THE 1822 DRESS REGULATIONS stipulated that Rifle Officers carry the same sword as infantry officers with the proviso that they carry a steel scabbard for field service, relegating the black leather and gilt-brass-mounted scabbard for dress purposes. Rifle regiments had always prided themselves on being set apart from the “ordinary” infantry and this elitist attitude resulted in a desire to have their own distinctive pattern. This was duly realised in a Circular Memorandum issued by the Adjutant-General on 17 June 1827 that authorised the adoption of a steel-hilted sword of “Gothic” pattern. This became the 1827 Pattern Rifle Regiment Officer’s Sword.
It is defined by an all-steel hilt and the replacement of the usual royal cypher and crown with a strung bugle and crown in a cartouche. This motif symbolised the earlier use of the bugle to control rifle troops rather than the drum favoured by the Infantry of the Line. The hilt was generally of more sturdier construction than the infantry pattern, with flatter and wider hilt bars. There is also no folding guard. By the end of the 19th Century, nickel-plated hilts had superseded the original steel hilt. This pattern of sword is still carried by Rifle Officers in the British Army.
The blade was pipe-backed in keeping with the 1822 Pattern and would follow subsequent official changes in blade types until the end of the century. Blades were normally etched with a royal crown and cypher, supplemented with the addition of a strung bugle and crown motif. Many Victorian swords of this pattern are also frequently decorated with the names of regional volunteer rifle regiments. These rifle volunteer regiments emerged in the 1850’s and 1860’s in response to a perceived threat of invasion from France and officers were keen to purchase swords that identified both themselves and their regiment directly on the sword blade. It is interesting to note that many examples of these 19th Century rifle volunteer swords have survived which is testament to the sheer number of officers in these regiments. The regular army was rather contemptuous of these volunteer regiments and viewed them, perhaps unkindly, as “weekend soldiers”. Contemporary cartoons also portrayed the officers as bloated buffoons, more interested in impressing the ladies with their dashing uniforms, than the serious business of military manoeuvres. This is a crude caricature. Most volunteer regiments took their duties very seriously.
© Harvey Withers Military Publishing, 2024