5th Bombay Light Infantry

Bugler and Havildar, 1895

The bugler on the right wears a red tunic with black collar and shoulder straps. There are no cuffs. He has a white leather waistbelt from which hangs a bandsmans sword. His turban looks green with a red kullah, but other prints of this regiment by Simkin show a green and yellow striped turban. The bugle cords for light infantry were traditionally green. The havildar is oddly posed because he stands to attention while the sepoys in the background are stood down. And he shows no irritation at having a bugle blown in his ear. The havildar's tunic is interesting for having a whistle attached to it instead of being fixed to a pouchbelt. Not only that but the whistle and chains are brass, not white metal. We know that this is not an error in the drawing because we can compare it with the photo that it was taken from (see Photo of Havildar 1895) The kullah for all the figures in the picture is red. This changed to black in 1900.

Uniforms | Regimental History