Holding on to Heritage: The West Indian Regiment Uniform

An infantry unit of the British Army, the West Indian Regiment was recruited from and normally stationed in the British colonies of the Caribbean between 1795 and 1927.

For the first 50 years that the West Indian Regiment existed they wore the typical uniform (tall cylindrical military hat, red coat and dark coloured or white trousers) of the English line infantry of the period. In 1856 an outstanding uniform was adopted for the West Indian regiments, replicated from the infantry regiments of the French army. It comprised of a red fez with a white turban wound around it, a red vest with intricate yellow braiding worn over a long-sleeved white waistcoat, and dark blue voluminous trousers with yellow piping. This characteristic uniform was kept for full dress all through the regiment until 1914 and by the band until release in 1927. It survives as the full dress of the band of the current Barbados Defense Force (seen in the first image).