ARTILLERY POSTCARDS
Officers of the 77th Field Battery
The group in this photograph are the officers of the 77th Field
Battery which was serving in South Africa.
The Battery Commander, Major E. M. Percival DSO is on the right. He won
his award of the Distinguished Service Order in action in South Africa.
This gallantry award was instituted in 1886. The officers are seen here
wearing undress uniforms with blue cloth folding field caps, blue serge
jackets with scarlet collars and blue riding breeches with a red stripe up
the side.
Artillery pattern officers swords are slung from Sam Browne belts. General
Sam Browne had lost his left arm and could not easily draw his sword from
the scabbard. He therefore converted some of his horse harness to suspend
the sword on short straps, added a shoulder strap over the right shoulder
and for good measure created a place for the pistol holster on the waist
belt.
This practical design was adopted by the army and is still in use today.
This text was kindly researched and prepared by Alan
Harfield (FR Hist S)
Copyright © 1989 Published by Geoff White Ltd.
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