The 1st Battalion 25th King’s Own Borderers returned from Canada in August 1867 and were stationed at Portsmouth when this photograph was taken. Seated in the centre are the Regimental Sergeant-Major and the Quartermaster Sergeant, both wearing four gold chevrons and holding swords. The RSM has a crown badge above his stripes, while the QMS has stripes only. Several Colour Sergeants can be identified by the single stripe and embroidered Colour badge on the right arm. Before the abolition of flank companies in 1862, NCOs wore rank stripes on both sleeves; Colour Sergeants had three stripes on the left arm. This photograph shows rank stripes and badges on the right arm only.
They all wear crimson sashes on the right shoulder, of varying width, and most appear in scarlet dress tunics with blue slash flaps on a blue cuff. This pattern was replaced in 1868 by a pointed cuff. One sergeant, seated in front of the RSM and QMS, wears a scarlet shell jacket fastened with small brass buttons, his chevrons being narrower. Two figures wear white tunics. The man standing on the left, wearing a peaked cap, is probably the bandmaster; his tunic has blue facings with gold lace on the collar and slash flaps. The band sergeant is visible in the top row.
Two Colour Sergeants at the top of the group carry their muskets with long sword bayonets fixed. They wear white shoulder belts for ammunition, and one has a small white pouch on the front of the belt. The diced caps, tilted to the right, bear a brass 25 on the front. Scottish red, white and green dicing was added in 1864. One sergeant, just in front of the top row, wears a peaked cap, perhaps the Musketry Instructor. The RSM and QMS would have caps of this type, possibly with embroidered Royal Crests similar to those worn by officers.
The photograph is reproduced with kind permission of the author, from Borderers in Uniform from 1689by Hiram Dunn (2018).
