24th Regiment of Foot


Officer and Colour Sergeant 1879


The foreign service helmet was originally white but was stained a light sandy colour for the Zululand campaign. Badges were worn at first, the same as those worn on the home service shako, but on campaign they were removed. The Colour sergeant, on the left, is in full marching order wearing the 1871 valise equipment. His white ammunition pouches are supplemented by the addition of an extra black pouch which hangs at the front. His red frock tunic is an undress item but based on the design of the dress tunic. The 1873 'patch' tunic had the green facings only on the front of the collar and the front of the cuff. The Sphinx collar badges were also issued in the same year. NCOs of the rank of sergeant and above had gold chevrons; corporals and lance-sergeants had white ones. Sergeants also had a different style of bayonet to the other ranks, it was the sword type, 22 inches long.

The officer is wearing the scarlet frock with the all green collar and gold Russia braid on his cuffs for the rank of lieutenant. There is white piping down the front and along the edges of the hem which follows the line of the two vents at the back. He has a haversack and water-bottle like the sergeant but he only has a waist-belt with sword and pistol as his equipment. While the other ranks had black gaiters round their ankles, officers wore either calf length boots or canvas gaiters.


Uniforms | Regimental Details


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by Stephen Luscombe