Colonial era Sikh canteen color plus other questions

[Dr Mathias]

Hello,
Racing to finish up some Foundry Sikh regulars for this month's 'Army Painter' entry. I can't find a clear image that shows the canteen all these guys seem to carry. The books I have don't mention it, and although I have a Northwest Frontier Osprey on the way I have no way of knowing if it even has the info. I have Sikhs from both Darkest Africa and Northwest Frontier, and although there's a slight size difference they appear to be pretty much the same regarding equipment.

From what I can tell the strap is white or off-white and it appears to go underneath the disk-like canteen, but I don't know if the whole canteen is canvas covered, or if it is exposed wood or metal, and if the cap is steel or brass.

I also haven't found any information about rank markings on NCO and officers (if they had officers).

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!

[Plynkes]

I think the round canteens were often in a khaki cloth cover, sometimes (but as often not) the same shade as the uniform. None of the existing photos of the Nyasaland Sikhs show their canteens, which is just bloody typical.

The main difference (if I am remembering correctly) between the Foundry NWF Sikhs and the Darkest Africa ones is that the NWF ones have more up-to-date rifles. The Sikhs in British Central Africa were still using 1860s vintage Sniders, which is accurately represented in the figures. I believe the NWF ones have Martinis.



Rank chevrons were generally pretty much the same as the British army. On the upper right arm and upside-down from an American perspective:
Lance-Naik - 1 stripe
Naik - 2 stripes
Havildar - 3 stripes
Company Havildar Major - 4 stripes and a crown (seemingly worn lower down the arm, just above the cuff, according to photographic evidence)


They also seem to have had the same long service and good conduct chevrons as the Brits. These go on the left arm, just above the cuff, and are upside down (or the right way up from an American perspective). Think you got one for every five years service (if you were a good boy) and with each one came a slight pay rise.


I haven't been able to figure out the colour scheme for chevrons, this is something Osprey books (nor most other books to be fair) never want to tell you. Sometimes they were in the facing colour, but I have seen plenty of examples when they are not. I have seen red ones and white ones on Sikh infantrymen though, so I think you might be safe there.

Interestingly, on the photos from British Central Africa, there are two who have different coloured chevrons. One has them clearly darker than the khaki of his uniform, and another has what appear to be white ones. They also don't have matching equipment or turban styles either.

[Plynkes]

All the photos I have of the Sikhs in BCA (reposted from the old thread on the subject). Might be something useful for you in that lot:

Dress Uniforms:







Field Uniforms:



Field Uniforms and Mufti:



Mufti:



 

[OSHIROmodels]

A quick note about the chevrons.

Would it be a case of what ever material was at hand as I assume long service chevrons and field promotions would be done in the field and I also assume here wouldn't be a ready supply of same coloured material for such things?

cheers

James

[Plynkes]

You'd imagine that to be the case. However they had the cloth to make those natty zouave-style dress uniforms in black, white and yellow (the colours were supposedly symbolic of cooperation between the three 'races' in the BCA force - Africans, Europeans and Asians). These were completely non-regulation and invented by the commander on the spot, Sir Harry Johnston.

So if they could manage colour symbolism in their dress uniforms you'd think they could run to some chevrons in the correct colour!  


It might just be that the 200-man Sikh contingent sent by the Indian Army weren't all from the same parent unit. The original Indian contingent in Nyasaland were volunteer Mazbi Sikhs from the 23rd and 32nd Pioneers, and also some Muslim cavalrymen (whose horses all died). After that they decided to only employ Sikhs. When the original batch's time had expired one of Johnston's underlings decided that they shouldn't get any more low-caste Mazbis, but high-caste Jats, because they were more aristocratic and therefore (?) better fighters. Johnston however, says he could see no martial difference between the street-sweeping Sikhs and property-owning ones, and actually preferred the Mazbis because they were more cheerful sorts. The replacements (presumably Jats, after all that) came in two batches of 100 men. Johnston doesn't say what units these ones came from*, but they came at separate times, so may well have been from different units.




*Or if he does I have failed to locate the relevant passage in the time provided by my tea break.

[Dr Mathias]

Thank you for the detailed answer, it is greatly appreciated. It certainly is more specific info than what I have scratched up. Typical that there's variations and uniform deviations as well... I was hoping the Sikhs would have a genuine uniformity... Darkest Africa strikes again

I need to pony up and get that Johnston book, or a facsimile at least.

[OSHIROmodels]

However they had the cloth to make those natty zouave-style dress uniforms in black, white and yellow (the colours were supposedly symbolic of cooperation between the three 'races' in the BCA force - Africans, Europeans and Asians). These were completely non-regulation and invented by the commander on the spot, Sir Harry Johnston.

Ah the political correctness of Empire

cheers

James

[Hobbit]

If you scroll down to the bottom of the following link you'll find scans from Barthorpe's "Frontier Ablaze". These are, of course, the artist's interpretation:

http://osborneradloff.blogspot.co.uk/2011_06_01_archive.html

There are a number of Richard Simkin prints reproduced here:

http://www.military-prints.com/indian_regiments.htm

All of these seem to show khaki covers for canteens.

[Dr Mathias]

Thanks Hobbit!

I think I went too dark on the khaki on the batch of Sikhs... I used Vallejo 'Khaki'... go figure.

[bbtoys333]

So funny that I was stumped on this very question and had to stop painting my NWF Sikhs just before I joined LAF (a few days ago) .  Thanks to this info I can now proceed with painting theirs canteens khaki.  Should the caps be black?

[Dr Mathias]

Welcome to LAF bbtoys!

There's probably hundreds of people the world over stressing about the color of Sikh canteens 

I ended up painting the canteens canvas (off white), dark metal cap with a black wash. I just need to base them and get them photographed. Hopefully I can get a pic up tomorrow night.

[Hobbit]

There's probably hundreds of people the world over stressing about the color of Sikh canteens 

Maybe we could set up a counselling service...