greatspywar Posted 3 January , 2011 Share Posted 3 January , 2011 Hello you all First and formost my best wishes to all Forum members and their family. Let us hope that you can keep in good health! I have another question. We have a colback, presumably from the 18th (Queen Mary's Own) Hussars, dating from 1914 period. It has an inscription: " 18 H 10341 6 14 W(broad arrow)D 3 1912 " Who can explain this to me? 18 H = 18th Hussars? 10341 = service number? --> If this is a service number, who can identify the soldier? 3 1912 = March 1912? 6 14?? Who can help me out? Thank you very much! best Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggers Posted 3 January , 2011 Share Posted 3 January , 2011 Forgive my ignorance, but what is a colback? Google seems to offer only a footballer's name. D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 3 January , 2011 Share Posted 3 January , 2011 It's a fur/bearskin hat worn by Hussars, have a look here Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 3 January , 2011 Share Posted 3 January , 2011 A busby? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greatspywar Posted 6 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 6 January , 2011 A busby? busby...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz in Eastbourne Posted 6 January , 2011 Share Posted 6 January , 2011 It's a fur/bearskin hat worn by Hussars, have a look here My OED (old-fashioned book form, 1989 second edition) says: colback = calpac [the mod. Fr. form] and gives the example from an 1871 translation of Erckmann-Chatrian's Waterloo: We saw nothing but cuirasses, colbacks, sabres Under calpac: A felt cap of triangular construction, worn by Turkis, Tartars etc, also an oriental cap generally. The examples suggest it then has a turban wound round it - then there's this from the Daily News, 1871: The Persian Ambassador, wearing his fur Kalpack. The OED doesn't seem to have got as far as putting it together with busbies and Hussars, however. Liz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz in Eastbourne Posted 6 January , 2011 Share Posted 6 January , 2011 busby...? I've now looked up 'busby' in the OED and it says 'derivation unknown' 1. a large bushy wig, obsolete 2. A tall fur cap, with or without a plume, having a bag (generally of cloth, and of the colour of the facings of the regiment) hanging out of the top, on the right side; worn by hussars, artillerymen and engineers, hence, one who wears a busby. The examples all involve Hussars - not guards , who in my ignorance I thought were the men who characteristically wore busbies. There's no ref to colbacks or calpacs, but the website Jon refers to clearly shows the meaning overlaps. Not much help to the original query, sorry, Jan! Liz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 6 January , 2011 Share Posted 6 January , 2011 Guards wear bearskins (not bare skins). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanhemmings Posted 6 January , 2011 Share Posted 6 January , 2011 MIC to Arthur Gibbs 10341 - 11th Hussars later went into 1st Dub Fus 28185 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 6 January , 2011 Share Posted 6 January , 2011 Jan - does the hat (we'll agree to call it that ) have the cloth 'bag' on it still (the piece of cloth hanging from the top over one side). if so, what colour is it? Also, is there a plume of any sort (probably horsehair); that, too, would help identify the regiment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greatspywar Posted 7 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 7 January , 2011 The colback is not in our permanent display. I haven't seen it yet. The description I'm giving comes from our old catalogue (which has been digitalized somewhere in the 90s.) which is in French. I have tried to translated it, but I'm unsure of some of the words. Some of the words might be a bit funny in combination with some others. "black bearskin Flame blue cloth with wool braid daffodil daffodil badge wool: woolen cord Daffodil White horsehair plume held rigid by a ring of copper, copper olive jugular meeting gold chain on black velvet On the inside: 18 H 10341 6 14 W(broad arrow)D 3 1912" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now