MAJOR - ROYAL WELSH FUSILIERS 1891

Messdress

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This style of mess jacket owes its origins to the shell jacket, undress wear of the Crimea period. It was made from a superfine scarlet cloth and edged all round with gold russia braid, A row of gilt studs were fitted down the front of the jacket, with a loop of gold braid to fasten under the collar front. Collar and cuffs were of regimental facing colour, and as a "Royal" regiment, the Royal Welsh Fusiliers wore garter blue facings.

The collar which has around the top, a row of braided eyes for a field officer, and Russia braid along the bottom, carries silver wire embroidered flaming grenades superimposed with the Welsh dragon in silver. At the back can be seen the famous RWF "flash". Twisted gold shoulder cords carry rank insignia, in this case a gold crown. The pointed cuffs have two lines of gold russia braid over the point, the upper forming an Austrian knot, with a further row of braided eyes over it to denote a Major, and a tracing in Russia braid below the lower line. The waistcoat was normally made in the regimental facing colour, but the RWF uniquely wore a black waistcoat. It had a gold braid edging around the top, down the front, and along the bottom. A row of gilt studs with hook and eye fastenings were fitted down the front. The pockets were edged with braid, forming crow's feet and eyes at top and bottom and at the ends.

The overalls are of dark blue cloth with a 1/4in scarlet welt down the outside seam, although the example shown is wearing fulldress pattern laced overalls The forage cap is the straight sided type introduced in 1880 It was 3 1/4 in. high with an oakleaf pattern black silk band, although in our example from a royal regiment, the band is red. The black leather drooping peak had a band of gold embroidery and there was black figuring around a netted boss on the cap top. On the front is the regimental badge of a flaming grenade in gold embroidery surmounted by a silver dragon

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