19th LANCERS (FANE’S HORSE). A named officer’s damaged dress tunic as worn 1901-1915.

The British officer’s tunic is damaged by moth and wear, especially to the back and it lacks epaulettes and several of the large buttons. The lining is good apart from the black silk collar band. It does retain all the eight large buttons to the back and ten of those on the front. There are also two small buttons on each sleeve cuff and the two screw buttons to hold the epaulettes. The two non regimental buttons at the waist would have been beneath the  girdle. The lace is silver and the buttons are silver plated with the backmark of RANKEN & Co. CALCUTTA. The uniform has a maker’s label of Ranken & Co. inside the concealed pocket informing us that it was made for Lt. G. B. Howell and there is a date 19.11. — but the year is indistinct. Howell was apointxed a Squadron Officer in the 19th in 1906 and loops on the left breast suggest he had at least one medal. We do not have army lists to hand to trace his service beyond 1912. The regiment was raised by Lt. Walter Fane, mainly from men of the disbanded 3rd Skinner’s Horse in 1860. Before 1901 it was designated as the 19th Bengal Lancers and these buttons were adopted in 1901 to be altered in 1915 by the addition of the word LANCERS.  jun2/2

Indian Army Dress Regulations of the period state that Lancer Officers were to wear kurtas on full dress occasions when on parade with the men and in the presence of the King Emperor. The tunic was optional and its purchase entirely voluntary. This may partly explain why they do not turn up very often,