Simkin’s print of the East Surreys on the march was published in 1893 and is unusual in showing a regiment in a British landscape but wearing warm-climate white helmets. In 1893 the 1st Battalion were in India and the 2nd Battalion in Ireland. In February 1893 the 2nd were ordered to Malta and arrived there on 4 March. So it would be reasonable to suppose that this is the 2nd Battalion in Ireland just before embarkation to Malta. The mounted officer is either the CO or second in command in parade order with dress tunic, decorated with ample lace and braid that almost obscures his white facings. He has a field officer’s brass scabbard, and a plain black leather sabretache suspended on three white slings. He wears the blue home service helmet.
The RSM marches beside the officer. He has a sword attached to his waist-belt and has a Warrant Officer’s tunic which differs from the rank and file pattern in that it has gold lace around the collar and cuffs. The rounded cuffs worn by men below officer rank are described as jam-pot, introduced in 1881 and replaced in 1902 by pointed cuffs. Behind the sergeant-major is a sergeant marching with rifle at the slope like the men. Both the sergeant and the RSM have white gloves but the man next to the sergeant does not. The medals worn are for the Egypt/Sudan campaign of 1885.
