"Afghan Regulars" Topic

I am sure this question has been asked before, but can't seem to find the thread. What was the color of trousers worn by Afghan infantry? And what was the uniform color for regular artillery?

wasn't it brown if you wore the brown jacket and blue of white with the red jacket

Hey, Old Jarhead,

If you enter "Afghan regular" in the search bar on these boards, you will find a decent number of posts on the topic in general, and at least a few re: uniforms in particular.

With regard to your questions, I'd say Gray Ghost has got it right. The "standard" color for Afghan regular infantry during the Second Anglo-Afghan War of 1878-1880, was a matching brown tunic and trousers. But other colors were often used as well, including lots of red tunics, sometimes with white trousers, sometimes with blue, later on with khaki trousers as well.

During the same period, Afghan regular artillery wore dark blue uniforms, both tunic and trousers. The tunic is sometimes described as having a red collar and piping, with yellow braid on the cuffs. They are reported to have worn a mixture of black forage caps (with red tufts), and brass helmets with silver trim/mountings.

Wasn't there a Highland Guard unit with pithhelmets, redcoats and white and red kilts?

There was indeed a "Highland Guard" unit in the Afghan regular army. It is not recorded as having participated in any of the battles or skirmishes against British forces during the war, but they may have been present at and participated in the uprising of regular troops -- mostly from Herat -- which was largely triggered by longstanding arrears of pay, on September 3rd, 1879 in Kabul, which led to the siege of the British residency and ended in the massacre of Major Cavagnari and his escort of Guides.

There is some question whether they wore red or green tunics, and there is even a possibility that there were 2 different regiments -- one in red, the other in green -- both of whom wore the Afghan version of a "Highland kilt" over their trousers.

Are these still available from Foundry? They'd be great for Victorian Steam Punk Imagine-nations. The kilt looks a bit like a tablecloth, no?

Since I wargame in 15mm my "Highland Guard" started out as Irregular Scottish Infantry. I think I need another unit with the green tunic and black helmet.

Spontoon,

Thanks to the recent change of attitude over at Wargames Foundry, they are indeed available, and hopefully will continue to be for the foreseeable future…

link

With regard to your observation on how the Afghan "kilts" resemble tablecloths, it puts you in fine company, as the same has been said by such renown wargamers as John the OFM and Duke Seifried.

Well, some tartans DO look like tablecloths! None so bad as the poor Macmillans!

I think the Barclay and McLeod of Lewis are worse. However IMHO the Farquaharson is by far the finest tartan woven

Colin

I painted my Afghan regular artillerists with a blue coat and red piping.
The Afghans followed "traditional" European practice here, and possibly bought up some surplus or used uniforms from somewhere.

There was a series or articles by the Perrys in Wargames Illustrated bak in the 90s that coincided with the release of the Foundry figures. I gave them away recently, so can't come up with the issue numbers.