Ray Westlake – författare

The book provides the formation date of each regiment, names of colonels prior to 1751, changes of title, battle honours awarded before 1881 and brief descriptions of uniform and badges worn. Helpful to the collector will be the badge authorisation dates included. With a view to further research, details of important published regimental histories have been noted. The numbering of infantry regiments reached 135 but, come the reforms of 1881, only 109 were still in existence. Much has already been written about these, but recorded here, in many cases for the first time, are details of the 110th to 135th Regiments of Foot and all others that were raised and disbanded, albeit that service was short for many. For easy reference, the text has been set numerically by regiment. Illustrations, most of them in colour, number 146 and include uniform, head-dress, badges and portraits.

The British Army's Home Service Helmet was introduced in 1878. It was of a German influence and would replace a long line of shakos going back to the days of the Peninsular War and Waterloo. With the new headdress came the helmet plate, those highly desirable items of militaria much sought after today by collectors. Concentrating mainly on the Regular Army, this 'Guide' will describe and illustrate many of those plates. It will, by using contemporary photographs and artwork by leading military artists, also show them being worn. Besides the Regulars, the many hundreds of Victorian and Edwardian Militia, Volunteer and later Territorial Force regiments, would also take into use the home service helmet. But here, as ever, we now tread on a vast and, in most cases, un-charted area of militaria collecting. By including this important aspect of British military history in this book, I will certainly not be in any position to claim completeness. But include it I must, albeit that just the tip of the proverbial iceberg will most likely be reached. Fortunately, and returning to the subject of the Regular Army now, details of the helmet plates worn by officers appear in the several editions of 'Dress Regulations'. I have consulted those for 1883, 1891, 1894, 1900, 1904 and 1911 and from these essential reference works have quoted verbatim. For the helmet plates worn by other ranks, I have turned to old friends, Arthur L Kipling and Hugh King and Volume One of their comprehensive reference work, Head-dress Badges of the British Army, referred to in the 'Guide' as 'Kipling and King'.

There is much to be learnt from pictures. It was film producer and pioneer of the American animation industry Walt Disney who said, 'Of all of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language.' And, of course, we must not forget the wider use of, 'A picture is worth a thousand words.' How wonderful it must have been to have called into Rudolph Ackermann's shop at 96 Strand, London in the 1790s to purchase something from his vast stock of military or sporting prints. And equally, in more recent times, the Parker Gallery at 2 Albemarle Street, Piccadilly where you could treat yourself to something of the old regiment to go up above the living room fireplace. A hobby, perhaps, only enjoyed by the better off. And colour plates from long out of print regimental histories, another pastime requiring the pocket to be well and truly dipped into. But here in A Guide to British Cavalry Uniforms and Badges in Old Prints, Pictures and Postcards, 1660 to 1914, we can enjoy those images. There are some 143 of them, all supported by an informative description. 

Born on 26 December 1776 in East Flanders, then an Austrian province, Charles Hamilton Smith was a descendent of a Flemish Protestant family named Smet. In England he attended school in Richmond, Surrey, but having returned to Flanders he went on to study at the Austrian Academy for Artillery and Engineers at Malines and Louvain. He was a talented artist and as such provided one of the most valuable references to military costume ever produced. 

In Costume of the Army of the British Empire, Hamilton Smith placed on record a detailed account of the several uniforms worn around the time of the Peninsular War. Originally issued in sets of four, the prints were produced from work drawn and etched by Hamilton Smith, then aquatinted by IC Stadler. Publication took place between March 1812 and June 1815 by the London firm of Colnaghi & Co who could be found in Cockspur Street. The printing was done by W Bulmer & Co of Cleveland Row. 

In this Guide, Ray Westlake has drawn together a full set of Hamilton Smith's scarce and extremely difficult-to-find colour plates. As well as the British Army, a number of lesser-painted formations have been featured, such as the West India Regiment, King's German Legion, Duke of Brunswick Oels's Corps, the York Light Infantry Volunteers, Royal Military Asylum and native troops of the East India Company. For some 30 of them, he has included copies of Hamilton Smith's original drawings used for the work. Also useful are the six colour charts showing facing and lace colours. With a total of 60 informative plates, this Guide will prove to be a welcome addition to the library of all those interested in military uniform. 

Born on 26 December 1776 in East Flanders, then an Austrian province, Charles Hamilton Smith was a descendent of a Flemish Protestant family named Smet. In England he attended school in Richmond, Surrey, but having returned to Flanders he went on to study at the Austrian Academy for Artillery and Engineers at Malines and Louvain. He was a talented artist and as such provided one of the most valuable references to military costume ever produced. 

In Costume of the Army of the British Empire, Hamilton Smith placed on record a detailed account of the several uniforms worn around the time of the Peninsular War. Originally issued in sets of four, the prints were produced from work drawn and etched by Hamilton Smith, then aquatinted by IC Stadler. Publication took place between March 1812 and June 1815 by the London firm of Colnaghi & Co who could be found in Cockspur Street. The printing was done by W Bulmer & Co of Cleveland Row. 

In this Guide, Ray Westlake has drawn together a full set of Hamilton Smith's scarce and extremely difficult-to-find colour plates. As well as the British Army, a number of lesser-painted formations have been featured, such as the West India Regiment, King's German Legion, Duke of Brunswick Oels's Corps, the York Light Infantry Volunteers, Royal Military Asylum and native troops of the East India Company. For some 30 of them, he has included copies of Hamilton Smith's original drawings used for the work. Also useful are the six colour charts showing facing and lace colours. With a total of 60 informative plates, this Guide will prove to be a welcome addition to the library of all those interested in military uniform.