Pioneer, Private and Officer c1890

The 2nd Battalion group photo of sergeants, warrant officers and four officers was taken on St George's Day, 23rd April 1898, at Portland in Dorset. The sergeant-drummer stands on the left holding his staff decorated with red and white roses. His bearskin is similar to the type worn by officers, bigger than those worn by other ranks, as seen on the sergeant on the extreme right. The red and white plume on the side of the bearskin is peculiar to his rank in that it is very long, the red part extending over the top. The sash on his left shoulder is pre-1881, being green not white. It is plainer than that worn by the sergeant-drummer of the 1st Battalion.
The staff sergeants and warrant officers wear peaked caps while the others wear field service caps. They all wear the dress tunic, except for one embarrassed signaller lance sergeant sitting cross legged in the front row who wears a frock. It has no white piping down the front edge, and he has no crimson sash. Sergeant stripes are gold if they are sergeants proper or above. The rank of lance sergeant was indicated by three white stripes. In a black and white photo the gold stripes look darker.
The most senior NCOs are seated on chairs. They have gold lace along the top of the collar and the top of the white cuff. On the left is the Staff Sergeant of Musketry with gold embroidered crossed rifles and a crown over his stripes. Next to him is the Battalion Sergeant-Major who has a large embroidered crown on his right fore-arm. On the other side of the four officers is the Bandmaster whose badge, worn on the lower sleeve, is a silver stringed lyre surmounted by a crown set on oak leaves. He holds a conductor's baton and has more medals than the other NCOs. The man sitting farthest to the right is the Quartermaster who has a gold star above four gold inverted chevrons.
Two band sergeants can be seen on either side of the photo, wearing white pouch-belts. The one nearest the sergeant drummer has a peaked cap and gold chevrons. He is the band sergeant with a gold embroidered band badge over his stripes, and gold laced wings on his shoulder, like the sergeant drummer. The other man is a lance sergeant with white stripes and white lace on his shoulder wings.

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