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The equipment
of the soldier:
A brief introduction
Editor's note: The information
for this article was taken largely
from The Infantryman's Handbook:
An Interpretational Guide. It was
compiled by Michael Brown and
given to members of the 41st
Regiment of Foot re-enactment
unit in the early 1990s. The text
quoted below was found in Parks
Canada training manuals.
The standard uniform of the
British soldier was the redcoat,
which was issued by the colone
and often adorned with
regimental lace, a regimental
facing colour and specific
regimental buttons.
For those unfamiliar with what
regimental lace and facings are, here's a brief explanation. Regimental
lace is a cotton tape with a specific design woven into it. It was sewn
around both the collar and the buttonholes of the uniform in one of a
number of patterns, depending on the regiment. Coats belonging to the
41st had lace which featured a single black line through the middle, and
was arranged in a "Jew's Harp" pattern.
Different regiments had different facing colours, which appeared most
notably on the collar and cuff of the tunic. The facing colour of the 41st
was red.
One coat was expected to last an entire year, although on frontier
outposts it often had to last longer, which meant a lot of patching for
soldiers on the frontier. Also given by the colonel were the trousers (in
Upper Canada, the trousers were often of heavy white cotton), a pair of
shoes, a great coat and a shako. A shako is the black felt contraption
worn as a hat by soldiers of the period. On the shako went a brass plate
as well as a plume and cockade. The plume varied in colour, depending
upon the type of soldier who wore it. Members of regular battalion
companies wore plumes which were white and red, while light
infantrymen wore green and grenadiers wore white.
A soldier would also be issued a barracks jacket, which was similar to a
regimental tunic (redcoat) except it was made in white wool with no lace
and no tail at the back. This was designed to be worn when off-duty or
when drilling. The barracks jacket is also known as a forage coat or a
white coat.
Unfortunately for the soldier of the period, some required articles had to
be paid for by himself, most usually out of the bounty he received when
enlisting. These included black woollen gaiters, which were worn on the
feet in order to keep pebbles and stones out of one's shoes while
marching. The recruit would also have to provide a forage cap (to be
worn with the barracks jacket) and a knapsack and a neck stock. When
needed, however, the government would supply blue wooden canteens
as well as haversacks to carry rations.
All of this equipment had its purpose, however, and was worn for
specific events. The list below illustrates some of these occasions:
Drilling without arms
•White coat
•Forage cap
Drilling with arms
•White coat
•Shako
•Musket
•Bayonet belt and bayonet
•Cartridge box and belt (optional)
Review
•Regimental coat
•Shako
•Musket
•Bayonet belt and bayonet
•Cartride box and belt
•Canteen
•Knapsack
•Haversack (optional)
Guard duty
•Regimental coat
•Shako
•Musket
•Bayonet belt and bayonet
•Cartridge box and belt
Work party
•Smock and/or apron
•Forage cap
•No stock
Off-duty within the garrison
•White coat
•Forage cap
While most soldiers would have been living on the brink of poverty, they
often did have a few possessions to their name. For example, Sergeant J.
S. Cooper, who campaigned with the British army during the Napoleonic
wars, remembered carrying the following (weight in brackets):
•Fusee and bayonet (14 lb.)
•Pouch and 60 rounds (6 lb.)
•Two cross belts (1 lb.)
•Water bottle (1 lb.)
•Knapsack (3 lb.)
•Mess tin (1 lb.)
•Blanket (4 lb.)
•Great coat (4 lb.)
•Regimental dress coat (3 lb.)
•White jacket (1/2 lb.)
•Two shirts and three breasts (2 1/2 lb.)
•Two pairs of shoes (3 lb.)
•Trousers (2 lb.)
•Gaiters (1/4 lb.)
•Two pairs of stockings (1 lb.)
•Four brushes, button stick and comb (3 lb.)
•Pen, ink, chalk and tent pegs (1 3/4 lb.)
•Three days bread (3 lb.)
•Two days beef (2 lb.)
•Water in canteen (3 lb.)
Although this might not seem to be much, a quick addition of the weights
which were provided show that it can quickly add up to a heavy load to
carry around. Nevertheless, it should be noted how little civilian articles
were carried — in this case, just pen, ink and chalk. This only goes to
reinforce the relative penuriousness of the soldier.
of the soldier:
A brief introduction
Editor's note: The information
for this article was taken largely
from The Infantryman's Handbook:
An Interpretational Guide. It was
compiled by Michael Brown and
given to members of the 41st
Regiment of Foot re-enactment
unit in the early 1990s. The text
quoted below was found in Parks
Canada training manuals.
The standard uniform of the
British soldier was the redcoat,
which was issued by the colone
and often adorned with
regimental lace, a regimental
facing colour and specific
regimental buttons.
For those unfamiliar with what
regimental lace and facings are, here's a brief explanation. Regimental
lace is a cotton tape with a specific design woven into it. It was sewn
around both the collar and the buttonholes of the uniform in one of a
number of patterns, depending on the regiment. Coats belonging to the
41st had lace which featured a single black line through the middle, and
was arranged in a "Jew's Harp" pattern.
Different regiments had different facing colours, which appeared most
notably on the collar and cuff of the tunic. The facing colour of the 41st
was red.
One coat was expected to last an entire year, although on frontier
outposts it often had to last longer, which meant a lot of patching for
soldiers on the frontier. Also given by the colonel were the trousers (in
Upper Canada, the trousers were often of heavy white cotton), a pair of
shoes, a great coat and a shako. A shako is the black felt contraption
worn as a hat by soldiers of the period. On the shako went a brass plate
as well as a plume and cockade. The plume varied in colour, depending
upon the type of soldier who wore it. Members of regular battalion
companies wore plumes which were white and red, while light
infantrymen wore green and grenadiers wore white.
A soldier would also be issued a barracks jacket, which was similar to a
regimental tunic (redcoat) except it was made in white wool with no lace
and no tail at the back. This was designed to be worn when off-duty or
when drilling. The barracks jacket is also known as a forage coat or a
white coat.
Unfortunately for the soldier of the period, some required articles had to
be paid for by himself, most usually out of the bounty he received when
enlisting. These included black woollen gaiters, which were worn on the
feet in order to keep pebbles and stones out of one's shoes while
marching. The recruit would also have to provide a forage cap (to be
worn with the barracks jacket) and a knapsack and a neck stock. When
needed, however, the government would supply blue wooden canteens
as well as haversacks to carry rations.
All of this equipment had its purpose, however, and was worn for
specific events. The list below illustrates some of these occasions:
Drilling without arms
•White coat
•Forage cap
Drilling with arms
•White coat
•Shako
•Musket
•Bayonet belt and bayonet
•Cartridge box and belt (optional)
Review
•Regimental coat
•Shako
•Musket
•Bayonet belt and bayonet
•Cartride box and belt
•Canteen
•Knapsack
•Haversack (optional)
Guard duty
•Regimental coat
•Shako
•Musket
•Bayonet belt and bayonet
•Cartridge box and belt
Work party
•Smock and/or apron
•Forage cap
•No stock
Off-duty within the garrison
•White coat
•Forage cap
While most soldiers would have been living on the brink of poverty, they
often did have a few possessions to their name. For example, Sergeant J.
S. Cooper, who campaigned with the British army during the Napoleonic
wars, remembered carrying the following (weight in brackets):
•Fusee and bayonet (14 lb.)
•Pouch and 60 rounds (6 lb.)
•Two cross belts (1 lb.)
•Water bottle (1 lb.)
•Knapsack (3 lb.)
•Mess tin (1 lb.)
•Blanket (4 lb.)
•Great coat (4 lb.)
•Regimental dress coat (3 lb.)
•White jacket (1/2 lb.)
•Two shirts and three breasts (2 1/2 lb.)
•Two pairs of shoes (3 lb.)
•Trousers (2 lb.)
•Gaiters (1/4 lb.)
•Two pairs of stockings (1 lb.)
•Four brushes, button stick and comb (3 lb.)
•Pen, ink, chalk and tent pegs (1 3/4 lb.)
•Three days bread (3 lb.)
•Two days beef (2 lb.)
•Water in canteen (3 lb.)
Although this might not seem to be much, a quick addition of the weights
which were provided show that it can quickly add up to a heavy load to
carry around. Nevertheless, it should be noted how little civilian articles
were carried — in this case, just pen, ink and chalk. This only goes to
reinforce the relative penuriousness of the soldier.
