Field Officer and Private, Dress Uniform 1854

At the time of the Crimean War in 1854-6 there were some modifications made to the uniforms of the 1840s. The tails of the coatee were shorter and the gold/yellow lace chevrons on the cuffs were reduced from three to one. This illustration by Brian Fosten shows the officer's pouch-belt having the St Andrew's Star and thistle pattern gold lace on blue cloth, backed by Morocco Leather. There is no Russia braid along the edges. A belt like this is to be seen in a painting of an officer by Daubrawa dated 1846, although the portrait of Commanding Officer Regimental Details | Uniforms John Frederick Sales Clarke (1841-46) shows him wearing this pattern lace but without the gaps along the edge. The gold epaulettes have a silver grenade badge within the crescent, and a rank badge on the strap. Only majors and above had rank badges. The silk sash has the tassels hanging on the right side and the gold-laced sword belt is worn over it.
The private wears a shorter bearskin than the officer, with the white plume on the left side fixed in a brass grenade badge. His collar has two loops of yellow lace and he has brass shoulder scales of universal dragoon pattern without a badge. The blue trousers have a yellow stripe and are not leathered. The swords carried by the men were either the newly introduced 1853 pattern with a three bar steel guard or the old 1821-30 pattern with a large solid steel bowl guard. While officers had revolvers, the men were armed with the Lovell 'Victoria' side lock percussion carbine with swivel rammer. These dress uniforms were worn on special occasions in Britain before sailing to the Crimea, but would not have been worn under wartime conditions.

Regimental Details | Uniforms