The NCOs and men of the 9th Lancers parade dismounted at Canterbury c1911, not long after their arrival in England from South Africa. They are in dress uniform with blue tunics faced scarlet, and yellow cap-lines. They have yellow and red striped girdles round their waists. The black and white horsehair plumes have been crimped, a relatively recent custom. The overalls are close-fitting and have a double yellow stripe down the side, worn with black ankle boots and spurs. The white pouch-belts worn on the left shoulder were abolished for line cavalry in 1902 so the fact that they are worn in 1911 is surprising. They wear swords slung from webbing waist-belts worn beneath the tunic. These would be the newly issued 1908 pattern swords.
The sergeant nearest the camera has three gold lace stripes with a silver regimental arm badge above. This badge was introduced while the regiment was stationed in India in 1905. He has an embroidered badge for musketry proficiency on his forearm. His rank entitled him to the gold lace on his collar. His gauntlets hide the scarlet pointed cuffs which do not have gold lace. Another NCO stands this end of the rear rank, a Corporal Shoeing Smith, with two gold stripes, a gold farrier’s horseshoe badge and a silver regimental arm badge between the two.
In 1911 the 9th Lancers provided a detail of two officers and 33 men to attend the Coronation of King George V. Despite the caption below the picture, this may be part of that detail which would explain why they are wearing pouch-belts. The Lancer contingent also included a similar number of men from the 5th and 16th Lancers. They marched in the Royal procession, while 12 officers and 200 men of the regiment lined the streets.
