# Marching on the Colour



## Jabrwock (30 Aug 2008)

CFP 201, Chapter 8, Section 6, Para 3:

The Colour party shall march to its position by a series of forms (Figure 8-6-1).

Figure 8-6-1




The diagram makes it look like they are doing a band manoeuvre called Spiral Counter-March for Odd Numbers of Files (from CFP 202), and anyway, there's no such thing as an "about-form-squad", right? So is it a double-right-form?


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## George Wallace (30 Aug 2008)

Jabrwock said:
			
		

> CFP 201, Chapter 8, Section 6, Para 3:
> 
> The Colour party shall march to its position by a series of forms (Figure 8-6-1).
> 
> ...



It is a Counter March.


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## Jabrwock (30 Aug 2008)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> It is a Counter March.


What's the command for that? Bands only do the baton spin thing to indicate a counter march. Is there a reference in any manual that describes the timing/movements?


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## dangerboy (30 Aug 2008)

When I was on Colour Party the command was simply "Counter March".


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## davidk (30 Aug 2008)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> When I was on Colour Party the command was simply "Counter March".



Still is. It's usually called by the senior officer of the Colour Party.


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## Sig_Des (30 Aug 2008)

Jabrwock said:
			
		

> What's the command for that? Bands only do the baton spin thing to indicate a counter march. Is there a reference in any manual that describes the timing/movements?



Counter is the cautionary, March is the executive. The Drill is executed with the standard pauses between movements.


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## Jabrwock (30 Aug 2008)

Beadwindow 7 said:
			
		

> Counter is the cautionary, March is the executive. The Drill is executed with the standard pauses between movements.


Do we mark time at the end of the rotate, or keep marching like the band counter-march?


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## davidk (30 Aug 2008)

There is no mark time after the counter march. However, 'mark time' is called when the colours arrive in position.


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## medaid (30 Aug 2008)

I have seen the Counter March movement executed a few different ways, but the sharpest yet most controversial method is the one I'm about to describe. 

The cautionary "counter" is called on the left foot on the march and the executive was called on the right. Once the executive has been called you take one check pace with your left foot, glide your right foot in and begin mark time. However, as you are marking time, you are also left and right wheeling pending on which flank you are on and the centre merely turns on the spot. Once the all the members are in-line, an automatic forward march is executed with no command. Then the Commander halts the Colour Party in the desired location, and orders the Party to present Arms. Colour Party holds at the present until the Parade Commander orders Shoulder Arms.


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## Strike (30 Aug 2008)

When I was at RMC there was an order given for the counter and 10 steps (could have ben a different amount, the point being is was a set number) were counted to execute.  After 10 steps the formation automatically began the forward march.


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## medaid (30 Aug 2008)

Strike said:
			
		

> When I was at RMC there was an order given for the counter and 10 steps (could have ben a different amount, the point being is was a set number) were counted to execute.  After 10 steps the formation automatically began the forward march.



Bingo. When I was the CP Commander it was an extremely choreographed ballet. 

The whole thing if I remember it correctly went something like this.

Parade Commander (PC) 
Colour Party Commander (CPC)

PC: PARADE, Atten-TION
CPC: COLOUR PARTY, Atten-TION
PC: PARADE, Shoulder-ARMS
CPC: COLOUR PARTY, Carry the COLOURS
PC: Colour Party COMMANDER
CPC: Colour PARTY
PC: March On, the COLOURS
CPC: BY the centre, QUICK-MARCH
PC: PARADE, Present-ARMS
- CP troop the colours before the entire parade/unit. At the left flank CP COUNTER MARCHES then proceeds once again towards the centre of the parade, where CP executes a RIGHT FORM. The CP then marches down the depths of the parade/unit COUNTER MARCHES again, and then halts in line with the front rank of the parade/unit. -


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## LordSnow (5 Sep 2008)

I have seen it done in two differnt ways, both times there was 4 guards but formations were diff one was in a line like a reg parade the other was a hollow square, for the reg parade they marched the colors to the end and then back to the middle and in the hollow square they marched on from the right in front of the first 2 guards and asumed their position. the command to turn around was counter march, as far as the movement itself goes, I think the diagram shows it pretty well, the CPC called the halt once the turn was complete and followed up with: To your Colors, Salute.


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## armyvern (5 Sep 2008)

Van Sig op said:
			
		

> I have seen it done in two differnt ways, both times there was 4 guards but formations were diff one was in a line like a reg parade the other was a hollow square, for the reg parade they marched the colors to the end and then back to the middle and in the hollow square they marched on from the right in front of the first 2 guards and asumed their position. the command to turn around was counter march, as far as the movement itself goes, I think the diagram shows it pretty well, the CPC called the halt once the turn was complete and followed up with: To your Colors, Salute.



Hollow square is essentially our set up here right now for Freedom of the City.

Front file both Colours flanked by the escorts, middle file and positioned behind the escorts are the two orderlies with the Colour Party Commander following them in the third and last file - centered between the Colours.


Escort      Colour     Colour     Escort

Orderly                               Orderly

                       CPC


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## TCBF (5 Sep 2008)

Twelve years ago, Recruit Platoon Commanders (that is to say, Warrant Officers) between courses at CFLRS St Jean would often find themselves tagged for Flag Party Commander for Grad parades.  Four other instructors made up the rest of the party,  normally two Sgts with the flags and two MCpls as escorts.  The WO and the escorts carried C7s with bayonets fixed.  Foot drill in French, arms drill in English.  My goal as flag party commander was to ensure that if a recruit bought a copy of his/her grad video, the loudest parade voice on it would be mine.  Anyway: on the march-on: (flag party begins halted, at the far left flank of the drill hall, facing across the front of the grad parade, and will march on, passing across the front of the left flank platoon commander and passing behind the company commander on the right Form. 

Flag Party, by the center, Quick - March!
Flag Party, Change Direction Right,  Right  - Form!
For - ward!
Counter - March!
For - ward!
Mark - Time!
Flag Party - Halt!
Present - Arms!

Flag Party Commander gave the necessary commands to the flag party during the march pasts in slow and quick time, in column and column of route including forms, open/close order, eyes right/front, etc, and we had to do a mark time 'shuffle' moving to the right before and advancing after the march past.

On the march-off:

Flag Party, by the center, Quick - March!
Left - Form!
For - ward!
Change Direction Left, Left - Form! (FP is now at the far right flank of the drill hall, retiring)
Change Direction Left, Left - Form! (FP is now at the rear of the visible portion of the DH, noving left)
Change Direction Right, Right - Form! (FP retires through the gap in the curtain...

Off the top of my head, so, YMMV.


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