Officer in Patrol Jacket c1897

There were various forms of undress for officers of which this patrol jacket was one, usually worn in colder weather. Photos and paintings usually show officers wearing them in dismounted order. It is of dark blue cloth with black astrakan fur around the collar, edges and cuffs. There were six rows of varying length, of mohair flat black braid, across the chest with olivet buttons on the ends. They were purely decorative as the jacket was fastened with hooks and eyes. The photo here is of an unknown officer, taken by G T Jones of Kingston on Thames c1897. Unfortunately the ornamentation on his cuffs is not easily visible but the illustration, below, taken from the 1900 Dress Regulations shows the black Russia braid on the cuffs and the back of the jacket. In the photo of the officer we can see some braid decoration just below the shoulder straps although this differs from other examples of the 20th Hussars jacket. Each hussar regiment had its own pattern of patrol jacket, usually with cloth shoulder straps for the rank badges but the 11th and 20th were different in having plaited black cord straps. There was an inside breast pocket but the hip pockets were more accessible for cigarettes or cigars. He wears the gold laced and braided blue pill-box forage cap, and blue dress trousers with gold stripes down the outside.'The earlier version of the patrol jacket can be seen in the photo of Major Alexander and Captain Dent Bird, taken in 1873.

Photo illustration taken from the Dress Regulations of 1900.

Regimental Details | Uniforms