Brave British soldiers and the Victoria Cross / a general account of the regiments and men of the British Army, and stories of the brave deeds which won the prize "for valour"

by Unknown

ARMY DRESS.

A Field-Marshal’s dress consists of a single-breasted scarlet tunic, the collar laced round with inch lace. At each end of the collar are two batons, crossed, and formed of crimson velvet and gold, worked on a wreath of laurel embroidered in silver. The cuff, which is three inches and a quarter deep, has two rows of inch lace round the top, and there is a scarlet pointed slashed flap on the sleeve, laced with inch lace. On the left shoulder is a double gold cord, with a small button to retain the sash.

The buttons are gilt, and have on them two batons, crossed, and encircled with laurels.

Cocked hat, with a plume of long white swan feathers, drooping downwards and outwards, with scarlet feathers underneath.

The trousers are dark blue, with oak-pattern gold lace two and a half inches wide down the sides.

The sword is scimitar shape, and contained in a brass scabbard. The hilt is gilt, with an ivory grip, two batons crossed, and encircled with oak leaves on the handle. The sword belt is of Russian leather, one and a half inches wide, embroidered with three rows of gold embroidery. A sash of gold and crimson silk net is worn over the left shoulder, the ends of fringe hanging downwards.

The above is the full dress. The undress consists of double-breasted frock coat of dark blue. The collar and cuffs of blue velvet with cross batons on the collar, a double gold cord on the left shoulder to retain the sash. The trousers are dark blue, with a broad red stripe down the side. A forage cap with gold embroidered peak, and band of gold oak leaf lace two inches wide round the cap.

The full dress of a General is the same as that of a Field-Marshal, except that on the collar there is, in place of the cross batons, a silver embroidered crown and star an inch and a quarter long. The buttons are gilt, but instead of cross batons they have on them a sword and baton crossed. The handle of the sword also has on it a sword and baton crossed.

The undress of a General is blue frock coat, with sword and baton on collar; in other respects like a Field-Marshal’s.

The dress of a Lieutenant-General, a Major-General, and a Brigadier-General is the same as a General’s, with the exceptions that a Lieutenant-General has on his collar a crown only, instead of a crown and star. A Major-General has on his collar a star only, whilst a Brigadier-General has the collar plain, without star or crown.

We now come to the three principal divisions of the remainder of the regular officers, viz., Field Officers, Captains, and Subalterns.

Field Officers are all those above the rank of Captain and below the rank of General; they consist therefore of Colonels, Lieutenant-Colonels, and Majors. The distinguishing mark of a Field Officer is the lace or embroidery on his sleeves, which comes to a point up the arms; the annexed illustrations show the sleeve of a Field Officer of the Artillery. In all line regiments and in several others, the Full Colonel may be known by his wearing the dress of his regiment, and having on his collar a crown and star. A Lieutenant-Colonel has a crown only, whilst a Major has a star on his collar.

The sleeves of Line Officers are not embroidered, but the collar trimmings also indicate their rank, the Field Officers having lace round the top and bottom of the collar, down the edge of the skirts behind, on the edge of the skirt flaps and edge of the sleeve flaps, and two rows of lace round the top of the cuffs.

Officers below the rank of Field Officer have lace on the top only of the collar, one row round the top of the cuff and none on the edge of the skirts. Then on the collar a Captain has a star and crown, a Lieutenant a crown, and an Ensign a star.

When the frock coat is worn, the collar will indicate the rank of the Field Officer. The crown and star being the mark of the Colonel, a crown for Lieutenant-Colonel, and the star for the Major. The same marks are used for the various ranks when the shell jacket is used; but in both these cases there is in the Line no difference between the dress of a Captain and a Lieutenant or Ensign, but in the Royal Artillery and Engineers the cuff lace will indicate to which rank the wearer belongs. a, Field Officer’s patrol jacket; b, Captain’s sleeve for full dress; c, Lieutenant’s sleeve.

a. b. c.

The distinguishing marks on the collar and sleeves of the majority of the army serve to indicate the rank of the various officers, but we have also to deal with other details.