Red coat (British army)
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Red coat is a term often used to refer to a soldier of the historical British Army because of the colour of the uniforms formerly worn by the majority of regiments. The uniform of most British soldiers during the late 17th century, 18th century and 19th century (other than artillery, rifles and some cavalry) included a madder red coat or coatee. From 1872 onwards the more vivid shade of scarlet was adopted for all ranks, having previously been worn only by officers, sergeants and cavalry troopers.
Contents [hide] 1 History in British Army 2 Modern Use in Commonwealth Armies 3 Red Coat as a Symbol 4 American War of Independence 5 Rationale for Red 6 Material used 7 Other military usage 8 References
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[edit] History in British Army
On 19 February 1645, the English parliament passed the New Model Army Ordinance. The new army was formed of 22,000 men, divided into twelve foot regiments of 1,200 men each, eleven horse regiments of 600 men each, one dragoon regiment of 1,000 men, and the artillery with 50 guns.
The infantry regiments wore coats of Venetian red with white facings. The original intention was to use blue uniforms, but red was cheaper.
Cromwell wrote to Sir William Spring in 1643: "I had rather have a plain, russet-coated captain that knows what he fights for, and loves what he knows, than that which you call a gentleman and is nothing else."
The adoption and continuing use of red by most English soldiers after the restoration of the Monarchy (1660) appears to have been a historical accident, aided by the relative cheapness of red dyes noted above. There is no basis for the historical myth that red coats were favoured because they did not show blood stains.
Even after the adoption of khaki field dress in 1902, most British infantry and some cavalry regiments continued to wear scarlet tunics on parade and for off-duty occasions ("walking out dress") until the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.
Scarlet tunics ceased to be general issue upon British mobilisation in August 1914. The Brigade of Guards resumed wearing their scarlet full dress in 1920 but for the remainder of the Army red coats were only authorised for wear by regimental bands and officers in mess dress or on certain limited social or ceremonial occasions (notably attendance at Court functions or weddings). The reason for not generally reintroducing the distinctive full dress was primarily financial as the scarlet cloth requires expensive cochineal dye.
As late as 1980 consideration was given to the reintroduction of scarlet as a replacement for the dark blue "No. 1 dress" and khaki "No. 2 dress" of the modern British Army, using cheaper and fadeless chemical dyes instead of cochineal. Surveys of serving soldiers' opinion showed little support for the idea and it was shelved. (The British Army 1965 - 1980 Major D.G. Smith. ISBN 0-8404-5273-2).
[edit] Modern Use in Commonwealth Armies
In the modern British army scarlet is still worn by the Foot Guards regiments for ceremonial, by the Life Guards and by some regimental bands or drummers. Officers and NCOs of those regiments which previously wore red retain scarlet as the colour of their "mess" or formal evening jackets.
Scarlet is also retained for some full dress, military band or mess uniforms in the modern armies of a number of the countries that made up the former British Empire. These include the Australian, Jamaican, New Zealand, Fijian, Canadian, Kenyan, Ghanaian, Indian, Singaporean and Pakistani armies.
[edit] Red Coat as a Symbol
The epithet "redcoats" is familiar throughout the world although this colour was by no means exclusive to the British Army. The entire Danish Army wore red coats up to 1848 and particular units in the German, French, Austro-Hungarian, Russian, Bulgarian and Romanian armies retained red uniforms until 1914 or later. Amongst other diverse examples, Spanish hussars, Japanese army bandsmen and Serbian generals had red tunics as part of their gala or court dress. However the extensive use of this colour by British, Indian and other Imperial soldiers over a period of nearly three hundred years made red uniform a virtual icon of the British Empire. The significance of military red as a national symbol was edorsed by William IV of the United Kingdom (reigned 1830-37) when light dragoons and lancers had scarlet jackets substituted for their previous dark blue, hussars adopted red pelisses and even the Royal Navy were obliged to adopt red facings instead of white. Most of these changes were reversed under Victoria of the United Kingdom (1837-1901).
[edit] American War of Independence
In the United States "redcoat" is particularly associated with those British soldiers who fought against the colonists during the American Revolution. It does not appear to have been a contemporary expression - accounts of the time usually refer to "regulars" or "the King's men". Abusive nicknames included "bloody backs" (in a reference to both the colour of their coats and the use of flogging as a means of punishment for military offences) and "lobsters" or "lobsterbacks" (most notably in Boston around the time of the Boston Massacre).
It was not until the 1880s that the term "redcoat" as a vernacular expression for the British soldier appears in literary sources such as Kipling's poem "Tommy" - indicating some degree of popular usage in Britain itself. The term is still used in Ireland to refer to the British Army, and sometimes to all British people.
[edit] Rationale for Red
From the modern perspective the retention of a highly conspicuous colour such as red for active service appears inexplicable, regardless of how striking it may have looked on the parade ground. It should be noted however that in the days of the musket (a weapon of limited range and accuracy) and black powder, battle field visibility was quickly obscured. Bright colours enhanced morale and provided a means of distinguishing friend from foe without significantly adding risk.
High visibility did not become a matter of primary concern until the general adoption of rifles in the 1850s followed by smokeless powder after 1880. The value of drab clothing was quickly recognised by the British Army, who introduced khaki drill for Indian and colonial warfare from the mid-19th century on.
As part of a series of reforms following the Second Boer War (which had been fought in this inconspicuous clothing of Indian origin) a darker khaki serge was adopted in 1902 for service dress in Britain itself. From then on the red coat continued as a dress item only, retained for reasons both of national sentiment and its value in recruiting. On the whole the British military authorities showed more foresight in their balancing of emotional and practical considerations than did their French counterparts, who retained highly visible blue coats and red trousers for active service until several months into World War I.
[edit] Material used
Whether scarlet or red the uniform coat has historically been made of wool with a lining of linen to give shape to the garment. The modern scarlet wool is supplied by Abimelech Hainsworth and is much lighter than the traditional material, which was intended for hard wear on active service.
[edit] Other military usage
Members of the United States Marine Band wear red uniforms for performances at the White House and elsewhere. This is a rare survival of the common 18th century practice of having military bandsmen wear coats in reverse colours to the rest of a given unit (e.g. US Marines wear blue/black tunics with red facings so US Marine bandsmen wear red tunics with blue/black facings).
[edit] References
Barnes, Major R. M.. "History of the Regiments & Uniforms of the British Army". Seeley Service & Co Ltd 1951
Carman, W.Y.. "British Military Uniforms". Hamlyn Publishing Group 1968.
Category: British Army
