3^rd and 4^th Battalions The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment (TA)

Figure 66

The New Colours of the 4th Battalion March Past

In 1961, the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th Battalions of The Queen’s were amalgamated to form 3^rd Queen’s Surreys, while the 6^th East Surreys and the 23^rd London became 4^th Queen’s Surreys. New Colours were presented to both battalions at Woking on 12^th July 1963 by the Rt Hon the Earl of Munster PC KBE. Both sets of Colours followed the design of those of the 1^st Battalion with certain differences. First, there were distinguishing battalion numerals on both Colours; secondly the TA Queen’s Colours bore the battle honours FESTUBERT 1915 and GAZA in addition to those borne by the 1^st Battalion. Thirdly, in commemoration of the service of the 23^rd London as 42^nd RTR, the 4^th Battalion inherited the honorary distinction of a badge of the Royal Tank Regiment previously described in the section on the 23^rd London Regiment.

Figure 67

After the TA reorganisation of 1965-67, these Colours passed to the 6^th (Territorial) Battalion The Queen’s Regiment (Queen’s Surreys) and later to the 6^th/7^th (Volunteer) Battalion. They were laid up in Southwark Cathedral on 16^th November 1980, as shown in figures 71, 72, 73.