Collar Makers, 1881

The brass chevron badge on the cap indicates that these are in the Royal Artillery. The rank with two stripes was called bombardier in the artillery. He was a collar-maker. The badge above his stripes is a horse bit denoting saddle-maker or collar-maker. The saddlers and collar-maker's badge is number 37.
The collar was the oval leather collar worn by the draught horses that pulled the guns. The uniforms are blue with a red collar. They are not in dress uniforms. The tunics are undress items worn for general duties especially in a hot climate. The white helmet indicates that they are in India or Egypt. Interestingly there is a spike on the top of the helmet which was only worn for a short time before it was replaced by a brass ball in 1880. The medals, according to what you tell me, are the Afghanistan Medal 1878-80 which is silver with a green ribbon that has maroon edges. The photo must have been taken soon after they received their campaign medals (sanctioned 19 March 1881) If they were in India it would have taken a year or two to implement the order to change the helmet spike. So The photo was almost certainly taken in 1881.
Courtesy of Anne Young.

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