The King’s Dragoon Guards spent most of WW1 in France but were transferred to India in 1917. The uniforms worn here are light khaki drill for the Indian climate. There are three officers seated at the front wearing Sam Browne belts and open lapelled tunics with shirts and ties. The NCOs have tunics buttoned to the neck and wear ammunition bandoliers of three differing patterns. The sergeant seated on the left of the photo wears puttees so we can assume that the men standing in the back row also wear puttees.
The two warrant officers seated on the right of the photo have either Stowasser or Hessian riding boots. They both have four small chevrons on their right forearm, point upwards. The photo is not clear so it is hard to say what positions they hold, perhaps RSM and RQMS. The badge used by the KDG during WW1, as a cap and collar badge, was the old crowned garter star with K D G in the centre. This was not used as an NCO arm badge until c1918 and can be seen on some of the NCOs in the photo.
This photo is taken from Arm Badges of the British Cavalry Regiments by Peter Seaman (1994) The location of this group is not stated but the regiment was initially stationed at Meerut, then moved to Risalpur in October 1918. The caption reads: ‘R.H.Q. (Staff) Winners of inter-troop Skill-at-arms 1918’
