Private, Walking Out Order 1907


This watercolour was made from life by Godfrey Brennan at Brighton in 1907 and should be assumed to be correct. The private wears a blue frock and close fitting dress trousers. It is useful as a guide to colour because monochrome contemporary photos show the men of the Greys in undress frocks, sometimes with shoulder chains and sometimes without. It is difficult to know for sure if the frocks are blue or scarlet (with blue collars and cuffs). The shoulder chains were adopted for home-based cavalry regiments in the late 1890s and discontinued in 1911. The blue frock in this water-colour has a pleated breast pocket on each side but no hip pockets. The collar badges are either brass or bronze which is surprising as all other sources show silver metal badges. His peaked forage cap is a recent acquisition as the regiment had worn the ugly Broderick cap from 1903 to 1905. However, a group photo of the band taken in 1907 shows them still wearing the Broderick. Other illustrations show white piping around the top but this early version does not have it. To complete his walking out uniform he has sword slings attached to a web belt under the frock, white gloves and a riding crop.


Regimental Details | Uniforms


Armed Forces | Art and Culture | Articles | Biographies | Colonies | Discussion | Glossary | Home | Library | Links | Map Room | Sources and Media | Science and Technology | Search | Student Zone | Timelines | TV & Film | Wargames


by Stephen Luscombe