The uniform is worn in full dress, as indicated by the gold and crimson striped sash on the officer’s left shoulder. In review order, and other orders, the sash was plain crimson silk. The tunic is scarlet with blue facings, and his rank of captain is clearly shown by the double row of gold lace on his cuffs, traced with gold Russia braid, ending in a small Austrian knot at the point and figuring on the blue cuff. The collar is edged with white piping and gold lace, also traced with gold braid. The pioneers’ crossed-axes badges were worn on the collar by both British and Indian officers. Plaited gold shoulder cords carry two star rank badges, denoting captain rank at that time. There were changes in 1902 when captain rank was altered to three stars.
Other changes made in 1902 included a simplification of the tunic so that the cuff decoration was similar for all ranks of British officer. Another change was the wearing of the sash of office around the waist instead of on the shoulder. This meant that the ornate gold-laced waist-belt (reserved for full-dress and ceremonial occasions) was discontinued, and the sword suspended from a webbing belt worn under the tunic.
The officer is holding his foreign service white helmet, which is in the late 19th‑century style, prior to the introduction of the wider-brimmed Wolseley helmet. This helmet was worn by British officers only, while the Indian ranks wore a red turban. The helmet has a red pagri with the Victorian badge on the front.
The dating of this officer can be determined with certainty because he has the DSO included in his row of medals. The officer is identified as Captain Alexander Stanhope Cobbe, who later won the Victoria Cross. He was awarded the DSO in 1900 for his service with the King’s African Rifles in Africa. The black arm-band suggests that this photo was taken in 1901 after the death of Queen Victoria on 22 January 1901.
