Sudan Brits Uniform and Tent Questions.....

[Atheling]

Hi,

First of all, with the Perry version Fred Burnaby in mind, what colour shirt would be wearing (as the model has him in his shirt with rolled up sleaves)? I'm assuming the usual blue/grey shirt that most Brits seemed to don beneath their tunics/coats at the time but I'm not certain and don't want to make any mistakes on this one!

Secondly, what sort of tents would the Brits have used in the Sudan? Or, to put it more more succinctly, which of the plastic tents available from Renedra would be most suitable?

I'm sans all my books about the Sudan at the moment as they're stuffed in my ex girlfriend's garage so I'm a bit stuck!  

Any help will be gratefully received.

Darrell.

[Plynkes]

I don't actually know the regulations regarding officers' undershirts (and you pretty much never see a photo of a Victorian British officer in shirtsleeves, which doesn't help), but the greyback was something issued to 'other ranks.' My instinct is that officers would have privately-purchased shirts of whatever sort took their fancy. Greyback shirts were hot, itchy and uncomfortable, and I don't think anybody who could afford something better would have worn one. You do occasionally see photographs of ordinary soldiers wearing other (presumably privately-acquired) items of clothing instead of them, so I find the idea of an officer wearing one slightly unlikely, but I don't know for sure.

Something else to consider is that Burnaby wasn't really even in the Sudan in an official capacity. He was on leave and out there against the express wishes of the Duke of Cambridge. He badgered General Graham into giving him a job as an intelligence officer to shut him up, but he did precious little intelligencing. So who knows what the correct uniform was for a semi-official hanger-on who was just there to play army and have a lark? The only illustration I have seen of the shotgun-wielding Burnaby at El Teb puts him in a jacket, like a proper English gentleman should be.


Don't know about the River or Desert Columns, but the Suakin expedition at least took photos of their camps, and they had both big bell tents and also smaller ridge tents. Interestingly in the photos many of them don't appear to be white (though some are), but I have no clue what colour they actually were.

[Atheling]

I don't actually know the regulations regarding officers' undershirts (and you pretty much never see a photo of a Victorian British officer in shirtsleeves, which doesn't help), but the greyback was something issued to 'other ranks.' My instinct is that officers would have privately-purchased shirts of whatever sort took their fancy. Greyback shirts were hot, itchy and uncomfortable, and I don't think anybody who could afford something better would have worn one. You do occasionally see photographs of ordinary soldiers wearing other (presumably privately-acquired) items of clothing instead of them, so I find the idea of an officer wearing one slightly unlikely, but I don't know for sure.

So, anything within reason then(?).

Something else to consider is that Burnaby wasn't really even in the Sudan in an official capacity. He was on leave and out there against the express wishes of the Duke of Cambridge. He badgered General Graham into giving him a job as an intelligence officer to shut him up, but he did precious little intelligencing. So who knows what the correct uniform was for a semi-official hanger-on who was just there to play army and have a lark? The only illustration I have seen of the shotgun-wielding Burnaby at El Teb puts him in a jacket, like a proper English gentleman should be.

Yeah, his adventurous nature is something that I'll be talking about on my blog as soon as I have the chap suitably attired  .

they had both big bell tents and also smaller ridge tents. Interestingly in the photos many of them don't appear to be white (though some are), but I have no clue what colour they actually were.

Ah, anyone good on the colour of British tents? If not I'll be going for plain canvas which was probably the order of the day.....

Thanks Plynkes 

Darrell.

[Atheling]

Form the Victorian Wars Forum:

Bearing in mind that Burnaby would have had his shirts made privately, as would his officer colleagues, unless he had exhausted his personal supply, it is unlikely he would have been wearing a soldier's issue greyback shirt.  

There may well be specific source references that VWF members who have researched this topic and period in detail will be able to provide, the name Mike Snook springs to mind for some reason, but it may be that an white, or off-white shirt, would be more likely.  Photos of officers in the Sudan wearing khaki frocks frequently show the top of a white shirt at the collar. I think in the 1880s the collar would have been attached to a shirt. Later on, I believe, it would have been as likely to be a detached liner to prevent chafing and preserve the frock. Those better informed than I will be able to confirm that (or not).

Posted as it may be of use to  some LAF members.

Cheers,
Darrell.