Warriors For The Working Day
Military Art
By
Paul Hitchin
145 Walsall Road
Pelsall
Walsall
WS3 4BP
UK
Telephone
07967630942
Mounted
Infantry – Zulu War 1879 –
This Staffordshire Regiment soldier is
serving as a mounted infantryman against the Zulus in South Africa. The
British Forces lacked a large cavalry element and this shortfall was made
up in part by the formation of mounted infantry companies. This soldier
wears his regimental tunic and foreign service helmet dyed khaki, but
differs from his pedestrian comrades with the addition of Bedford cord
breeches and riding boots. He carries his Martini Henry rifle and bayonet,
but instead of cartridge pouches carries his ammunition in a locally
produced bandolier worn across his chest. He has retained his
infantryman’s knapsack and water bottle. Soldiers such as this gave anadditional reconnaissance and
skirmishing element to the British forces and the mounted infantry rode
to fight, but skirmished on foot, much in a similar manner to the original
dragoons of the seventeenth century
