History of the Worcestershire Regiment - Nicknames and Traditions

The Worcestershire Regiment - Nicknames and Traditions

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The Star of the regimental badge was taken from the Order of the Garter by Colonel Farrington, founder of the 29th. Having been an officer in the Coldstream Guards he kept the Star for his new Regiment - leading to the name 'Guards of the Line'.

The 36th also used a star in their badge. The Star was worn for many years on the Valise -part of a soldier's backpack. The Lion also came from the 29th, and may be copying that on the Royal Crest. It is believed that it was presented to the 29th in 1791 when they were on duty at Windsor.

The motto 'Firm' came from the 36th. It was worn from the 1770's at least, although the origin is unknown. It became official in 1810.

The Regiment used to use the Naval pattern of Crown on their badges, too. This was to commemorate their service with the Fleet at the Glorious First of June in 1794. This event is also remembered in two of the Regiment's marching tunes: Hearts of Oak, and Rule Britannia.

The 29th also had the nickname 'The ever-sworded 29th'. This dated from North America in 1746, when the Regiment was attacked by one of the local tribes. The Officers were in the Mess at the time and unarmed, and although the attack was defeated, it was very close. After that, all officers wore their swords in the Mess. From 1850 only the Orderly Officer and Captain of the week carried on that tradition.

The 36th were known as the 'Saucy Greens' because of the green facings (cuffs and collars) on the tunics. Although all English regiments were ordered to wear white in the 1880's, the 36th (by then the 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment) soon won the honour back and carried on wearing green.

'The Vein Openers' was another nickname for the 29th in memory of the Boston Massacre.

In 1770, a guard from the 29th was attacked by a mob while on sentry duty one night. A Captain and seven men rushed to his rescue but were also set upon by the crowd. In the struggle, shots were fired, and three Bostonians were killed and another five wounded.

This 'massacre' became the iconic event associated with the outbreak of the American War of Independence.

The Worcestershire Regiment - Soldiers of the 29th as they would have looked in 1770 at the time of the Boston Massacre - Click on image for a bigger picture.

The Regiment also enjoys strong links to Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, Canada. This goes back to 1749 when the 29th were guards to the first settlers at this site. They helped clear the ground and build the first town, and have been stationed there frequently since.

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EXHIBITION PREVIEW

Room 1

Introduction
Special Exhibition Area
The Regiment Today
Medals

Room 2

The Early Years
Militia and Local Volunteers
The Yeomanry, 1794-1899
The Napoleonic Wars
The Regiment, early 19thC
The Sikh Wars, 1845-49

Room 3

The Regiment, late 19th C
The Boer War
The Yeomanry in WW1
The Regiment in WW1
Victoria Cross Winners

Room 4

The Inter-war Years
The Yeomanry in WW2
The Regiment in WW2
The Postwar Years

HISTORY ZONE

Commandery - Origins
Worcester 1250AD Model
Worcester - Medieval
Worcester - Old Maps
Worcester - Old Paintings
Worcester - Old Photos
Worcester - Potted History