Officers c1815


These three officers are wearing the Guards frock coat in different ways. The first officer on the left is Lieutenant George Mure and he has the top two buttons undone with the top of the lapels folded out. This portrait was painted after Waterloo as he has the medal. He if a battalion officer with one epaulette.

The centre officer is Lord Saltoun who led the Light Company at Hougoumont. His coat is worn with the left lapel folded over to the right hand buttons. He has Light Company wings on his shoulders which are red, edged and fringed with gold.

The right hand officer is Ensign Richard Fletcher. His coat is unusual in that it is buttoned to the left. We know that the picture is not reversed because the sword belt and epaulette are on the right shoulder. He is wearing the gilt gorget. Officers continued to wear this item of 18th century uniform for another ten years.

The other way of wearing the coat, not shown here, is for both lapels to be folded back and buttoned to reveal a blue plastron front edged in gold lace.


Uniforms | Regimental Details


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by Stephen Luscombe