This early
Cabinet Card displays the beautiful uniform of a
Captain in the Royal Horse Artillery (rank shown by the "eye"
braiding around the cuff ornament, as well as the Crown and Star
displayed on the collar) ; some very interesting elements are
worthy of note :
Our
captain proudly displays the New Zealand Campaign Medal. This
Medal is certainly not very common to Artillery Officers. It was
awarded for Maori Wars of 1845-7, 1860 and 1864-72. It was not sanctioned until
1869, and distributed from 1870.
No Battery of Horse Artillery was employed in the Maori Wars, and
our sitter won it in another appointment. |
|
This Officer is sporting the typical pouch belt of Surgeons.
Medical and Veterinary officers generally wore the pouch belts of
the regiment they were attached to, but all Surgeons had a
specific pouch belt, containing medical instruments.
He is
also wearing black cap lines, as opposed to the gold ones worn by
regular officers of the RHA.
Thanks
to Dave Knight for his help |