From 1881 officers’ rank was shown on the shoulders of the tunic. The shoulder cords were more elaborate, triple gold cord twisted and buttoned near the collar. This officer’s rank is denoted by two embroidered stars on each shoulder and a line of gold braid just below the gold lace on his cuff. The facings are dark blue and he has an embroidered regimental badge on his collar (see Adam Scott-Elliot). His dirk hangs from a blue velvet embroidered waist-belt and his dress sporran has a gilt cantle with regimental badge in the centre. The officer and sergeant wear the Cameron of Erracht tartan kilt, and the plaid in different ways. Officers and staff sergeants wore the plaid with a regimental brooch on the shoulder and a piece of the fringed plaid exposed at the front. Sergeants and below that rank wore the fly plaid attached to the back of the shoulder. The base of both fly plaids was attached to the waist under the doublet.
The sergeant has gold lace stripes which were shown on the right arm only from 1881, previously NCO rank was worn on both arms in Highland regiments. Lance sergeants had three white chevrons. The doublet, as with all infantry tunics, was scarlet, as from 1871, instead of red. The collar and cuffs were blue and the shoulder straps, or epaulettes, were scarlet, without white piping on the edge, as they were before 1881. The curved word CAMERON was embroidered in white on the edge of the shoulder. He is armed with a Martini Henry rifle and a sword bayonet.
Both men have medals for Egypt 1882-85. The blue striped ribbon has three clasps. Most men in the 1st Bn Cameron Highlanders had one clasp for TEL-EL-KEBIR. In 1882, 795 were issued with one clasp. There was a later clasp for THE NILE 1884-85. No clasp was issued, for some reason, for the battle of Ginnis on 30 Dec 1885. The third clasp on the medals in this Simkin illustration could be EL-TEB—TAMAAI for which the regiment received 9 clasps, or SUAKIN 1884, for which they received 5 clasps. Two clasps were issued for SUAKIN 1885. The blue ribboned medal is the bronze Khedive’s Star.
