Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-12-26
BRITISH UNIFORMS
Significance of Those Displayed
on Dress Parade.

The khaki service dress Of the Brit
ish army submerges into one drab hue
all the great color that formerly char
acterized the various regiments. and
during the army maneuvers the great
hosts of men at arms look all alike.
Nevertheless the separate organiza-
tions still maintain their individual
uniforms for dress parade. and, as in
the United States. almost every uni
form is conspicuous by some peculiar
Distinctions distinction that dates
back many years along the path of
England's glory.
For instance, sergeants of the Somer-
setshire Light infantry are the only
known officers in the service who wear
the sash over the left shoulder. Off
GERS formerly wore their sashes in this
fashion, and in one engagement all the
lieutenants and captains of the Somer-
setshire Light infantry were killed or
wounded, and the sergeants performed
their duties. Thus their triumph is re-
membered.
The men of the Worcestershire regi-
ment wear their badges at the back of
their headdress as well as at the front,
a distinction granted because when the
first battalion was defending an i'm
portant outpost in Egypt in 1901 they
were suddenly attacked in the rear,
but by turning quickly about success
fully beat off their assailants.
That picturesque bearskin grenadier
cap, worn alone by the Scots Greys OF
all the cavalry. dates from the battle
of Families. in 1706, when the regi-
ment captured three battaliQns of the
Picardy French grenadiers.
The Royal Welsh fusiliers is now the
only regiment that retains the flash"
five black ribbons hanging from the
back of the collar Of the tunic, original
" worn to protect the coat from the
grease used in plating a cue OF pig
tails The flash" was abolished
throughout the army while the regi-
ment was abroad. but on its return the
commanding officer appealed to King
William ". to be allowed to retain it.
White jackets are worn by the ranks
of the foot guards when not in dress
uniform. The grenadiers wear awhile
goats hair plume on the left side of
the bearShinS, a red band round the
forage caps, and the buttons of the
tunic are set at equal intervals; the
CoidStream guards wear a red feather
plume at the right side of the bear
skin, white band on the forage cap,
and the buttons are set in twos; Scots
guards have no plume in the bearskin,
a diced band for the cap and the but
tons in threes, while the Irish guards
have a plume of ST Patrick's blue in
h.a rel In, hand tho
and the buttons in tours. The First
Life guards can always be distinguish
ed from the Second by the sheepskins
black sheepskins for the First and
white for the Second.
There are plenty of other distinctions
arranged to tell the regiments. The
only lancer regiment that is clothed in
scarlet is the Sixteenth, the only dra-
goons in blue the carabineers. The
household cavalry is the only troop to
wear the cuirass. The Highland Light |
infantry alone among highland regi-
ments IS not killed. but wears plaid
trousers, shake and not the feather
bonnet. The shake is also worn by the |
Cameronians. the only rife regiment
to do so.
A soldier wearing a bugle on his
shoulder strap belongs to light infan- |
try regiment, another wearing gre
made to q fusilier regiment, and a red
band round n cap with blue facing
marks n soldier OF royal regiment. |
The only highland regiment with a red |
hackle in the feather bonnet is the |
BLACK Watch" IN all others it is |
white.-London Cor. New York Trib- !