Accoutrements of Colonel Baker 1873

This fixed display of the accoutrements and items belonging to Colonel Valentine Baker was on show at the National Army Museum for many years. It was owned by Sir John Carden Bt and sold at auction at Christie’s on 13 Sep 1991. The items include Baker’s busby, caplines, horse furniture, 2 swords, belts and sabretache and gilt spurs. The gold slings for the sword and sabretache are of different widths and attach to a gold laced waist belt which is surprising because the belt was hidden beneath the tunic. The belt fastens with a snake clasp between two gilt mounts that have silver leopard heads, repeated on the sword sling buckles.
The blue shabraque is of interest because it was used by officers of the 10th Hussars from 1957 to 1881. It has the number 10 below the Prince of Wales plumes. The red shabraque that replaced it in 1881 had a similar design but a Roman numeral X. There are two caplines for the busby; the plaited cords are thought to be 11th Hussar caplines. The plume on the top of the busby had a variable height; the 1861 and 1864 Dress regulations say that the plume should be 8 inches high, the 1883 DR says 9 inches, and the 1891 DR says 13 inches. Baker left the regiment in 1873 so, by the look of this plume, which must be about 12 inches, it seems that the regulations weren’t strictly observed.

Regimental Details | Uniforms