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

DRESS AND RANK.

Commencing with the Medical Department, we shall be able to distinguish the Surgeon and Assistant-Surgeon principally by the belt, which is of black leather. They also wear the black shoulder-belt and instrument case; in other respects their uniform is the same as is that of the other officers of the regiment to which they belong, with the exception of wearing a cocked hat with a black cock’s-tail feather, drooping, and five inches in length.

When medical officers belong to what is called the “Staff,” and not to any particular regiment, their full-dress is a scarlet tunic with black velvet collar and cuffs, blue cloth trousers with gold lace, two and a half inches wide for a Director-General or Inspector-General, and one inch and three quarters for officers below that rank; cocked hat with black cock’s-tail feathers, shoulder-belt and sword-belt of black morocco.

In undress a double-breasted blue frock coat, two rows of buttons down the front, trousers of dark blue with scarlet stripe, the breadth of the stripe varying according to the rank, the same as the lace.

The forage cap consists of blue cloth with black leather peak and chin strap, black silk oak leaf pattern band, surmounted by a crown embroidered in gold on the front. A shell jacket is also worn in undress, and is the same as for infantry officers, the collar and cuffs of black velvet.

The various ranks in the Medical Department are—

Director-General of the Army Medical Department, who ranks as Brigadier until he has served three years in that rank, when he ranks as Major-General. The latter rank is distinguished by inch lace round the collar with a star at each end, whilst a crown and star in silver with half-inch lace on the collar indicate the former rank.

A Deputy Inspector-General ranks as a Lieutenant-Colonel until he has served five years, after which he ranks as a Colonel; he has the same lace, with a crown at the end of the collar. This also is the dress of a Surgeon-Major, who ranks as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the army.

A Staff-Surgeon ranks as Major, and has half-inch lace round the top and bottom of the collar, with a star in silver at each end.

An Assistant-Surgeon ranks as Lieutenant until he has served six years, when he takes rank as Captain. He has the same lace on his collar as a Staff-Surgeon, but has a crown only at each end.

All the Medical Staff who rank equal to or above a Major have two rows of half-inch lace round the top of the cuff, whilst officers below that rank have one row only bound on the cuff.

The officers equal to the rank of Major or above it have the badges of their rank as a crown or star on their collar, whilst officers below that rank have their collars plain. Thus the Medical Department generally may be recognised by their cocked hats with black plume, the black belt, and also by the buttons, which have V. R., with a crown, and “Medical Department” written round.

With every regiment there are, besides the medical officers, a Quartermaster and a Paymaster. The Quartermasters wear the dress of their regiment, but wear also a cocked hat, this being the insignia of what is termed the Staff of an Army, viz., of General Officers, Aides-de-Camp, Surgeons, Quartermasters, Adjutant-Generals, &c. The Paymasters also wear the dress of their regiments with cocked hats, the Quartermaster’s hat having a white cock’s feather five inches long, mushroom shape, with red underneath, whilst the Paymasters wear no feathers. The waist-belts are black for both these departments.

In almost all the Cavalry Regiments, including the 1st and 2nd Life Guards, the ranks are distinguished as follows—

All Field Officers have a row of embroidery round the collar and cuffs, whilst those below that rank have none. A Full Colonel has a crown and star in silver at each end of the collar, with embroidery; a Lieutenant-Colonel a crown only, with embroidery; a Major, with star and embroidery; a Captain, crown and star; Lieutenant, crown; Sub-Lieutenant, star. The Veterinary Surgeon has a cocked hat with a red feather.

We next come to a long list of Staff Officers, among whom are Adjutant and Quartermaster-Generals with their Deputies, Assistants and Deputy-Assistants, Brigade Majors, Military Secretaries, Aides-de-Camp, Staff of Garrisons, &c. The general principles of these dresses are the same. The tunic is scarlet or blue, edged round with gold cord; on each side of the breast four loops of the same cord with caps and drops.

The ranks of Staff Officers are distinguished by the knot on the cuff and the crown and star. All the Staff wear the cocked hat, the general form of feather being upright, with white and red swan feathers.

In many cases officers of the rank of General or Field-Marshal are Colonels of particular regiments. The present Commander-in-Chief, for example, being Colonel of the Royal Artillery. When this is the case, and any duty specially concerning Artillery is carried on, it is usual for an officer not to attend in the dress of a General or Field-Marshal but in that of the Colonel of the regiment to which he belongs.