ID sabre

[fernando]

Originally Posted by kronckew

... his uniform is rather officer-ish - i can't read the print at the bottom - too small...

It says, as Fernando K well mentions: Batallon Cazadores de los Andes Sub-Teniente (Gala). Gala meaning dress uniform, i guess he wouldn't go fighting with all that gear...although Fernandez Rivas depicts him in a combat attitude.

Originally Posted by kronckew

... in the past it was generally agreed to, by the officers at least, that 'no undue attention to the officers was to be permitted'... the boers especially were fond of potting british officers in their nice distinctive uniforms,...

So much later, rank stripes were not used at all on the field, uniforms being precisely the same for all ... even for the priest, if he happened to go along. It was beleived that, in ambushes, priority shooting, before defense was established, was aimed at rank, medics and radio operators, by that order; reason why these last two were ordered to follow in the back of the line. Also soldiers wearing sight glasses were a favored target, as this indicated they were more intelectual than others, so the loss being greater. This last one is difficult to digest but, that's what ran among troops.