Officers in the Crimea

Roger Fenton’s photo of the officers of the 19th Yorkshire Regiment was taken in the summer of 1855. There are Colour-Sergeants at the back of the group, holding the Colours. In front of them is the CO, Lt-Col Rooke who took over when Colonel Unett was killed at the Redan in Sep 1854. He is in dress uniform holding a shako. The other officers are also in dress uniform but wearing undress forage caps. Flank company officer have gold wings on their shoulders while battalion company officers have epaulettes. Field officers carried their swords slung from a waist-belt while captains and subalterns carried them on a white shoulder-belt. One officer in the foreground, half turned away from us, has no wings or epaulettes. The figure to his right is probably the regimental surgeon wearing the new uniform, a double-breasted scarlet tunic which replaced the tailed coatee worn by the others. He also has a cocked hat.

Regimental Details