The 1st Madras Pioneers

[Dining Room Battles]

My latest unit for the British Raj.

http://toysoldiersanddiningroombattles.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-1st-madras-pioneers.html

[Lord Raglan]

Very good sir 👏

[Ranthony]

Nice!
I have a soft spot for these chaps.

That's also an interesting blog you have there.

Thanks for sharing.

Ry

[Mad Guru]

Beautiful unit!  Great to see table-top Pioneers kitted out with the tools of their trade.  I especially love the British officer on foot with the Regimental turban pattern on his puggaree -- wonderful detail!

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Excellent work!   

[FifteensAway]

Given that there is a mounted officer, I am wondering if the dismounted 'gentleman' with the colorful puggaree isn't an NCO?

Either way, is their historical precedent for the colorful puggaree?  Hope so because I really like the idea.

[Emir of Askaristan]

Excellent work on the headgear and equipment.

[Mad Guru]

I apologize to Neil, the OP, for not restraining myself and letting him have first crack at answering the puggaree question, but... I waited all day and most of tonight, and will now throw caution to the wind and reply: YES!  There is historical precedent for the colorful puggaree.

Going by contemporary photos and illustrations, British officers of multiple Indian regiments wore helmet puggarees in regimental turban patterns.  It seems this was mostly with full dress uniforms and/or for ceremonial occasions, and the vast majority of photos and artwork I've seen featuring this particular sort of helmet detail features British officers from Indian cavalry regiments.  Examples shown below are from the Guides Cavalry, Poona Horse, 1st madras Light Cavalry, and 1st Bengal Cavalry (Skinner's Horse)...









Here's one illustration of a puggaree in regimental turban pattern worn on the helmet of a British officer of an Indian infantry regiment, 16th Bombay Native Infantry:



On a related front it's much easier to find period photos and art showing British officers of Indian infantry regiments wearing helmet puggarees in the solid facing color of their regiment, such as red for the 6th Infantry, Punjab Frontier Force, as seen here:



I'm not an expert but I think that for cavalry officers regimental pattern puggarees were a rare uniform detail, and for infantry officers an extremely rare one, and it was probably much more rare in the field than when wearing full dress.  Still, over the years I have done like Neil and put regimental pattern puggarees on British officer helmets for my 1st Bombay Grenadiers, 23rd Sikh Pioneers, and Bombay Sappers & Miners.  Some day when I get my 15th Ludhiana Sikhs painted I will do so again.  Their turban colors are just too cool for me to pass up adding the extra touch of visual style.

Finally, my apologies again to Neil AKA: Dining Room Battles, for temporarily hijacking his thread with its beautifully painted turbans and that one very special officer helmet puggaree!

[LordSpode1879]

Marvellous job.... Researching the unit and painting/converting the figures. Lovely project, thoroughly enjoying following it's progress!

[Dining Room Battles]

Mad Guru,
Those are some great illustrations!
Neil