17th Regiment King's Colour
The purpose of His Majesty's 17th Regiment of Infantry in America is to commemorate the service of the men and women of His Majesty's 17th Regiment of Infantry to the very best of our abilities. We are primarily concerned with respecting and honoring the 17th Regiment alone and always keep in mind that everything we do, no matter how trivial, reflects on the honor and memory of the real regiment. A group of private individuals from all walks of life, the members of our society conduct continuous research to better understand the realities of life as the original members of the real regiment experienced them and communicate the results of our labors to the public through a variety of interpretive living history programs at historic sites throughout the year. We are not, strictly speaking, a "reenacting" or "recreated" unit, since the members recognize that it is impossible to present an entirely accurate portrait of the past. This issue is particularly problematic in regards to events, as opposed to clothing, weaponry, and deportment, since climate and geography change over time and modern people are physically different from our eighteenth-century forebearers.
Portraying the 17th Regiment as accurately as possible entails using detailed reproductions of regimental uniforms and equipment, conducting painstaking research, and maintaining a singularity of purpose and devotion. We reproduce equipment from surviving eighteenth century examples whenever possible (otherwise employing written descriptions or contemporary images), using techniques and materials that mirror those of the period. Extensive documentary investigations are required and undertaken to establish behavioral norms for the period, in order to insure that we commemorate the regiment as accurately as we can. Society members must have a keen interest in and a devotion to the British Army in general and the regiment in particular, and be willing to comply with documented practices as much as possible. This means sleeping in brush shelters or under the stars, cooking and eating from camp kettles, maintaining strict military discipline on the field and refraining from anachronistic practices at all times. While we can never hope to capture the exact same experience as the historical individuals we study, by cutting as few corners as possible within the constraints of twenty-first century life, we derive a better understanding of the sorts of issues with which the original men and women had to contend. We feel this adds greatly to our ability to interpret the regiment's history to the public and maintain the memory of the 17th's service in America.
A key aspect of our commemorative project is to provide support for the veterans of the 17th's descendent regiments, the Royal Leicestershire Regiment and subsequently the Royal Anglian Regiment, whenever possible. Over the past few years, members of our society have participated in fundraising efforts for and donated reproduction equipment to the Royal Leicestershire Regimental Museum in Leicester. We are in constant contact with members of the regimental veteran's society, The Royal Tigers Association, and do our best to aid their efforts of keeping the regiment's memory alive. To that end, we maintain a page on this website dedicated to news from the Royal Tigers and the Royal Anglians, and stand ready to direct any questions we cannot answer from the regiment's widespread family to the proper authorities.
Our standards for membership are high: we desire the company of individuals who are seriously dedicated to preserving and commemorating the service and experiences of His Majesty's 17th Regiment of Infantry in America, from 1757 through 1784. Members are encouraged, but not required to contribute to our interpretive programs by investing in a reproduction uniform and equipment, guidelines for which are provided by the society. Individuals who wish to serve primarily in a research or support capacity are more than welcome. We all hope you enjoy the information on offer here and invite you to contact the commander with any questions, comments, or suggestions.
VENI ET VICI!
December 2010
Copyright WPTIII, 2007.