Colour Sergeant and Private 1889

In 1889, while the 2nd Battalion were stationed in Fyzabad, Bengal, the 1st Battalion were in Dublin. These illustrations by Simkin show two men of the 1st Battalion wearing the white helmet for service in Britain and Ireland. This was experimental and is well explained by Colonel Peter Walton in his book Simkin’s Soldiers; The British Army in 1890 Volume II The Infantry (Picton 1986)
‘Several of Simkin’s drawings in the Army & Navy Gazette series, including some in this book, show men wearing a particular type of white helmet. This headdress which had a distinctive flared brim and was fitted with a yellow metal chin chain, spike and full dress helmet plate, was issued to a number of regiments at home in or about 1889. It seems to have been a trial which was abandoned probably in 1891, but the object and extent have yet to be fully confirmed by research.
It is thought that it began with attempts to standardise the design of the white or foreign pattern helmet with that of the (blue and green) home service pattern. The original 1878 design of the latter was modified several times to improve it but there was also a clear attempt to incorporate certain desirable features of the current foreign pattern. A ‘khaki’ service dress including a helmet for daily wear at home and abroad was trialled in 1884 and while it was soon thrown out, principally by the traditionalist lobby, the idea of at least a standard pattern headdress gained a little more ground. It was under active discussion the following year and in Jan 1887 even the Duke of Cambridge, a noted conservative, thought that such a helmet “should become the standard for Home and Foreign service, and that possibly white helmets may eventually be worn universally”. But nothing was to be done without a trial. It seems that this was the idea behind the distribution in 1889 of some at least 25,000 white helmets procured from contract during the early summer of that year. Unfortunately no conclusive record has yet been traced of the battalions to which they were issued. In his illustrated booklet of 1890 entitled ‘Our Armies’ Richard Simkin possibly had the broad answer to this question when he said that they were the Line battalions earmarked in peace for the 1st Army Corps, should it be mobilised.
However, research in the Clothing Department files shows that the Duke of Cambridge was unhappy with the latest or trial pattern of white helmet even before the 25,000 were received from the contract (which led to a desperate last-minute, but abortive, attempt to cancel it!); nor was it much help that the Queen was said to disapprove of the blue version of the same pattern. Thus by the late summer of 1889 it was clear that the white helmet was not after all considered suitable at home, but on the other hand there was now no decision as to what pattern of blue and green helmet was to be worn instead. Until this was given no contracts were let, and Line battalions began to run out of helmets. Eventually, in early 1891, it was decided to revert to the 1886 modification of the 1878 pattern. In the meantime, the author concludes, the Clothing Department could do little but issue the white helmets issued for trial. Although fresh supplies of blue and green helmets were available later in 1891, it seems likely that white helmets were being issued ‘to exhaustion’ of stock for at least another year and were to be seen in units as late as 1895 or 1896. Following this conjecture, the author was not surprised to have found that some 1st Army Corps battalions did not have white helmets and similarly that some battalions which had received them (e.g. 1st Bn Northamptonshire Regiment in the early summer of 1889) were not earmarked for the Corps.’
The Colour-Sergeant wears the 1881 pattern dress tunic which has round ‘jampot’ cuffs. The collar and cuffs were blue while the shoulder straps were the same colour as the tunic, scarlet. Rank badges changed in 1881 so that instead of a single chevron, flag, crossed swords and crown, he had three gold lace stripes, two crossed flags and crown above. The brass items in this illustration appear white, such as the helmet badge, stripes and belt clasp.
The Private on the right is in marching order, carrying the 1888 Slade Wallace equipment which had the valise high on the back. Both men are armed with the newly issued bolt-action Lee Metford rifle which replaced the Martini Henry. The Private is also equipped with a trenching tool which was not very effective in heavy soil conditions and was an impediment when running. His tunic is an undress frock which does not have a blue collar and cuffs but only blue shoulder straps. The black leggings or gaiters were leather, 9 inches high, fastened down the outside by a lace passed through 4 eyelets. The lace was tied under a black leather strap which went all round the top of the legging.

Regimental Details | Uniforms