It is a busby. There was a theory that the Hussar uniform was designed as a joke to make them look silly. Only they were too silly to notice. Mike
Post#77 is a great pic of the great man himself, but it does (to me) look a little like one of those sea-side photo ops you get where you pop your head through the hole... and the photographer takes a snap. So it made me wonder even more when Ron said : "He wasn't dressed like that when I dined with him " He does look very smart though and amazingly thin. And not a beach ball or a sand castle in sight I was a bit shocked at first to read this though... Honeysuckle Weeks suffers uniform fetish shock... : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/9661618/Foyles-War-star-Honeysuckle-Weeks-suffers-uniform-fetish-shock.html But the article itself is nothing like that in it's tone. It just says she "never knew it was a thing" - perhaps next time she googles her name she'll find this site and have more firm evidence that it is All the best, Rm.
Steady on old chap. Upper class totty in uniforms put the great in Great Britain. What's wrong with a good old fashioned fetish anyway. Oh dear the very thought has made me go silly. Mike
No I know its not the best (In fact its possibly the worst ! ) and my Grandfather said he can remember a neighbour in 1967 having a similar hairstyle? Soldiers at the funeral of Princess Galyani Vadhana Kyle
Careful Mr Jinks You might raise their ire, declarations of war have been called on less, I was just trying to think about where that uniform would be most useful? Are they about a foot tall and used to fighting in tulip fields? BTW if we take "smartest and best" uniform in a slightly different way http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2523058/Camouflage-suits-make-wearers-impossible-see.html I found these pretty impressive - when I was looking into the "best camouflage" in the terms of a different thread... Not sure how to link to an individual pic there but some of them would be good contenders to pick up if they were actually not "invisible" I could imagine the MOD buying thousands of them and being told "they are in our forest warehouse, on racks, but you'll have to collect them yourself...."
Shades of the Emperors new clothes. 'Course you can't see them Guv. Wouldn't be much use if you could would they'. Mike
They look... 'warry'. Something louchely professional about 'em. Certainly stylish. Pink blokes are Thai aren't they. They look sort of better from a distance, but, no, still not winning on this thread: http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I00009M0wsF1nWsE/fit=1000x750/Thailand-Bearskin-hats022.jpg But then I've always thought there's only a handful of nations that get ceremonial gear right. Us, the French, maybe the Vatican guard and a few other places. An inherent bias no doubt, but a few hundred years behind an essentially garish ensemble's details does seem to really help. Some just look like majorette suits conjured up by the local brownies.
I think the guy on the far left is thinking "I should be up there! It was my turn to sit on the big gun! :angry: "
That's Graham Chapman from Monty Python's Flying Circus. Which makes it Michael Palin on top of the gun
9th Lancers and SRY - A Mounted Cavalryman of the 9th Lancers, c.1827 * Sacre bleu! The main task of lancers was to charge enemy infantry and cavalry formations. They were also used for typical light cavalry tasks such as skirmishing and scouting. Although their chief weapon was a fearsome lance, lancers were also equipped with sabres and pistols or carbines. These weapons were for close combat whereas the lance had its greatest impact in the charge. ...their hats too (post #93 above ) I expect were a devil against cobwebs as well! http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/a-mounted-cavalryman-of-the-9th-lancers-c-1827-182779 The SRY also is hugely impressive and this one of their CO looks almost like it could serve as a bullet proof vest! Colonel the Lord Barnby of Blyth, CMG, CBE, MVO, TD, Commanding Officer, the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry (1920–1928), Honourary Colonel (1948–1954) http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/colonel-the-lord-barnby-of-blyth-cmg-cbe-mvo-td-commanding46499 * Nb. Tho. I suspect he may be a French lancer, rather than a British one (as I initially assumed ), as it looks like here is where the picture came from prior to the BBC: http://www.nam.ac.uk/online-collection/detail.php?acc=1979-06-190-1 Unidentified mounted trooper, 9th Lancers, 1827. Oil on canvas by Horace Beever Love, 1827. The main task of lancers was to charge enemy infantry and cavalry formations. They were also used for typical light cavalry tasks such as skirmishing and scouting. Although their chief weapon was a fearsome lance, lancers were also equipped with sabres and pistols or carbines. These weapons were for close combat whereas the lance had its greatest impact in the charge. The British established lancer regiments in 1816 after confronting French lancers during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). The French commander General Durutte witnessed the latter engage the British cavalry at Waterloo (1815) and wrote: 'I had never before realized the great superiority of the lance over the sword'. Since this looks the same: http://world4.eu/lancer-royal-guard/ And it says: French Army of 1816-1830. Lancer of the Royal Guard Here are some others though, that show just how similar they were: http://patrickbaty.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Ancient-Modern-Lancers1.jpg Chap on the left, "Nice hair" - Chap on the right "Nice dress!" And - on being saddened to learn that – the 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales’s) – was to be one of the 17 major units lost in the recent defence cutbacks... http://patrickbaty.co.uk/2012/07/09/the-end-of-an-era/
Not so much uniform, but a man who took the Two Types as a sartorial vade mecum: I give you - Major-General Christopher Vokes Could swat bullets with that 'tache!
Mustaches must have been popular in Canadian units. Here is Major Lockie Fulton, D Co, Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
A Soldier's General Not particularly elegant but given his many extraordinary accomplishments the many looks of Bert Hoffmeister are worth a look .