Henry Martens produced the artwork for this print published by Ackermann on 15 Mar 1849. Martens based the original painting on a sketch made by ‘B D Grant Esq’ who witnessed the scene. The scene purports to show ‘H.M. IX Regt. entering Allahabad after the Wars’.
The men wear white covers to their Albert Shakos while the officers have white covered undress forage caps. The men’s coats are single-breasted, scarlet, with yellow collars and round yellow cuffs. These must be undress waist-length shell jackets because the infantry dress tailed coat at this time had white lace across the front, lace on the collar and slash flaps on the cuffs. The shoulders of the dress coat were also embellished with crescents of white worsted tuft and shoulder straps. They have two shoulder-belts crossed on their chests with a regimental shoulder plate bearing the figure of Britannia in the centre. The belts hold a black leather ammunition pouch on the right hip and a bayonet on the left. From 1850 the bayonet was supported on a waist-belt.
A sergeant shows silver stripes on his left sleeve and appears to have white edging to his collar. He has a crimson sash around his waist with the ends hanging on his left hip. In 1845 the central stripe of facing colour worn on sergeant’s sashes was discontinued. All ranks have dark trousers with a thin red stripe down the side. The men’s trousers are dark blue but the officers have a colour which may represent the Oxford mixture that they were ordered to wear in the winter months. The bottoms of the trousers are covered in dust from the march.
The officers’ shell jackets are described in the 1846 Dress Regulations: ‘..scarlet, with Prussian collar and pointed cuffs of regimental facing; a row of small regimental buttons down the front (in pairs or at equal distances, according to regimental pattern), and two on each sleeve. To fasten down the front with hooks and eyes; shoulder straps, formed of a gold basket cord, five eighths of an inch in circumference, twisted double, with a small figure at bottom, and a small regimental button at the top.’
The officers have black waist-belts to support their swords. The officer nearest us has a medal ribbon for the First Afghan War of 1841-42 (Cabul 1842). There is also a private, on the left, with a similar ribbon. It must be assumed that they all have the medal ribbon, but in some cases obscured by muskets carried at the slope.
Two officers hold the Colours, for which they have white shoulder belts on the left shoulder. The Regimental Colour is the less tattered flag on the right, basically yellow with the Union flag in the corner. The figure of Britannia identifies the regiment, surrounded by a wreath of laurel and showing battle honours. At that time the 9th East Norfolks had nine honours from the Peninsula War and one, CABOOL 1842, conferred more recently, but probably not showing on the Colour. The other Colour should be the Queen’s Colour but the top of the staff shows that it must be the tattered remains of a captured Sikh standard.
The 9th Regiment served throughout the Sutlej Campaign from December 1845 to February 1846. They suffered their highest casualties at the battle of Ferozeshah. The last battle, Sobraon saw fewer casualties, but the war against the Sikhs had ended. Lahore was occupied in February 1846, where the regiment stayed until 23 March. They were then ordered to Meerut, arriving there on 15 April. On 23 October 1846 they set off on the long march to Dinapur, on the way home. As was the custom, men were given the choice of going home or remaining in India, so that 175 elected to stay, and were allocated to other regiments. When they stopped at Allahabad they received reinforcements of 154 volunteers. They later carried on to Calcutta and embarked for England on 13 Mar 1847.
