New Battalions and dress uniforms ?

[Dublin Fusilier]

Did the officers in the new armies and battalions during WW1 get dress uniforms ?

For example did officers in the Dublin and Munster Fusiliers , Irish Guards etc have Busbys and Bearskins ?

Thanks for the help.

[wainfleet]

No. Full dress was dropped in 1914 when the war began.

[Dublin Fusilier]

No. Full dress was dropped in 1914 when the war began.

Thanks for the reply.

[Graham Stewart]

As pointed out by Wainfleet - Officers full dress disappeared on the outbreak of the War, but it's also well worth remembering all officers kit, was obtained by 'private purchase' and this included all form's of dress including Service Dress. Considering this - all officers on the Regular Reserve and Special Reserve, would have had trunks of full dress in their possession, but it's unlikely they turned up at their relevant Depots bringing the stuff with them and so they will have had a 'mobilization order' telling them what kit to turn up with.

Officers in the New Armies also did not require any other orders of dress other then 'SD' and for it's purchase they were given an allowance and I've posted an interesting War Office Instruction(WOI 175 of 1915) about purchasing such kit, as it would appear that some C.O.'s favoured certain tailors from which to purchase uniforms and one wonders if they received some sort of 'commission' for pointing junior 'New Army' officers in their general direction direction from which to purchase their new uniforms.

[Dublin Fusilier]

Thanks for the info Graham

[tony paley]

In Seigfried Sassoon's 'Memoirs of George Sherston', which is more or less an account of his own service with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, he recalls that he received advice regarding which tailor to visit in London from a former CO. Apparently some military tailors would specialise in certain regiments. On arrival at the Regimental Depot it was apparent that the Adjudant, a nephew of Sassoon's advisor, approved of his appearance, whilst an officer who had arrived with sassoon probably via a 'New Army' unit was given advice regarding his choice of uniform.

Tony P

[Jerry B]

An ex Welsh Guards member I was speaking to recently stated that he was told to buy his kit from Moss bros, though this was in a more recent era, but it seems that certain regiments still tend to favour certain tailors.

[Muerrisch]

A slight tangent, for which forgiveness is sought in advance.

Knowing what little I know about the mindset of the Guards, I find myself wondering if Foot Guards officers at Home during the war might have clung to some aspects of pre-war dress? For example, the Barracks dress of field officers and adjutants, the long beribboned dark blue frockcoat?

One hears so many apocryphal storeis, many believable, about their conservatism.

"Surrender? This is not a drill we have practised in peace, we can not do it in war!" and the like.