A light company was added to the establishment of each battalion around 1768, proving themselves in the American War of Independence (1775 - 83) where British troops had to adapt to warfare conducted by guerrillas in the forests of New England. Men who were designated as light infantry cut their broad brimmed hats down to a manageable shape that would not be knocked off by branches as they moved among the trees. The front was turned up and the sides trimmed off, They adorned the top with animal hair. Caps had already been designed for wear by light cavalry in 1760 and they inspired the light infantry pattern.
The cap in these pictures was discovered in a car boot sale and is now in the possession of the National Army Museum. It is made of jacked leather and has a leather peak and upright frontal, and a leather back piece. A red turban is wrapped around the skull and there are brass stays on either side, and a brass crest on top from front to back. The front of the crest has the face of a satyr and the crest has a red horsehair plume falling towards the back. The front has the regimental badge of Britannia with scrolls inscribed IX REGT. and LT. INFANTRY. There is a crown above the figure which is painted red inside.
The date of 1783 was suggested by W Y Carman in his article describing this cap and its Britannia badge in the Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research vol LXXI no.286 (Summer 1993). The regiment had been captured at the Battle of Saratoga in October 1777 and were not released until 1781 when they returned home. The cap with its unusual badge probably dates from this time when the men had to be reclothed and equipped.
Regimental Details | Uniforms
