The growth of uniforms—The effect of the decline in armour on uniforms—The part played by Elizabeth—Uniforms in the time of the Civil War—In Charles II's reign—James II—The first two Georges—Uniforms in the Peninsular War—The close-fitting uniforms of George IV—The changes which were brought about in William IV's time—Later changes—Peculiarities of the military dress of to-day

One of the most interesting tasks which the collector of military curios can set himself is to trace out, by all available means, the growth of army uniforms from earliest times to the present day. In prosecuting such self-imposed work, the sources of information which will have to be studied are almost without limit, ranging from contemporary drawings, prints, statues, the writings of such chroniclers as Stowe, to, of course, the actual uniforms themselves. Our knowledge of the metamorphoses of military dress is very imperfect, and this research work will be all the more valuable in consequence.

At first thought it is a little surprising to learn that the earliest official mention of a distinguishing uniform for English soldiers occurs among the Ordinances of Henry VIII, but when we consider that armour in various styles was largely used until Tudor times, the fact is not so striking. Isolated instances of uniformed soldiers can be traced before this period; Hannibal, we know, raised the famous white and crimson Spanish regiments, and then, of course, there were the Crusaders, who wore the ordinary clothes of the times, ornamented with crosses of distinctive colours.

With the decline of armour, retainers went into battle robed in the cloth liveries of their masters, whilst the mercenaries wore the usual dress of civilians. The drawback to such an arrangement was obvious. Men could never tell who were their friends and who their foes, and unnecessary slaughter was consequently committed. It was not long before leaders provided their followers with scarves of distinctive colours; sometimes they were appropriately chosen, at others they were merely distinctive. But even this plan gave little satisfaction, for our history books of the period are crowded with tales of men who donned the enemy's colours and were thus able to surprise their opponents.

As a result of these conditions, Henry VIII decided to clothe some, at least, of his soldiers in distinctive uniforms; he selected white coats emblazoned with the red cross of St. George. Speaking of other soldiers of this reign, probably later levies, Stubbs remarks that the doublets which they wore "reached down to the middle of the thighs, though not always quite so low, being so hard quilted, stuffed, bombasted, and sewed as they can neither work nor yet well play in them, through the excessive heat and the stiffness thereof. Therefore are they forced to wear them loose about them. They are stuffed with four, five, or six pounds of bombast at the least, and made of satin, taffeta, silk, grograine, gold, silver, and what not." From the antiquarian's point of view this dress must have indeed proved attractive, though the soldier of to-day will hardly recognize any redeeming features in it.

Elizabeth, as all students of history know, paid great attention to dress; not only in matters concerning her own person, but also in those affecting her Court and followers. Accordingly, we find that a decree, ordering a body of Lancashire men to be raised for service in Ireland, stated that "the soldiers shall be given convenient doublets and hose and also a cassock of some motley or other sad green colour or russet; also every soldier to have five shillings to provide a mantle in Ireland besides his livery coat."

Another interesting quotation, taken from Lawrence Archer's "British Army Records," mentions Sir John Harrington as stating that an officer's kit in Elizabeth's time consisted of—

1 cassock of broad cloth.
1 canvass doublet with silk lining and buttons.
2 shirts.
2 bands.
3 pairs of stockings at 2s. 6d. each.
3 pairs of shoes.
1 pair of Venetians with silver lace (i.e. trousers).

When the Civil War broke out, the Royalists or Cavaliers wore a very picturesque though hardly serviceable uniform; it consisted of a doublet of silk, satin, or velvet with large loose sleeves slashed up the front, the collar covered by a falling band of lace, whilst a short cloak was carelessly worn on one shoulder. Long breeches tucked into boots, the uppers of which were loose and curled over,[2] added to the picturesque appearance of the warriors. A Flemish beaver, with a distinctive hatband and an elaborate feather, was the usual headgear. The silk doublet, it should be added, was often replaced by a buff coat in war-time.

The Commonwealth, of course, brought sober clothing which, at least, was more protective and useful than that associated with the Tudor and Stuart periods.

In Charles II's time the military uniform, as we know it to-day, began to materialize. It is true that during the early part of Charles's reign the soldiers wore the pre-Commonwealth styles, but when the King began to form certain regiments, which still exist at the present moment, a need for definite uniforms became manifest. Thus, in 1661, the Earl of Oxford raised the Horse Guards and provided them with a picturesque blue uniform, and in 1665 the Third Buffs was formed and soon earned for itself this distinctive name as its accoutrements were fashioned from buffalo leather.

James II introduced few changes. It is worth mentioning, however, that wigs became fashionable in this period, and large hats adorned with waving feathers were worn to suit the style of coiffure. Sewn into the crown of these hats, skull caps made of iron were frequently found.

In 1695, according to a contemporary authority, the coats and breeches of the sergeants and ordinary soldiers were, in most cases, grey, whilst the coats of drummer boys were purple. The shape of these costumes followed the civilian styles of the period.

When Anne came to the throne, armour which had not been entirely abolished completely died out, and the foot soldiers wore a comfortable scarlet coat with distinctive facings, a cocked hat, breeches, and long black gaiters reaching just above the knees, with a strap below the knee to hold them in position. The cavalry also wore a cocked hat and large boots. Some officers wore a wide-brimmed hat, turned up on two sides and decked with gay feathers.[3]

The first two Georges introduced many ideas from abroad, the most striking of which was the mitre helmet, worn even to-day by certain Central European regiments. The men who were provided with this headgear were certainly picturesque in appearance; the Royal Fusiliers, for instance, wore a high mitred helmet, elaborately ornamented with regimental devices, a long tail coat, buttoned back at the front in a way which is reminiscent of the present French infantry, knee breeches, cloth leggings, and a plain bandolier carrying a bag, much after the fashion of a sabretache. With the exception of his hat, which was clumsy and gave no protection either against weather or onslaughts, his uniform was comfortable though weighty.

George III discarded the low boots and leggings for knee-boots, but these were soon given up for low boots and long trousers. The buttons on the uniform of the Heavy Dragoons, also, were replaced by hooks and eyes, whilst the Light Dragoons lost nearly all theirs. In addition, their helmet was replaced by a felt shako. Curiously enough, the Hussar, who wore five rows of heavy buttons on his jacket and five more rows on the little pelisse which he slung loosely over his left arm, was allowed to keep all his cumbersome ornamentation.

The Peninsular War brought many changes, but these were more variations of the set styles than complete alterations in shapes and colours, probably the result of requiring large quantities of outfits for the war, in the quickest possible time. Luard, writing of this period, says[4]: "The officers of the Army of the Peninsula ran into great extremes of fashion; and as there was a difficulty, frequently, in procuring articles of dress exactly according to regulations, considerable latitude was of necessity granted. An officer of the 4th Dragoons, who was very fond of being gaily dressed, was always searching for silver lace, and whenever he went into a town and returned to the camp, on being questioned regarding what articles of food were to be procured, invariably answered: 'I don't know, but I found some silver lace.'"

Directly following the Napoleonic Wars it was felt prudent for the sake of peace to garrison a British Army of Occupation in France. Four cavalry regiments crossed the Channel, the 9th, 12th, 16th, and 23rd Light Dragoons being selected.

The dress which these soldiers wore was a jacket similar to that of the ordinary Light Dragoons, but with the addition, for the officers, of an embroidered cuff and collar, a pair of enormous epaulettes, and an aiguillette. The cap was very high with a square top, made of cane covered with cloth of the colour of the facings of the regiment, a brass plate in front and a plume at the top of it. The privates' dress corresponded to that of the officers, but brass scales were worn on the shoulders instead of epaulettes. The Cossack shape of trousers was worn by the officers, very full around the waist but gradually tapering down to the foot.[5]

George IV, as is popularly known, gave much thought to matters of dress. He held that wrinkles in a uniform entirely spoiled all appearance of correct military bearing. The soldiers of his time were therefore expected to put on their clothes and have all fullness cut out. Luard says that the consequence was that the coats of the privates, as well as those of the officers, were made so tight that freedom of action was much restricted, and the infantry could with difficulty handle their muskets, whilst the cavalry could scarcely do sword exercise.

There is no doubt that, though the uniforms of this date were uncomfortable, they were of a smart and attractive appearance. The officers in the Rifle Corps, for instance, wore a tight-fitting green outfit with silver facings, relieved by a bright scarlet belt. The boots were of black leather, and reached almost up to the knees. The hat was somewhat like the Highland bonnets of to-day. The officers in the 10th Hussars were a trifle more showy in appearance. They had a blue coat with gilt-braided plastron, and a pelisse on the left arm. The trousers were red and skin-tight, and fastened under the instep to keep them from creeping up the leg. The hat was a shako surmounted by a large dark plume. In the 1st Foot Guards the officer's coat was red, and had tails; there were epaulettes on the shoulders and a white bandolier across the breast. The hat was a high-decked shako of glossy material.

William IV's reign was marked by the rise and subsequent decline of enormous bear-skins. William also decreed that the whole of the Army, with the exception of the artillery and riflemen, should be dressed in scarlet, the national colour.

When Victoria came to the throne she restored the blue dress to the Light Dragoons, but not to the Lancers nor to the 16th Regiment. The Household Cavalry were given helmets with weeping plumes fixed to the apexes. A little later "pill-boxes" became fashionable amongst the majority of the regiments.

In 1881 most of the distinctive and, in many cases, historic facings were taken from the various regiments, and blue was given to the Royal regiments and white to the others. The change seems to us, who look at the matter in the light of the antiquarian and historian, as a retrograde one, which should be deprecated in every way.

To-day all the regiments of the regular British Army wear scarlet uniforms, with the following exceptions:—

1. Blue Uniforms—Royal Horse Guards; 6th Dragoon Guards; King's Own Hussars; Queen's Own Hussars; Royal Irish Lancers; King's Irish Hussars; Queen's Royal Lancers; Prince of Wales's Own Hussars; Prince Albert's Own Hussars; Prince of Wales's Royal Lancers; 13th, 14th, 15th, 18th, 19th, and 20th Hussars; 17th and 21st Lancers; Royal Artillery; Royal Marine Infantry; Army Service Corps; Royal Army Medical Corps; Army Veterinary Corps; Army Ordnance Corps; Army Pay Corps.

2. Green Uniforms—Cameronians; King's Royal Rifle Corps; Royal Irish Rifles; Rifle Brigade.

In the above notes we have merely given a rough sketch of the growth of the military uniform as it has affected the British soldier. To elaborate this information by tracing the various changes, both great and small, which have been applied to army clothing is a work of intense interest and historical value. The task is best undertaken by the curio collector, who can build up the necessary knowledge from his self-made collection of military prints, illustrated books, photographs, and actual uniforms. We do not suggest that any one reader should undertake the whole task himself; it is far better to select a particular regiment or a class of regiment, or even a particular article of dress, and trace its history with minute precision. The results achieved in this way would indeed prove valuable.

Before concluding this chapter the following questions bearing on military dress may prove of interest; they are typical of the thousand and one queries which the student should ask himself:—

1. Why do the drummers in the Guards wear fleurs-de-lys on their tunics?

2. Which regiments still wear black in memory of Wolfe?

3. Why do the Northumberland Fusiliers wear a red and white feather hackle in their caps?

4. Why does the Gloucester Regiment wear a badge on both the back and front of their hats?

5. Why has the "flash" survived with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers?

6. Why does the privilege exist with the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry of wearing shirt collars with the uniform?