British East India Company Flags?

[gloriousbattle]

I know a little about the later Colonial period, but zip about the earlier period.  Did the East India Company fight under its own flags?  Anybody know of a good website?

Thanks

[Plynkes]

It's complicated. Varied over time and in the early days there may have been differences across the three presidencies as they were effectively independent of each other. What period are you interested in?

For example: Early on in the Madras army every Sepoy company had its own colour (their roots as mercenary bands meant that until the 1760s they were organised as independent companies rather than battalions and they seem to have continued this practice for a while after being reorganised into battalions).

Towards the end of the 18th Century Sepoy battalions of the Bengal Presidency had three colours: A Union flag, a white flag bearing the East India Company's arms, and one in the regimental facing colour (the latter two both bearing a small Union in the top corner).

European regiments seem to have followed British Army practice of two colours: A King's/Queen's colour and a Regimental colour.

As this picture shows...

...Bengal Native Infantry regiments were still carrying three sets of colours in the 1840s. I think this was standard practice across all three armies, but I'm not sure. My reference books go into sleep-inducing detail about facing colours and uniforms and shit, but are infuriatingly terse on the subject of colours.

Once the HEIC was nationalised after the Mutiny, Company European regiments were absorbed into the British Army and given new names, and the Sepoy regiments of what was now the Indian Army reverted to a British Army style two-colour system.

[gloriousbattle]

Pretty early: Carnatic Wars, Bengal Campaign, generally the Clive stuff.

As an aside, he was either one of history's very greatest generals or the account of Plassey is badly skewed.  I'd think that if I had odds of 20:1, I could beat any army, even if my command was composed of lightly armed gerbils.

[Arthur]

As Plynkes said : it all depends on which period you wish to model. The years 1820-1857 are pretty well covered, earlier times less so. HEIC units tended to incresingly follow British practises and conventions as the 19th century unfolded, but since it's the earlier period you're interested in, regulations tended to be more flexible. I should have a copy of Wellington In India somewhere in my mess : I'll look up the flag issue of I can lay my hands on it.

[carlos marighela]

Plynkes is on the money as usual. I have seen pictures of someone who decorated their sepoy battalions with the HEIC merchant marine  ensign, which is almost certainly incorrect but it is a striking looking flag.

http://consumogustico.blogspot.com/2006/07/que-bandera-de-bandera.html

[starkadder]

You would do well to make an enquiry to the Nabob Himself, Great White Zulu, The Koh-i-Noor of Information at his blog: http://golcondarising.blogspot.com/

Strongly recommended but be sure to approach him with eyes downcast and on your knees. He is a powerful and terrible figure.

Wikipedia has two, from 1685 and from 1700 if that helps. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_India_Company

[Leapsnbounds]

Hi there,
  I'm no expert, but I believe that the East India Company had its own flags, at least that is what I am led to believe as I have outfitted all mySepoy Battalions with the flags offered by The Armchair General for the Second Maharatta War.  There are the Company Flags (which I assume is a subsitute for the King's Colors's and the regimental (battalion) colors.
  Anyway the Sepoy Battalions of my Wargame Armies look great with the two flags.  If its wrong, I stand corrected, but I'm not going to remove my standard bearers, what's a wargame army without flags?