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1st Bengal Lancers
(Skinner's Horse) - Returning from a Review (Detail of Officers)
The officers of Skinners
Horse were nearly all Indian at this time. The three British
officers are shown here, Col. James Skinner on a richly
bedecked brown horse and the bearded Major William Fraser
on a grey. They wear light dragoon uniform which was slightly
out of date at the time. The Tarleton-style helmets were
taken out of use in the British army c1819. They have tight-fitting
blue dolman-style jackets with red collars and cuffs and
silver lace and braid.. Round their waists are girdles of
red and gold. Their white overalls are baggy and strap under
the boots. They have white pouchbelts and dark coloured
sword-belts. The officer with a spear is Lt. James Skinner,
son of Col. Skinner. He is 'attacking' an Indian officer
who is demonstrating the kind of trick riding that the regiment
was famous for; hanging on to the pommel of his saddle with
one foot in the left stirrup and firing a pistol to the
rear. Both these officers have flowing yakhair under their
saddle-cloths. An Indian officer in the forground with his
back to us, carries a long lance with a tent-peg on the
end. Most of the Indian officers have red and yellow saddle-cloths
and no throat plumes.
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