The uniforms of the Royal Marines followed those of the army, with local modifications. Marines were often the last in line for new items, and so old issue was worn much later than in the army. Except in full dress there was little practical difference between RMLI ‘red marines' and RMA ‘blue marines' other than badges. Both even wore an undress blue serge tunic.
RMLI tropical uniforms were still ‘fine white duck', despite calls for the more practical khaki (unheeded until WWI). Attempts were made to improvise khaki by dyeing.
Beards became normal in China, and broken helmets and equipment and dilapidated uniforms common because of the lack of regular supplies.
Legation Guards
Photographs show the RMLI Legation Guards in a variety of uniforms. One shows 2 marines with a captured Boxer in their tropical all white uniforms, the helmets with prominent white pugris, trousers loose over what on one looks like white or very dusty shoes. All equipment is white, except for the black bayonet scabbard. Cpl Gregory RMLI wrote that ‘… we shifted into our white suits, and were soon fit to appear before Sir Claud [sic] and Lady McDonald.' Two more marines in the background wear the all white uniform with the blue service (forage) cap.
Ashore marines mainly wore their ship board working dress. This consisted of a dark blue fore-and-aft field service cap piped in red on the crown, with 2 small brass regimental buttons at the front and on the front left side a brass badge of bugle horn above a globe surrounded by a laurel wreath. The 5 brass buttoned dark blue tunic had narrow red twisted braid shoulder cords, red embroidered bugle horns each side of the dark blue stand-up collar, 1 small flapless pocket on the left breast & 2 flapless pockets on the front skirts. In China in the hot season, summer white trousers were worn without gaiters, ie loose over the black boots.
Charles Stadden, the RM's ‘official artist', depicts this uniform in a colour plate based on photographs taken after the siege, but contemporary accounts make it clear that the uniform the Marines actually fought in was improvised to better fit the circumstances. Firstly it was made less visible, achieved by dying the white uniforms ‘khaki'. "The Royal Marine Guard did not find their regulation uniform and equipment all that could be desired for …‘sniping' work. They had already dyed their white tunics khaki in a mixture of Condy's Fluid and coffee, and now found both helmet and cap ‘utterly useless'. [Field] Regulations also suggested using potassium permanganate.
Photographs taken show that Marines largely discarded their tunics and fought in shirtsleeve order. The caps and pith helmets were considered useless and replaced with civilian flat caps [which were rather larger than the today's style], " ‘The helmet always seemed to give the enemy a good four to six inches sight-when looking over or round our barricades and trenches. One had to risk sunstroke by removing it, and a bullet by keeping it on. Our field-service caps were far worse than the helmet in the open. ' The ordinary cloth caps which they were able to borrow from the civilians in the Legations proved far more serviceable." [Field]
NCOs chevrons were red, worn on the upper right arm only, points down. Good conduct badges were worn on the left arm below the elbow with their points upwards. Both were worn on white and blue, and presumably khaki, uniforms.
In informal photographs taken after the siege, the RM defenders appear in the uniform described above as normal ‘working dress', some wearing white trousers and others wearing white trousers which have been dyed. They are also photographed without the jackets, in white and off-white collarless shirts and vests. Most wear the field service cap, but one sports what must either be a civilian wide brimmed slouch hat or one obtained from the US marines contingent. The legation defenders appear to have kept a set of whites undyed, as they wear them in photos taken after the siege, parading with their comrades in the relief force who are wearing khaki.
Officers of Royal Marines were supposed to conform strictly to the provisions of the King's Regulations for the Army in regard to the different orders of dress. When serving afloat they were to wear the particular "order of dress" corresponding to that worn by the officers of the Navy for the day or occasion. In hot climates, white trousers were permitted to be worn with white tunics, but with no other garment. Blue trousers were worn with the white mess jacket and white waistcoat.
Officer's boots were of a similar pattern to the men's. "1886. (CHATHAM), 2nd August. Officers when parading in Marching Order will wear laced boots of as similar a pattern as possible to those worn by the men." [Field]
In the photos of RMLI on parade after the siege, one officer wears white with a khaki helmet and dark leather belts, whilst Maj Halliday RM is in all khaki, the helmet a lighter shade than the uniform. All wear trouser loose over shoes. Another photo of officers shows Capt Wray and Poole in khaki, Capt Halliday in white, all three wearing the dark blue service cap.
Because of the great increase in the numbers of the Fleet in China, a Clothing Depot with a Warrant Officer in charge, on the same lines as at Malta, was established by Order-in-Council 15 May 1900, with the RM Officer HMS Tamar as auditor. Native tailors were employed.
Relief Columns & Tientsin
At Pei-Yang Arsenal HMS Terrible's RMs were in khaki and HMS Barfleur's were in white uniforms, though the marines fought mainly in shirtsleeves. The khaki uniforms had been made and issued in South Africa. The basic uniform was the Army tunic with stand-and-fall collar, on 2 breast pockets, and khaki trousers. The Sennet hat had a khaki cover with a blue tally band placed over it.
On 18 June 1900, Capt Kennedy recorded in his diary that ‘Most of us are wearing khaki obtained from the local Volunteer Corps , this is more serviceable than our white uniform, though we have attempted to tone down the latter by soaking it in coffee or Condy's fluid [sic] which has given us many shades of appearance!'.
As Capt Kennedy mentions, Field Exercise manuals explained how to use Gambier Dye, Condy's Fluid or tea to improvise khaki, which was not standard-issue until WWI, and it is not clear why HMS Barfleur's men did not do this. The marines in khaki suffered less casualties than those in white, who made better targets. The US Marines, who were clothed in khaki, also helped by giving khaki garments to the men in white, so uniquely Royal Marines fought in American infantry uniforms, though presumably retaining their helmets.
Royal Marines in the relief column were photographed wearing tropical khaki drill uniforms complete with foreign service helmet. At Hsi-Kuth the puggarees of the Marines' helmets were used for bandages.
Though most photographs show RMLI with trousers loose over the shoes, black gaiters were regulation. Large naval khaki-buff webbing gaiters were also worn, and later (and probably as a matter of necessity) puttees like the Army's. Stadden depicted (in a b&w sketch, so whether khaki or white is intended is impossible to tell) Royal Marines landed at Tongu on 10th June 1900 with white or khaki Slade Wallace equipment, with the valise held on by 2 pale straps, the greatcoat by 3, with the distinctive surplus strap rolled on top. An officer wears khaki with black Sam Browne equipment, haversack, breeches and Stohwasser leather gaiters [Richardson]. They also had their FD uniforms, as Capt Casserly comments on them at Taku, ‘The red coat of a British marine…'.
For the winter special clothing was issued. Gunner Goodhew wrote that on 18 Oct 1900 at Shanhaikuan ‘To day [sic] we have been served out with fur coats as it is getting very cold here.'
