The Chapel of The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment
In the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit Guildford
The Furnishings
The East Surrey Memorial Windows
Facing the entrance to the Chapel are The East Surrey Regiment windows. The left-hand panel depicts the badge of the Huntingdonshire Regiment (1782). The right-hand panel shows the badge of the Surrey Regiment (1782).
In 1881 the Huntingdonshire Regiment and the Surrey Regiment amalgamated to form the 1st and 2nd Battalions The East Surrey Regiment. These windows, the gift of The East Surrey Regiment, were for many years in the Officers’ Mess of the Regimental Depot at Kingston-upon-Thames. The badge of The East Surrey Regiment is in the centre panel.
The left-hand badge purports to be that of the 31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot. It is a circular ‘belt’ containing a stag (the badge of Huntingdon) two hounds, a tree and an archer, the Roman figures XXXI in a scroll beneath - the number of the Regiment in order of precedence. The official cap badge of the regiment was, however, the crowned belt with XXXI inside without the picture. The centre badge is that of The East Surrey Regiment and is the seven pointed star with a crown in place of the eighth point. The shield bears the arms of Guildford with the addition of three salmon on the castle’s centre turret - taken from the Kingston-upon-Thames arms. The right-hand badge is that of the 70th Foot - the Surrey Regiment amalgamated with the 31st Foot in 1881 to form The East Surrey Regiment. It consists of a crowned belt with the central Roman LXX faced with Surrey Regiment, Glasgow Greys - the 70th’s nickname appears on a scroll beneath the badge. This is not part of the official 70th badge.
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| The clergy Stall and Kneeler. |
A full description of the Chapel, its decoration, furnishings and a list of Donors are contained in a bound Record Book which is permanently kept in the Chapel.
The beautiful altar rail was carved by craftsmen of HMS EXCELLENT. It bears the ship’s crest and was presented by the Ship’s Company.
On the left is the clergy stall in memory of those officers and men of The Queen’s Royal Regiment who died during the campaign in Malaya between 1954 - 1957.
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| The Lectern and Bible |
The Lectern, an eagle of carved English Oak, was the gift of Lt Col A C Bromhead CBE JP. It was designed by Sir Edward Maufe RA.
The Bible was the gift of Major General J Y Whitfield CB DSO OBE, the last Colonel of the Queen’s Royal Regiment.
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| The Queen’s Royal Surrey Regiment Gate |
The Gate at the west end of the Chapel was added in December 1961. It was designed by the Cathedral Architect, Sir Edward Maufe RA. It is in blue and gilt and bears the badge of The Queen’s Royal Surrey Regiment.
Inside the chapel there is more evidence of the Regiment’s association with the Royal Navy and with the Royal Marines.
The Queen’s Royal Regiment fought as marines on the Glorious First of June and The East Surrey Regiment began life as Colonel Villiers’ Marines in 1702.
The shades of the lights round the Chapel are in the shape of the bows of a ship and the Chapel ceiling is shaped like the ribs of a boat.
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General Sir George Giffard’s GCB Banner
The Banner on the left of the entrance to the Chapel is the Crest and Banner of a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. It belonged to the late General Sir George Giffard GCB, DSO, Colonel, The Queen’s Royal Regiment from 1945 - 1954. Originally in Westminster Abbey, on his death in 1965 he left the Banner to his old Regiment for safe keeping in this chapel.
Related
The Holy Spirit Chapel
The Furnishings
