The 79th Cameron Highlanders served in India from 1857 to 1871. From 1860 they were commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Hodgson who sits in the middle of this group, in a glengarry cap, facing towards the left of the photo. In front of him, on the ground, is the Adjutant, Lieutenant Arthur Hume, showing his rank as an embroidered crown on his collar. Hodgson also has a crown but he is a field officer so has an extra edging of gold lace on the base of his collar. Hume wears trews and has a white waist-belt that supports an infantry sword as carried by mounted officers. He was adjutant from 1862 until 1871 when he was promoted to captain. There are two other field officers, sitting either side of the CO. They have extra gold lace on their collars (concealed by facial hair) as well as on their cuff flaps and the skirts of their doublets. The Army List of 1866 locates the regiment at Murree and names the field officers as Lt-Col Richard Best, Major Keith Maitland and Major George Miller. Maitland took over command in March 1872, and Miller in October 1872. Miller is not recognisable in the photo so the two field officers must be Best and Maitland.
The lieutenant standing on the extreme right of the photo is in parade order, with a fly plaid attached to the back of his left shoulder. He has a broadsword attached to white slings which are fixed to rings on his white shoulder-belt. He has a crimson sash on his left shoulder and wears a kilt and dress sporran. He has green and red hose with scarlet garter ribbons and white spats. None of the officers appear to have the elaborate dress waist-belt, their dirks supported instead with a plain black belt worn under the doublet. They all have rank badges on their dress collars except for a young officer who stands next to the bald-headed chaplain.
The bearded officer sitting on the left of the photo has a plain frock which is probably red with green collar and cuffs. He may be the Paymaster, Honorary Captain David Cant. Sitting on the ground next to him is an officer wearing the usual undress frock, also red with green facings, and gold braid on the cuffs and breast pocket, also edging the front and hem of the frock. There are twisted gold shoulder cords and he would have rank badges on his collar. His glengarry cap, for some reason, looks like a lower version of the ones worn by the other officers.
One officer in an undress frock stands on the right of the picture, next to a man in civilian clothes. He has a plain leather pouch-belt on his left shoulder which has a badge on the front. This indicates that he is a regimental doctor. The Army List names Surgeon-Major Thomas Goldie Scott and Assistant Surgeons Alexander Doig and James Forbes Beattie. This young man is most likely to be an assistant surgeon.
