Officer’s Undress Pouch

The black leather undress pouch worn by Artillery officers of the RHA RFA and RGA was designed to hold binoculars. The 1864 Dress Regulations specify that the pouch contain ‘a small telescope, scale, pair of compasses and pencil.’ The same regulation ordered the following measurements:
‘Black patent leather, six inches and three quarters long, two inches and a half wide; outside leaf eight inches deep, six inches and one eighth wide at back, and seven inches and three quarters in front, rounded at the ends and wavy; gilt device, gun, buckle, ring, and stud, with leaf at each end.’
A detail of the gilt 'leaf' shows how the ring was attached to the side of the pouch.The pouch was worn with the gold laced dress pouch-belt, not a plain white belt as in most cavalry regiments.

Regimental Details | Sabretaches