Officers` dress

[PhilB]

The accompanying photo shows the NCOs all dressed as per regulation, but the Major in an overcoat like something out of a Ruritanian opera. How did they manage to get away with it? Were there any regulations that allowed them to "Come as you like"? Phil B

[PhilB]

No response! I thought I`d try again to see if anyone knows what regulations applied to officers` dress. Phil B

[salientguide]

Hi m13pqb give you a response so you dont feel lonely! Yea the major is well trussed up in his fur lined coat. i would imgine he,d got his correct uniform on underneath. In non formal situations such as this i imagine they could wear some fairly non standard stuff, and certainly in the trenches men and officers adopted all sorts of gear to keep warm smelly goatskin jackets round about 1915/16 being common. I think his uniform would have been otherwise pretty standard but he certainy livens up the photo.

salientguide

[Greg]

Officers had regulation clothing . This lookslike a variant of the British Warm which was authorised for field officers .Some variatiion crept in because of the use of individual tailors or fashion .Vivan De Sola Pinto who served in the RWF with Sassoon mentions the 'yellow shirts'rather the the official drab ones and the appearance of a subaltern in a British Warm and the apopleptic response from the Adjutant.

Fur collars seem to have become popular towards teh end of hte war so it may just havebeen afashion statement. Interstingly the RA came upwith a double breasted jacket for office work during the 1930s! Have seen drawings for it but never any photographs.

Greg

[mcderms]

He's wearing what was known as a 'Car Coat' - originally for whizzing around in open topped charabancs. Not an unusual bit of kit for a senior office but I don't expect he would have worn it in the trenches!