Evening star., 1900-03-06
REGIMENTAL MECHANICS.
How "'Dfe-Hards" and "Nanny Goats"
Earned Such Queer Applications.

From the London Globe.
To a mere civilian it may not seem a mat
ter of dire Importance how a man wears
his sword belt, provided 1t keeps the weap-
on in its proper place. But a well-regulated
Sth Hussar would scorn to wear his round
his waist as other cavalrymeu do. knowing
that he alone has the proud privilege of
wearing it over his right shoulder. This
has been allowed ever since 1868, as a re-
ward for the valor shown by his regiment
at the battle of Saragossa, where, among
other things, it captured the belts of the
Spanish cavalry opposed to it. Hence its
nickname of the cross belts.
Then the Northumberland FuSiliers and
the Scots Greys both prize their bearskins
all the more highly that the right 10 wear
them was conferred as recognition OF spe-
ciaI acts of valor. The former defeated a
division of French Grenadier Guards at Will
helmstahl in 1852. and the latter captured
the colors of the Regiment du Roi at the
battle of Families in 1905. And it is not on
record that the Black Watch have ever Pc
titioned the war office for leave to discard
their klltS-eyen when the French called
them Scotch savages.' and asserted that
they ran about naked on their native hills.
one of the most honorable titles in the
army is that borne by the MiddleseS regt-
ment-''the Die-hards." 1t has clung TO
them ever since the battle of Albuhera,
when the old 9th. as it was then called.
was almost annihilated having lost 22 otfi-
GERS out of %, and 40 men out of so. The
colonel kept crying out, Die hard, my men.
die hardt and it has never been forgotten.
Indeed, at the battle of Inkerman their
feader saved the situation at critical mo-
nent by shouting: Orchards, remember
Albuhera!'
an officer Of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers for
instance, stroye to rally his men in the
thick of a fight by crying. Nanny Goats.
remember Minden.' for it was by an act of
dalihEr4fp 6fGGheGi6VRa ~ adaH
50 brilliantly on that memorable day. Luck
lily for them, they Jared no worse than did
Nelson at Copenhagen.
Truly a poetical soul was he who first
dubbed the Northampton regiment the
Steelbacks," from the heroic way they bore
their fOsgings in the old days; and, having
got the name, they have nobly upheld it on
more than one occasion. The most notable
Instance of late years, perhaps, was that Of
Lieutenant Hill, who earned his v. C. by
saving here a man and there man under
fire at Laings Mex, in Natal, in 1881.
Talking of nicknames a good story is told
Of the Old Stubborns'' (the Sherwood For
esterst. For a long time the colonel tried to
have the 4Jth called by its present title OF
the Sherwood Foresters, but only got
nearly strangled to death in red tape for his
pains At last, enc day. hearing the two
regiments on either side of him on the pa
rade ground addressed by their full titles as
Princes Irish" ard "Connaught Rangers -
he turned TO his own men and in fit of ex-
aSperation shouted, nottingham hosiers,
attention. But, after all. Nottingham
hosiers' sounds quite as high-class as The
Ragged Brigade and yet this latter title
was only won after years of hard fighting
]. was bestowed by a grateful country on
the 18th Hussars at the close of their thir-
ty-second action in the peuinsular war
when 1t appears that the state of their
uniforms left a few trifles to be desired.
On the other hand We may imagine how
daZZliBg must have been the appearance
Of the Sth after it was remodefed in 1Sl3
VTirh officers chosen her
when We read that they were known TO
fame as the Elegant Extracts" To mill
tary ears the words ''Connaught Rangers
and The Devils Own" are SYNONYMOUS
terms: and so are The Old Toughs'' and
The Dublin Fusiliers. And who would
enlist in the 18th Lancers If they ceased to
b known as The Death or Glory Boys -
1sUt the finest and most inspiring name in
the whole range of the British army is
that Of the Royal Irish Fusilicrs-.'The
Faush-a- Ballagh Lads" and nobly they
sustained 1t as they Cleared tl,s. Way"
win the Old Toughs at Glencoe OF October
~