Since
desertion was such a problem, soldiers under the rank of sergeant were
not permitted to own civilian clothing. With only their uniform
to wear, they would easily be spotted if they tried to desert.
Red Tunics
indicate that the wearer is a member of the infantry. Soldiers
were supplied with their uniforms, while officers purchased their own.
Officers'
uniforms were of a much finer weave of wool, usually doeskin, while
the rank and file had uniforms made of melton (wool) and to a lesser
extent, serge.
Different
ranks could also be identified by the piping around their tunics:
Infantry officers had gold braid, while ordinary soldiers had white
lace. Militia officers had silver piping.
Members of
the Royal Artillery had uniforms composed of a midnight blue, this
dark colour helping to hide the dirt picked up while working around
the guns. Again the common soldier was supplied with uniforms
made of serge, a rough weave of wool, while officers purchased their
own uniforms made of doeskin. For piping, officers and senior
non-commissioned officers wore gold braids while the men had
yellow-worsted braid.
Officers' Uniforms
Officers
are most easily identified by their metal sword and scabbard, wooden
swagger stick or walking stick, one of which they must have at all
times.
In Infantry
Full Dress, the officers are differentiated from the other ranks by
their lack of epaulettes, a crimson sash draping left to right, and
their rank is on the collar. The captain has a crown and a star,
a lieutenant has a crown and an ensign has a star. A band of
gold braid runs along the top of the collar.
The major
has a star only, but the band of gold braid on the collar runs along
both the top and bottom of the collar. As well, a band of gold
braid runs around the top edge of the major's shako. The sleeves
of the tunic have two stripes of gold braid, while the captain,
lieutenant and ensign have one stripe on the sleeve.
In Infantry
Undress, the junior officers all look the same because there is no
rank insignia on the uniforms. They wear a blue frock coat which
has black Austrian knots on the sleeves and breasts. Only the
major's frock coat has his insignia, a star, on the collar.
Instead of the shako hat, all officers wear a peaked forage cap.
In
Artillery Undress, the officers have their rank on the cuff of their
sleeve. The captain has a gold Austrian knot with gold loops all
around it and the lieutenants and ensigns all have the lieutenant
insignia of a plain Austrian knot. They wear a forage cap with a
thick gold band around it and it has no peak.
