Gurkha Kilmarnock hat which colour please?

[italwars]

hello
as title anticipated i'm looking for exact info on the colour of the Kilmarnock hat sported by Gurkas circa 1880-1890's ...the doubt is between green as the uniform or black as some illustrations..i do not consider the kaki cover just the green or black version to paint on my green uniformed minis for NWF ...even the two osprey do not help...
many thanks

[Mad Guru]

Pier Paolo,

I wish I could offer a definitive answer, but I can't.  I happen to be in the midst of painting some Gurkhas and having some more painted for me, so I've been researching the same issue for the past few months.  I've found contradictory written evidence in my go-to authoritative source: Carman's "Uniforms of the Indian Army, Infantry."  There are separate entries for each Gurkha regiment, and some include quotes from their dress manuals.  With regard to the pillbox -- aka: Kilmarnock -- cap, sometimes it says "green" other times it says "black"; for one particular regiment he says that caps described in the manual as "black" were in fact rifle green.  If there's a particular regiment you want to recreate, let me know here and I'll be happy to check what -- if anything -- Carman has to say about their caps, and to let you know.  I myself have gone with the rifle green, but I'm first to admit it's not based on certainty.

[italwars]

Thanks very much Ethan
Answers from the top authority on the NWF  like you re is always well needed :-)
In fact I find the same contradictory infos as you did ..I’m not looking to depict a particular regiment but just be sure that if I paint kilmarnorck in green Il be right ..that s to say that I prefer green instead of black .
Thanks again