Cocked Hats, Part 2

From: Carman, W.Y.. British Military Uniforms: From Contemporary Pictures,(c) 1957 W.Y. Carman. Arco Publishing, NY, NY.

Jacques Phillippe DeLoutherbourg, The Mock Attack. ca. 1778, In the Collection of Queen Elizabeth II

This painting and its accompanying studies represent excellent sources for British Army uniforms of the period. Simply put, De Loutherbourg enjoyed royal patronage for King George III, and his sketches along with his final works in the Warley Camp series are perhaps the best examples for what the real British Soldier looked like, unadulterated by any lack of draughtsmanship or attempts at satire.

Notable to our study of cocked hats is the size of them. The men of the Royal Artillery, for example seem to have very small hats, rakishly tilted to the front and downwards to the right. It would almost seem absolutely necessary for the hats to be tied on ion the manner reported by the Inspection Returns and Cuthbertson.

Also evident from the soldier in the forground and the artillerymen is the height of the cocakde, seen in detail in the above sketches. The cockade rises quite above the edge of the brim and creates a "cat ears" form when seen from the back.