Corporal & Private c1880

Richard Simkin's painting of two soldiers of the 20th gives us details of the back and front of the uniform in review order. The tall busby has a crimson horsehair plume and matching bag hanging on the right side. The yellow cap-lines wind around the body of the headdress and fall behind to loop around the neck. The acorn ends hang on a small hook on the tunic on the right shoulder. The dark blue hussar tunic began life in the 1850s generously cut and with long skirts, but by the mid 1870s it was close-fitting and shorter in the skirt. The yellow cording crosses the chest in six rows with caps and drops, and brass ball buttons which partially fasten the tunic but are aided by hooks and eyes. The corporal has two gold chevrons on his upper right sleeve, and an inverted chevron on his right forearm for good conduct. The pouch-belt is white leather with brass fittings and a plain black leather ammunition pouch which clearly has no badge, as some regiments had. The sword is suspended from white leather slings from a hidden webbing belt under the tunic. Also suspended is the black leather sabretache, from two white slings. The breeches are also dark blue with two yellow cloth stripes down the side. There is no apparent reinforcing on the inside leg but the cloth at the knee would have been padded like jodhpurs. They have white gloves.

Regimental Details | Uniforms