Officer and Other Ranks, Full Dress 1894

Print by Richard Simkin dated 1894. The facings colour was ordered to be white from 1881 so collar and cuffs were of this colour up until 1913 when they changed to green. Prior to amalgamation the 45th proudly wore Lincoln green facings to match the title 'Nottinghamshire Sherwood Foresters' officially adopted in 1866. They were very disappointed to hear the order of 1881 that henceforth all English non-Royal regiments must have white. The 95th facings had been yellow but the senior battalion agitated for the return to green until it was finally granted in 1913.
All ranks wore the blue cloth helmet with a spike on top as introduced in 1878. The officer had a fine gilt and silver badge, see Officer's Helmet Badge 1881-1901, and a pointed peak while the men had a rounded peak. The officer is a lieutenant with one line of gold lace around his pointed cuff. Officers above this rank had two lines of lace. His rank badge of a star is on his gold shoulder cords. He has a crimson officer's sash on his left shoulder and his sword is suspended from a white leather waistbelt fastened with an ornate clasp. See Officer's Waistbelt Clasp. His blue trousers have a scarlet stripe one quarter of an inch wide.
The man in the middle is a Colour Sergeant wearing a simpler tunic with no lace round the collar and cuffs. He has collar badges like the other men and his rank is shown on the right sleeve only, three gold chevrons surmounted by crossed Union flags and an embroidered crown. Sergeants and above had a crimson sash on the right shoulder. The shoulder straps are plain red with regimental shoulder titles. The cuffs are not pointed like the officer's but round, called 'jampot'. This style of cuff lasted from 1881 until 1902.
The rifle is the Lee Metford which was replaced the following year by the Lee Enfield.

Uniforms | Regimental Details