Three More Regimental Colours Rescued From Burnt Out Clandon House

Published on: 15 Sep, 2015
Updated on: 15 Sep, 2015

Three more regimental colours from forbear regiments of today’s Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment (PWRR, nicknamed “The Tigers”), the local regiment for South East England, have been retrieved from the burnt out shell of Clandon House.

A water colour of Sgt McCabe with the Regimental Colour (not thought to be the one rescued) of the 31st of Foot on the Sikh ramparts at Sabraon in 1846.

In army infantry regiments, colours are flags that traditionally were rallying points for soldiers in battle; they bear a regiment’s battle honours. Seen to represent the regiment’s history and honour, they are much revered.

Until a few weeks ago, very little had been recovered from the disastrous fire at Clandon Park that destroyed the Surrey Infantry Museum in April this year.

In August contractors responsible for the site, gained access to the undercroft beneath the central range of the house. The undercroft is supported by vaulted stonework so ceilings did not collapse and the rooms within, apart from water damage, are intact.

A statement from PWRR said: “In one of the rooms, known as Tom Tit’s Stables, the contractors Erith Construction found three colours still in their frames screwed to the walls. Working with the contractors, the National Trust and the museum’s restoration company Farcroft, made arrangements to remove them.

“On Friday, August 21 a combined team from Erith and Farcroft entered the undercroft, removed the smallest of the colours from the wall and manoeuvred it out into the daylight. It was the colour of the 1st Battalion Huntingdon Regiment (31st of Foot, one of the forebears of the East Surrey Regiment). It dates from 1788 and bears some water and mould damage but should be restorable.

The rescued regimental colour of the 31st of Foot, just before it was taken to specialist restorers in the Midlands.

“The colour was immediately taken off to Farcroft’s workshops in he Midlands. Later that night the process of stabilisation and restoration began: after only a few days of initial treatment the results are impressive.

“The two remaining framed colours are too large and will not fit through the window: rather than risk damage by taking them out of their frames, they will be treated on site to restrict further mould growth and re-located to a drier and better-ventilated room on the west side of the undercroft, until they can be safely removed.

“After suffering the ravages of battle, fire and two-hundred years of history, another few weeks should do no harm.”

Clandon Park alight on April 29, 2015.

The unexpected find has raised hopes that when the full archaeologically-led salvage operation begins, probably in the next four weeks, there might be much more lying under the rubble waiting to be unearthed.

A significant number of medals were extricated on the night of the blaze, the Fire & Rescue Service dramatically rescued four colours of PWRR forebear regiments from the burning building just before the floors collapsed.

Only the shell of Clandon Park House survives – Photo NT

On the day after the fire, Clandon House stood as a burnt-out shell with very little internal structure left undamaged. The south range, which housed the museum in the basement and its reserve collection in the attics, was completely gutted. The heat had been so intense there was serious concern that the retaining walls had been deformed to the point where the entire building was in danger of collapse.

Four months after the fire, Clandon House, surrounded by high, green perimeter fencing, has survived and is eerily peaceful. Two tall cranes, working since July to remove the tangle of huge wooden beams, girders, loose brickwork and cabling littering the interior, stand beside the west front.

A small village of portable buildings, polytunnels and shipping containers has sprung up in the paddock on the far side of the ha-ha: from there the salvage phase of the operation will be directed, once the remaining heavy debris has been removed and all areas of the interior are safe to enter.

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