From 1812 the shakos worn by the British infantry came to be known as the Waterloo shako, although the 9th Regiment were on their way back from Canada while the battle of Waterloo was being fought. The regimental silver badge of Britannia distinguished the 9th from other regiments who mostly had a brass plate of universal shape. The plume was placed on the left side, white over red for battalion companies, white for grenadiers and green for light companies. The plaited cord and tassel were a mixture of gold and crimson for officers, white cord for the men.
The uniform depicted in this Goddard & Booth print agrees with the one worn by the officer in the miniature. The silver epaulette is clearly worn only on the right shoulder, and the white shoulder-belt supporting his sword is held in place by a crimson silk sash of office. The yellow cuffs have four silver buttons placed in pairs, with slim cord ‘button-holes’. He wears grey overalls for normal parade wear as well as on campaign, but breeches and knee boots were reserved for more formal occasions. The title of the print is ‘Officer of the IX (or Britannia Regt. of Infantry) which was not an official regimental title.
Regimental Details | Uniforms
