Warriors For The Working Day
Military Art
By
Paul Hitchin
145 Walsall Road
Pelsall
Walsall
WS3 4BP
UK
Telephone
07967630942
Bush Fighter – 74th Foot – South Africa 1851
This private of the 74th Foot
( later 2nd Battalion Highland Light Infantry) is taken from
contemporary illustrations of the regiment fighting against native forces
in the 8th Kaffir War in South Africa. His unusual uniform is
an example of adaptation of a uniform to suit the conditions of service.
In this case the red long tailed regimental coatee has been put aside in
favour of a far more practical canvas smock, loose fitting and dyed a drab
colour and locally produced boots. His headgear is a forage cap with peak
added, the diced band indicating the unit’s Scots origin. The only regular
feature of his uniform are the highland trews of regimental pattern
tartan. Even his equipment has been altered, with the ammunition pouch and
bayonet suspended at the waist instead of cross belts. He is biting the
cartridge to load his 1839 pattern musket, basically a Brown Bess
converted to percussion, but still a smoothbore, muzzle loading weapon
inaccurate at more than 100 yards. This portrayal of a British soldier
differs greatly from the redcoat, pipeclayed image normally thought of.
