Army Lists

Military Head Dress 1855 - 1869

1750 - 1810 | 1811 - 1830 | 1831 - 1852 | 1855 - 1869 | 1870 - 1904

Royal Engineers		5th Dragoon Guards
Officer's full dress busby 1855-69   At this period Royal engineer officers doing regimental duty wore a busby of brown seal skin, with a blue bag hanging down on the right side, and with a black leather chin strap. The plume, which was of white goat's hair, was 6 inches high, and on the left side of the busby was a gilt grenade and flame, with socket behind into which the end of the plume was fixed.		Officer's full dress helmet 1855-71   This type of helmet, which was worn by the seven Dragoon Regiments, was of gilt brass, both front and back peaks being richly decorated. In front, within a shield, was a diamond-cut silver star upon which was a garter bearing the title of the Regiment and enclosing the Royal Cypher. Above the shield was a crown and below was a wreath of olive and oak leaves. The helmet was surmounted by a horse-hair plume which varied in colour in each Regiment.

12th (Prince of Wales's Royal) Lancers		1st Life Guards
Officer's full dress cap 1859-81   Officers of all Lancer Regiments (except the 9th) wore at this time a full dress cap of the type shown, the colour of the top, as well as the devices on the front plate varying in each Regiment. The cap portion was of black patent leather, with bands of gold lace at the top and at the bottom; the upper portion being of cloth of the same colour as the facings. The plume, which varied in colour in the several Regiments, was of horse hair, except when officers attended Levées, when swan feathers were worn.		Officer's full dress helmet 1860   This type of helmet was taken into wear in 1846, each Regiment having its own badge. The Royal Horse Guards wore a plume of scarlet horse-hair. The helmet is of German silver with gilt mountings, the star of the Garter being of white metal, diamond cut and enamelled in its proper colours, and encircled with the collar of the Order of the Garter with the St. George badge hanging from the centre, the whole being surrounded by a wreath of oak and laurel leaves.

11th (Prince Albert's Own) Hussars		92nd (Gordon Highlanders) Regiment of Foot
Officer's forage cap 1860   Soon after the Crimean War a new pattern forage cap was authorized for all ranks in Cavalry Regiments. This was a small blocked "pill-box" cap of crimson cloth for the 11th Hussars, scarlet for the 15th, and blue for all the other Regiments, with a band of regimental lace at the bottom and a gold button and figured ornament in the centre of the crown. The cap was worn tilted over the right ear and had a black leather chin strap. Gold lace was only worn by officers and certain N.C.O's.		Undress bonnet 1860   The glengarry was introduced as the undress cap for Scottish Regiments in the year 1852. This head-dress was of blue cloth with a diced border, except for the 42nd, 71st and 79th Regiments, who wore a plain blue glengarry. The cap was bound at the bottom with black silk and on the left side was a black silk rosette or bow on which was fixed the regimental badge. The tails were also of black silk.

15th The King's Hussars		37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot
Officer's full dress busby 1861   In 1856 this Regiment adopted a busby of dark sable fur, rather taller than that worn at the present day. The osprey feather plume and the bag at the side varied in colour in each Hussar Regiment, the 15th Hussars wearing scarlet. The cap lines (not illustrated), which were of gold cord, encircled the cap diagonally and were worn round the neck and fastening on the right breast. The 15th Hussarsm however, did not wear lines encircling the busby. The chin chain was of a gilt curb pattern.		Major's full dress shako 1861-69   This shako is of blue cloth, the peak, chin-strap and binding at the bottom being of black patent leather. It was quilted or stitched to hold the stiffening in place, as the shako as first issued without warning this, was in a deplorable condition after a march into wet weather. Colonels and Lieutenant Colonels had two rows of regimental lace round the top 3/4, an inch apart, and Majors one, other officers wearing the shako plain. The badge was universal, the number of the Regiment is being cut out.

71st (Highland Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot		25th Regiment of Foot
Company Officer's shako 1862-81   This shako, of blue cloth with diced border, had black silk cords in front with similar lines and olivets hanging behind, which were brought round to be fastened to a hook on the left breast. A boss of black corded silk with a gilt thistle was worn in front, with the gilt regimental badge beneath. Light Infantry Regiments wore green pom-poms. A similar shako was worn by the 74th and 91st Foot, both Highland Regiments, with red and white pom-poms.		Officer's full dress shako 1869-78   This head-dress was of dark blue cloth, with gold braid at the bottom and sides and at the top, except for field officers who has gold lace. The gilt badge was universal, except for the centre part and scroll, which varied according to the Regiment. The worsted pom-pom and gilt ball and leaves were also universal, except that in the case of Light Infantry Regiments (who at first had drooping plumes of green hair) the pom-pom was green and in Royal Regiments it was red.