Jan, 1128 the church council of France officially recognized as a military-religious order- warrior monks. All members wore white cloaks, who cast behind their dark life- in 1146 they took on the sprayed red cross, became Knight templars. 1162- 1332-- (And so England took this uniform as the flag of England- white with a Red cross.)
On the second Crusade, the most disciplined fighting force in the world..In those days the cut their hair- but forbidden to cut their beards-- to cast behind them their dark life-- now a pure white life.