Uniforms & Equipment
The Canadian Uniform
The Canadian uniform was as durable as those
of British military fabric, the canvas proved stiff and harsh, chaffing
the necks and legs of the troops.
Canadian military dress in South Africa was very similar to that
used by the British Army. The experience of colonial wars in the
nineteenth century convinced the British to abandon red coats for
their soldiers and adopt khaki-coloured clothing, which helped the
troops blend in with the landscape. The word “khaki” is
believed to derive from the Hindi word for dust, and it was in India
that British troops first wore the colour as regulation dress.
When Canada offered a contingent for service in South Africa in
October 1899, there were no stocks of khaki uniforms available, and
they had to be manufactured in a matter of weeks. W.E. Sandford
Manufacturing Company of Hamilton, Ontario, undertook this task.
Since there were no supplies of the standard strong but pliable
British military fabric available, however, the company made the
Canadian uniforms from canvas.
The Canadian coat was different from the British in that it had a
stand collar which fastened shut, and it also fitted slightly closer
to the body than the British. Like the British, however, the Canadian
coat had two pleated breast pockets, and an integral strap on each
shoulder. The trousers were also of canvas, and had a button fly and
suspender buttons.
Although this uniform was as durable as those of British military
fabric, the canvas proved stiff and harsh, chaffing the necks and legs
of the troops. Moreover, the dye used to colour the garments washed
away, and they quickly faded to an off-white. Canadians therefore
received uniforms from British stocks as soon as they could be made
available.
The
2nd (Special Service) Battalion, Royal
Canadian Regiment of Infantry wore the British 1898-pattern cork
helmet, which was already used in Canada by the North-West Mounted
Police. It was a popular form of headdress in tropical climates. When
first issued, these helmets were coloured white and the men attempted
to dye them with coffee on shipboard. Shortly after their arrival in
Cape Town, however, they were issued with khaki covers instead. The
officers and men of all subsequent contingents were issued with the
broad-brimmed felt Stetson hat, which
probably became the most readily identifiable Canadian trademark of the
war.
The footwear of Canadian troops in South Africa was for the most
part similar to that of their British counterparts: black leather ankle
boots and khaki woolen puttees. The boots were of lighter construction
than the British, but were of better quality and durability. The
bandage-like puttees were wrapped around the lower leg overlapping the
top of the boot, to provide support to the ankle and also to prevent
dirt and stones from entering the boot. Ankle boots and puttees were
worn by infantry, artillery and mounted rifle units. Officers in the
mounted rifles and artillery also wore the formed leather "Stohwasser"
leggings. Although they too were issued with ankle boots and puttees,
both officers and men of
Strathcona's Horse wore specially
issued high brown-leather riding boots, called
Strathcona boots, as much as
possible.
As insignia, the members of the
2nd (Special Service) Battalion, Royal
Canadian Regiment of Infantry wore a maple-leaf badge surmounted
by the imperial crown and bearing the word "Canada" on the left side of
their cork helmets. Two smaller versions were also worn on the collar.
The Royal Canadian Dragoons,
Canadian Mounted Rifles, and
Royal Canadian Field Artillery
wore the maple-leaf badge on their headdress, but had brass letters at
the base of their shoulder epaulette to indicate the unit. The insignia
for Strathcona's Horse consisted of
a shield-shaped cap and collar badge
and the letters SH in brass on the epaulettes.