The painting is by Godfrey Brennen, copied in 1904 from a water-colour drawing belonging to 'Miss Wheler' (pronounced Wheeler) of 114 Lansdowne Place, Hove. She was probably Doris Laura Wheler, daughter of Lieut-Colonel Francis Henry Wheler, the first son of Sir Francis Wheler’s second marriage. Doris Wheler died in 1966. The painting shows Francis Wheler as a young officer of the 2nd Bengal Light Cavalry, drinking beer from a tankard while a fellow officer, Ridge, smokes on a Hookah and another officer, Wingfield, pours a drink. The caption is ‘Taking drafts to a new Regt. 1825.’ The word drafts having a double meaning. When a new regiment was raised, drafts of men from an established regiment were sent to the new regiment to provide experienced soldiers. In 1824 two ‘Extra’ cavalry regiments were raised which in 1826 became the 9th and 10th Bengal Light Cavalry.
The officers wear a variety of undress uniforms. The French grey stable jacket worn by Wheler was thought to have been introduced in 1835 to replace the dark blue stable jacket which is worn by Wingfield. Ridge has a white jacket and winter dress trousers, while Wheler has white summer trousers. Wingfield has breeches and jackboots, and a non-regulation wide-brimmed hat. The other two have the usual officers blue forage cap.
