Cuff design of Bengal Cavalry Regiments 1900

Dear,
My one of the best friend Mike Trevor sent me an image of the Cuff design for Field Officers of the Bengal Cavalry which is given below-
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Through the internet I have found the image of the cuff design of Lieutenant for Bengal Cavalry which is given below-
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I need the image of the cuff design for Captain of Bengal Cavalry. Because, As per the Dress Regulations of Indian Army 1901, Cuff design for Captain of Bengal Cavalry is different from the Cuff design for Lieutenant. Over the internet I didn't get any image regarding the cuff design for Captain. Plz help me.
Regards
Shams

Hello Shams - I think there may be a mistake here. There were 19 regiments of "Bengal Cavalry" until 1922 but none had the "drab" (light beige) coat colour with red facings shown. Of the Bengal cavalry regiments (none of whom actually had that title - they were simply cavalry who had historically been part of the Army of the Bengal Presidency) 14 wore dark blue coats, 4 scarlet and 1 (Skinner's Horse) yellow. Two regiments from central India (the 38th and 39th Central India Horse) wore drab with maroon facings but judging from your photographs your officer's tunic is most probably that of Queen Victoria's Corps of Guides (Lumsdens) who wore drab with red velvet facings. The Guides were part of the Frontier Force.

Getting to the cuff braiding - until 1902 officers of all branches of the British and Indian armies had cuff braiding which became more elaborate as you rose in rank. Hence the difference between the Lieutenant and Field Officer examples in your photos. For light cavalry captains the gold cuff braiding comprised an Austrian knot 9 inches deep (as against 11 inches for Field Officers and 8 inches for Lieutenants). In photographs the most apparent difference between Captains and Field Officers is the absence of the extra "Christmas tree" like effect at the very top and bottom of the insignia.

In 1902 the differences in rank braiding on collar and cuffs were abolished as a unnecessary expense to officers and the relatively simple Lieutenant's pattern became universal - rank badges on the epaulettes were all that were needed. Hope this helps.

Dear buistR
Thanks a lot. You are right. This tunic was used by the officers of Queen Victoria's Corps of Guides (Lumsdens). Can you give me the photographs of Captain of Bengal Cavalry? It'll help me lot.
Regards
Shams

Hello Shams - A. H. Bowling's "Indian Cavalry Regiments 1880-1914" ISBN 0 85524 026 1 contains a photo of a Captain Campbell of the Corps of Guides of this period in full dress, which shows the cuff braiding fairly clearly. Unfortunately I don't think that I can post it on the website, for copyright reasons. Alternatively, I think you mentioned on another thread that you had been able to down load the Dress Regulations for the Army 1900. If you check the photographs for officers rank insignia I think you will find clear examples of field officer, lieutenant and captain braiding. Those for Hussar regiments (plate 18) should provide a useful guide.

Good luck with your research.

Dear buisR
Thanks a lot. I have a copy of Indian Cavalry Regiments 1880-1914 book which I get fro my friend Mike Trevor as gift. There image of Captain Campbell is not cleared. But I have collected a copy of cuff design for Bengal Cavalry officer which is given below-
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Is it the cuff design for Captain of Bengal Cavalry?
Regards
Shams

Hello Shams - yes that certainly seems to be the braiding pattern for middle level officers (i.e. captains). The actual uniform in your photo is of course the famous yellow and black of 1st Skinner's Horse (there was also a 3rd Skinner's Horse who wore dark blue with yellow facings). If you have access to W.Y. Carman's detailed work " Indian Army Uniforms - Cavalry" you will see on page 117 a sketch showing a British Officer Corps of Guides c1901 in the same dismounted full dress as Captain Gordon. The braiding there is the same as in your photo - i.e. more elaborate than that of a lieutenant but simpler than that of a major or colonel.

Congratulations on being succesful with your research. The old Indian Army of the British Raj is always a fascinating but very challenging area of study - mainly because each of the 180 odd regiments in existance before 1914 provided much of its own uniform rather than drawing standard items from a central clothing factory. Accordingly there was wide variety in the patterns of even basic items like puttees and boots. Add that to the differing ways in which pagris (turbans) were worn by each of the "martial races" and the British military preference for making each regiment look a bit different from the norm and you have colourful chaos. Only the ten Gurkha regiments achieved some degree of standardisation.

Regards

"http://rapidshare.com/files/440868200/SkinnersHorseUniforms.pdf"

Curiously, the yellow uniforms with black facings in this booklet show the much simpler pointed lancer cuffs, no Bengal knot.

"http://rapidshare.com/files/440868200/SkinnersHorseUniforms.pdf"

Curiously, the yellow uniforms with black facings in this booklet show the much simpler pointed lancer cuffs, no Bengal knot.

Dear mconrad it is a marvelous book. I'm very much glad to you. Thank you.
Dear buisR thanks a lot for your help. I'm also glad to you for helping me to identify the cuff designs of Bengal Cavalry.
Regards
Shams