Birchall, William (19 March 1798). "William Birchall to his wife and child". Transcribed letter . Retrieved 1 September 2011. [ permanent dead link] Before the Tudor period, red frequently appeared in the cloth livery provided for the household personnel—including guard troops—of many European royal houses and Italian or Church principalities. Red or purple had provided a rich distinction for senior clerics through the Middle Ages in the hierarchy of colours distinguishing the Roman Church. Use with the Sovereign's Bodyguard [ edit ] Lieutenant General Peter Pearson wearing the scarlet tunic used by the Military Knights of Windsor. 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. [52] Colonial forces throughout the Empire [ edit ] Uniforms of the Canadian Militia, 1898

The Canadian Army's universal full dress uniform includes a scarlet tunic. [59] Although scarlet is the primary colour of the tunic, its piping is white, and the unit's facing colours appear on the tunic's collar, cuffs, and shoulder straps. [59] The universal design also features a trefoil-shaped Austrian knot embroidered atop the facing on the tunic's cuff. [59] The variation of the scarlet tunic is also worn by cadets of the Royal Military College of Canada. [60] However, some units in the Canadian Army are authorized regimental differences from the Army's universal full dress. As a result, some armoured regiments and artillery units substitute dark blue, Canadian-Scottish regiments "archer green", and all rifle/ Voltigeur regiments " rifle green" for scarlet tunics as a part of their full dress. Barthorp, Michael (1984). British Cavalry Uniforms Since 1660. Blandford Press. p.166. ISBN 0-7137-1043-8. In the United States, "Redcoat" is associated in cultural memory with the British soldiers who fought against the Patriots during the American Revolutionary War. The Library of Congress possesses several examples of the uniforms the British Army used during this time. [30] Most soldiers who fought the Patriots wore the red coat, though some German auxiliaries and some Loyalist units had blue or green clothing. [31] The National Archives, London, State Papers, SP 41/27, Proportion of Tents and Camp necessaries for a Regiment of FootBritish Army No.8 Combat Dress (Royal Yorkshire Regiment) A British soldier, left, of the Queen's Royal Hussars wearing a Tent Hat with No.8 Dress. No.1 Dress, or "dress blues", is a ceremonial uniform, worn on only the most formal of occasions and by senior staff officers, aides to the Royal Family, [13] and to the personal staff of senior officers in command. It is not generally issued to all units, with the khaki No.2 Dress functioning as the main parade uniform. Whether scarlet or red, the uniform coat has historically been made of wool, with a lining of loosely woven wool known as bay to give shape to the garment. The modern scarlet wool is supplied by Abimelech Hainsworth and is much lighter in weight than the traditional material, which was intended for hard wear on active service. [67] Franklin, Carl (January 2012). British Army Uniforms from 1751-1783. pp.117 & 119. ISBN 978-1-84884-690-6.

Barnes, Major R. M. (1951). History of the Regiments & Uniforms of the British Army. Seeley Service & Co.British Army Dress Committee (August 2005). Joint Service Publication 336: The Defence Supply Chain Manual. Vol.12 , Part 3, Pamphlet 3, Sect. 3 (3rded.). p.Para. 313. Archived from the original on 2007-11-06 . Retrieved 2008-07-29. Dark (Rifle) green: The Royal Dragoon Guards, The Queen's Royal Hussars (with broad browband), [ citation needed] The Rifles, Royal Gurkha Rifles, Small Arms School Corps, Essex Yeomanry Following the Battle of Waterloo, all members of the newly named Grenadier Guards were permitted to wear the bearskin. [43] This privilege had previously been restricted to the grenadier company of the regiment. [44] In 1831, this distinction was extended to the other two regiments of foot guards ( Coldstream and Scots) in existence at that date. [45] Bearskins were subsequently adopted by the Irish Guards and the Welsh Guards when raised in 1900 and 1915 respectively. [46]

Carl Franklin: British Army Uniforms of the American Revolution 1751-1783, Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military, 2012, ISBN 978-1-84884-690-6, p. 358 Elizabeth I: volume 180, June 1595', in Calendar of State Papers, Ireland, 1592-1596, ed. Hans Claude Hamilton (London, 1890), p. 322.

Red Coats

Some Regiments and Corps wear a stable belt in No 8 dress whilst others restrict its use to Nos 13 and 14 Dress. On exercises and operations the stable belt is replaced with a plain green field belt, with nylon Personal Load Carrying Equipment and the Osprey body armour vest with pouches attached using the PALS system being worn for load-bearing purposes. The term redshirts was also used in mid-19th century Italy to refer to volunteers who followed Giuseppe Garibaldi during the unification of Italy. However, the term redshirt is derived from the red shirts or loose-fitting blouses worn by volunteers, as opposed to a specific piece of military garment.

owing to the fact that a boiled American lobster is always bright red and near perfect match to the colour of the late 18th century uniform.Cookson, John (1997). The British Armed Nation, 1793–1815. Oxford: Clarendon. ISBN 978-0-19-820658-3. Motivations behind the volunteering nature were not solely patriotic, but also commonly economic. [7] Many men who joined as volunteers and went on to serve with the regular army were unemployed urban dwellers, and prospects of a standard income were better than none at all. [8] Tradesmen could be sure to make a tidy profit from selling their wares to the soldiers, and sutlers often became camp followers, following a regiment, while on campaign. [9] Certainly more applicable to the landed and wealthy gentlemen, fears of invasion also persuaded many to serve; [10] not so much to support the nation as a whole, but to preserve their own interests, money and property which could be lost if the enemy succeeded. Linch, Kevin (2011). Britain and Wellington's Army: Recruitment, Society and Tradition, 1807–15. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-27305-4.