British officer's uniform during the WW1. Help, please!
- Thread starter fmenardi
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Tony Barton
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Dear Fabricio,
In the 1st picture, the officers have their rank stars on their shoulder straps : this was done to make them less visible to snipers .It became official policy in many Regiments by 1915, though not followed by all officers .
In the second, they have the original arrangement , where the rank stars are on the cuffs , surrounded by pale khaki lace .
Both arrangements were used until the end of the war.
Some officers wore soldiers tunics and equipment when in the frontline , for the same reason, to make them less conspicuous, since the shape of the officers' uniform was different.
In the second picture also, you will see that some officers have small badges on their collars : this was normal in most regiments, though not all . The pattern of badge was different for each regiment.
In the first picture there are none.
The black officer in the first picture is Walter Tull, who is thought to have been the first black officer in the Brtish Army. He was a famous footballer, and served in the 17th battalion of the Middlesex regiment.
In the 1st picture, the officers have their rank stars on their shoulder straps : this was done to make them less visible to snipers .It became official policy in many Regiments by 1915, though not followed by all officers .
In the second, they have the original arrangement , where the rank stars are on the cuffs , surrounded by pale khaki lace .
Both arrangements were used until the end of the war.
Some officers wore soldiers tunics and equipment when in the frontline , for the same reason, to make them less conspicuous, since the shape of the officers' uniform was different.
In the second picture also, you will see that some officers have small badges on their collars : this was normal in most regiments, though not all . The pattern of badge was different for each regiment.
In the first picture there are none.
The black officer in the first picture is Walter Tull, who is thought to have been the first black officer in the Brtish Army. He was a famous footballer, and served in the 17th battalion of the Middlesex regiment.
Dan Morton
A Fixture
Some examples...
3 photos of 6th Kings Liverpool Rifles officer uniform
1 photo of a West Ridings officer from 1914
3 photos of an officer in the Wiltshire Rgt - the two service coats are from different years during the war
All the best,
Dan
3 photos of 6th Kings Liverpool Rifles officer uniform
1 photo of a West Ridings officer from 1914
3 photos of an officer in the Wiltshire Rgt - the two service coats are from different years during the war
All the best,
Dan
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Tony Barton
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2011
- Messages
- 179
As Dan's useful pics show, there was quite a lot of variation in insignia on officers tunics. Officers bought their own uniforms, from a designated Regimental tailor, so they vary somewhat from regiment to regiment.
Dan Morton
A Fixture
I didn't have time to send more earlier. These photos are all from a GWF post several years ago. The uniforms are those of Capt Bert Odell, MC of the 15th Scottish. I think the 1918 version is probably post-war.
All the best,
Dan
All the best,
Dan
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