The East Surrey Regiment

The Dettingen Cup

On Guest nights this cup was placed in front of the Second Senior Officer of the Regiment dining in, i.e. opposite the Huntingdonshire Salt.

Around the cup are depicted scenes from the Battle of Dettingen while on the side is inscribed: -
“Dettingen June 27^th 1743”
Inside the lid is the inscription:- “Presented by Lieut Colonel H L Smith, DSO, to his Brother Officers on leaving the Regiment June 21^st 1911. The 20^th and 31^st Regiments were sent into action by His Majesty King George II in person, who mistaking the Regiment for the 3^rd Buffs, as their facings were similar, called out “BRAVO BUFFS” and when reminded it was the 31^st, His Majesty rejoined, “BRAVO YOUNG BUFFS.” This name, valuable for the time and manner it was conferred, has since been retained as a traditional title.”

It was the custom on the 27^th June, the Anniversary of Dettingen, for all Officers at Dinner to drink from the cup, the toast being, “Success to the 1^st Battalion The East Surrey Regiment.” The toast was drunk by every officer in turn. The procedure was laid down in the old Minute Book of the 1^st Battalion. The Cup is now with the 3^rd Bn The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment.

The Halt in the Desert Centrepiece

This is an unusual and romantic piece of silver. It was purchased out of the Officers’ Mess Fund by the officers of the 70^th Regiment in 1866 on the return of the Regiment from New Zealand in that year, from an agent of the Marquis of Hastings. The group was made by Garrard & Co and entitled by Garrards “A Halt in the Desert”, and run for at Goodwood Races in 1866, being won by a four year old horse called “The Duke” owned by the Marquis of Hastings. The trophy was in fact for The Goodwood Cup Race, value three hundred sovereigns added to a sweepstake of twenty sovereigns for the winner, the second to receive one hundred sovereigns out of the stakes. The race was over a course of two and a half miles.

“The Duke” carried nine stone and was ridden by a jockey called Fordham. The second horse, owned by Baron Rothschild was called “Tourindlen”, was three years old, carried seven stone three pounds and was ridden by Peake. Betting was “evens” on “The Duke” which won by a length. Where and from whom the centrepiece was purchased is not clear. As a matter of interest, the horse depicted is acknowledged by blood and stock experts to be one of the finest representations in silver of an Arab horse.

On 25^th September 1959, on the occasion of a dinner attended by past and present members of the 6^th Battalion The East Surrey Regiment to celebrate the Battalion’s hundredth birthday, the “Halt in the Desert" was handed over by Brigadier GRP Roupell VC, CB, DL Colonel, The East Surrey Regiment to Colonel T MacD Baker CBE TD DL, Honorary Colonel 6^th Battalion The East Surrey Regiment (TA) to be kept on permanent loan by the Officers 6^th Battalion The East Surrey Regiment (TA) as a token of respect by the 1^st and 2^nd Battalions for the part played by the 1/6^th and 2/6^th Battalions in the 1939-1945 War. The centrepiece is now with the 3^rd Bn the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment.