Officers in Review Order & Undress 1905

The mounted officer’s horse furniture has adapted to the order of 1897 which abolished the embroidered shabraque. In the 10th Hussars it was replaced by a full leopard skin which here has a red scalloped cloth edge, although a photo of a mounted officer in 1910 shows no such red edge. However, the main point of interest in this Harry Payne postcard of 1905 is the undress uniform of the standing officer. He wears the recently introduced peaked forage cap. This was supposed to replace the pill-box style cap, although that still continued to be used in stable dress and with the patrol jacket. The scarlet cap became associated with the cavalry and is still worn in modern times. Initially it was without a badge, and the top was level, but it soon altered so that the top was higher at the front and a regimental badge was placed above the peak. The frock-coat seen here is in the old style with black mohair lace across the front and falling from the middle. He is in mounted order but the frock-coat was more usually worn with trousers instead of boots and breeches. As from 1893 the gold stripes on trousers and breeches was ordered to be yellow cloth instead of gold lace.

Regimental Details | Uniforms