middlesex Regiment, it tan still be easily remembered as the Pothooks Tht 53rd, now the first battalion of the Shiopshire Regiment, is familiar as the Fm e-and thieepi nnies, not only on account. o f it 1 - number, but also from the d<uly pay of i's subalterns. AnoHiei nam<- given to that well-known corps is the Bnckdusts, from the peculiai colour of the facings The colour of the facings has indeed given odd names to various regiment". Thus the sth Dragoon Guards are the Green Horse, while the 7th (Queen's Own) Hussars are the Black Horse. In the infantry at least one nickname of this description has been transformed to the real name of the corps, namely, the Buffs, or the East Kent Regiment. The designation Buff arose from the accoutrements of the soldiers being composed of buffalo leather when the regiment was raised in 1665. buff being a contraction of buttle or buffalo. It may be remarked, by the way, that another sobriquet conferred upon the Buffs was the Nutcrackers, from the men having at Albuera, cracked the heads of the I'olish Lancers. The colour of their facings has, in like manner, gi\en the nickname of Green Linnets to the Dorsetshire Regiment, and Celestials (the colour being sky-blue) to the former 97th Regiment, now the second battalion of the gallant 50th. The Pompadours in the nickname of the second battalion (old 56th) of the Essex Regiment, that name being at one time given to a purple colour used in the uni form. Another conspicuous and familiar example of the same description is the Black Watch. During the Peninsular War, the sth Regiment (the Northumberland Fusilier*) gained the soldier-like title of the Fighting Fifth ; while the Lancashire Fusiliers (20th Regiment) have long been known as the Minden Boys for the gallantry of the corps during that battle. For the same rca«on the 74th Highlanders (now the second battalion of the Highland Light Infantry) won the distinction of being called the Assaye Regimeut. Die hards is the name gi%en to the first battalion (37th) of the Middlesex Regiment for prowess on the field of Albuera. It is a time honoured and muchesteemed privilege of the Roj'al Welsh Fusiliers to pi«s in review preceded by a sjoat with gilded horns, and decorated with ringlets and flowers. This goat always accompanies the regiment, which has consequently received the name of the Nanny Goats. Lancashire Lads is the name bestowed upon the first battalion of the Royal North Lancashire Regiment, which for some unexplained cause has also the less pleasant toix^wt 1 Cauliflowers. The 78th Highlanders are known as the Kinp-'s ■nen from their Gaelic motto Ctnilich'n liirjh — i.e. , Help the King. Two very amusing names have been attached to the Royal Irish Fusiliers. The first, the Old Fogs, is a corruption of the battle-cry Fauifh-a-Ballah — j r , clea<* the mail ; the other arose from the teculur p'onunciation of their conntryi m who called them the Algiers, on. act miit of their having captured an Impon.il Kiglii from a French regiment at tlie Haul'- of Barro^a.

Tiir IMr'w.v Hakvk^t. — The Pms •iuvt stit-wical Deputnient have just . --sne 1 in itupoi taut report on the harvest pmapf cts of the kingdom of Prussia, foniifl'-rl upon info'.nition about every (liflti ict collected through the local agii cultural societies. Assuming 100 ns a representative figure of an average har \e«t or crop, the following is the estimate for the whole kingdom : Wheat, OS per cent ; rye, !)l ; 7>arley, 93 ; oiN, 91 ; beans and peas, 93 ; potatoes, !I8 ; turnips, rape, &c, 92 ; clover, 'JJ ; meadow hay, 98. East and West Prussia and the Rhineland seem to have the test prospects ; Silesia and Brandenburg are at the lower end of the scale. The best wheat harvest is in the province of East Prussia ; rye in the Rhineland ; barley in West Prussia, Saxony and Rhineland ; oats in West Prussia; beans, &c, in Nchlesu ig-Hohttin ; turnips, &c , m th« Rhineland ; clover and hay in Hanover.