The dating of this photo is in question but the peaked forage caps of the two officers sitting in the foreground indicate that it is post 1881. They are not regimental officers. Four British officers of the 44th Sylhet LI sit around them; the two at the front are in dark green patrol jackets but they appear to be of different patterns. The one seated on the settee (who also appears in one of the 1885 photos) has cloth shoulder straps with a single rank badge on each side. The other officer, seated on the arm of the settee, has plaited black shoulder cords. He also has a wide black mohair edging to the hem and front edges of his jacket, and what looks like a pocket flap on his hip. All four British officers have the dress pouchbelt and low crowned pillbox cap which is dark green with a black silk cap band. Swords are carried, attached with slings to a hidden waistbelt.
The distinction between British and Gurkha officers is made clear by the fact that the former are seated and the latter stand at the back. The regiment had been titled 44th Bengal Light Infantry up until 1886 but in that year they were re-named 44th Gurkha Light Infantry. Not all the officers and men were ethnic Gurkhas. An official report in the 1880s referred to the troops in Assam:
‘Three Regiments of Bengal Native Infantry (formerly Irregulars) are localised in the North-East Frontier, and known as the Assam Battalions. They are the 42nd Assam Light Infantry, 43rd Assam Light Infantry, and 44th Sylhet Light Infantry. The first named has a strong Sikh element and the 43rd is mostly composed of Assamese, but both contain a good many men from Hindustan. The last named is now practically a Gurkha Corps. The enlistment of Hindustanis, except the relations of men already in the Corps, has been discontinued. All three are dressed in green and have an establishment of 800 sepoys (912 all native ranks).’
There seems to be little sign of typical Nepalese features amongst the officers. The uniforms worn are the dress uniforms that were worn in the 1885 photos. The jacket is collarless and the black facing front can be clearly between two vertical lines either side of the eight buttons. These and the three buttons on each slash cuff appear bright although black buttons would be expected. The jackets are short skirted and rounded at the front. Rank is indicated on the right collar-bone, by crossed swords for Subadars or single swords for Jemadars, although these may well be kukri knives at this stage. A later photo of officers in 1896 shows that the uniform changed so that rank was shown on the shoulder straps as stars and crowns. The caps worn by these officers are similar to the British caps but not so stiff in their construction. They are part of their full dress whereas British officers wore them in undress. Swords are slung from a hidden waist belt, and pouchbelts are similar to those worn by the British officers. One man, fourth from the right, does not have a pouchbelt and may be the Havildar-Major.
