Charles Francis Atkinson

“ The regiments of the Australian Commonwealth, with certain exceptions, wear khaki or drab with white facings and emu plume in the cavalry and green facings in the infantry. The same principle is carried out in other services, the intelligence corps having pale blue, the signal corps royal purple, the medical chocolate and the veterinary maroon facings. The artillery, engineers and army service corps are dressed as the corresponding branches of the home army. All the Canadian forces are uniformed very similarly to the British army. ”

“ On the men’s shoulder-straps are crossed lances. The head-dress is a fur cap, adorned with crossed lances and chain in silver. It has also a cockade and a small upright plume. The crossed lances appear also on the képi. The light horse (Cavallegieri) have a similar coat and trousers, except that the collar has a flame-shaped patch. Shoulder-strap, full headdress and képi as for lancers, with a bugle instead of lances. All cavalry have brown bandoliers over the left shoulder.
Artillery, gold buttons, dark blue trousers, with yellow piping (officers, double yellow stripe) . ”

“ Regiments with royal colonels-in-chief wear ciphers on the shoulder-strap, and some have double guard-stripes on the collar. In winter a heavy grey-brown greatcoat is worn, usually with a loose sheepskin lining and a fur-lined hood. The grenadiers are distinguished by yellow shoulder-straps (with a narrow edging of red, blue, white and yellow, according to the division) . The Guards wear closely fitting tunics, with guard-stripes on the collars and cuff-flaps. ”

“ It might be stated, as a summary of modern uniforms, that Great Britain has most completely divorced service and full dress, and that in consequence her full dress is handsomer and her service dress plainer than those of any other country. ”

“ Enlisted men are dressed similarly to officers, with the following differences: tunic with dark blue cuffs, collar and shoulder-straps. The collar is edged top and bottom, the shoulder-straps all round and the cuffs along the top edge with yellow for cavalry, light blue for infantry, &c. The badge of the branch in brass is on the collar. Lines are worn (aiguillette fashion) as an additional decoration; these are of the branch colours. The trousers are light blue, with, in full dress, stripes of branch colours. ”

“ The absence of uniforms accounts very largely for the significance attached to the colours and standards, which alone formed rallying points for the soldier and his comrades, and thus acquired the sacred character which they have since possessed. ”

“ The infantry of Hesse-Darmstadt, Württemberg and Baden are similarly uniformed to those of Prussia, the distinctions being easily described. The five “Grand Ducal Hessian” regiments (115–118 and 168) have not the corps (XVIII.) distinction, and have both shoulder-straps and cuff-flap of the same colour (red, white, light blue, yellow and red) , the senior regiment, 115 (bodyguard regiment) , having double guard-stripe on the collar and guard patches on the flap. A very marked distinction is in the buttons, which are invariably silver, and in the helmet badge, which is a lion rampant. ”

“ Shoulder straps in greatcoat and white undress, blue strap with bars and curl as on sleeve in other orders, except flag officers, who have gold-laced shoulder-strap with rank marks as on epaulette. Non-combatant branches have not the “curl,” and between the gold bars or rings there are “lights” or stripes of various colours according to branch. The Royal Naval Reserve officers have similar rank mark, but, instead of bars of plain lace, a thin twist of gold embroidery, and an oval badge surrounding the anchor on the epaulettes. ”

“ The 6th Dragoon Guards and the 13th Hussars are the models for the cavalry, and line, rifle, highland and fusilier uniforms are all represented, the dark rifle uniform predominating. In South Africa, as in Australia, khaki has become almost universal. ”

“ The 17th Brunswick Hussars, preserving the memory of the Black Brunswickers of the Napoleonic wars, have black uniforms (no pelisse) , with gold lace and red busby-bag. The 18th and 19th (Saxon) Hussars have light blue tunics and trousers (no pelisse) , with gold and silver lace and red and crimson busby-bags respectively. No information is available as to the 20th Hussars, formed in November 1910. ”

“ Dragoons wear blue tunics (the black-braided “dolman," shown on Plate III., line 1, No. 6, is gradually passing out of the service) with white collars and cuff-flaps, silver buttons, &c., helmet as for cuirassiers, but without the “shaving-brush” at the front of the horsehair tail, trousers red with dark blue stripe. ”

“ In these ranks the cloth of the shoulder-strap shows in one narrow strip through the lace. In the field ranks, the cloth, covered by three bars of lace, shows two strips and the same sequence is followed: lieutenant-colonel, three stars; colonel, none. In general officers’ uniforms the lace entirely covers the cloth, and the stars number two for a major-general, three for lieutenant-general and none for a full general. ”

“ The Alpine battalions wear a plain dark blue jumper and soft cap (béret) or tam-o’-shanter. Under the jumper, which is usually half-open, they wear a light blue shawl round the waist. The trousers are wide, dark blue knickerbockers, and puttees are worn with them. ”

“ Medical, as infantry, but with magenta stripes, &c., and branch badge.
Generals and Staff Officers.—Major-generals (and with a third star lieutenant-generals) , dark blue double-breasted tunic with buttons in threes, and cuffs and collar of black velvet ornamented with oak-leaf gold embroidery, above the cuffs two silver stars; gold epaulettes and aiguillette, wide yellow waist-sash; dark blue trousers with two gold stripes: slings, and waist-belt if worn, crimson leather with gold stripes. “Chapeau” or cocked hat (French pattern) black felt with black feather edging and gold ornament ”