Officer, 5th Fusiliers, 1846 (Northumberland Fusiliers)

Description

The 5th were raised by William of Orange to fight the French in the Netherlands. They accompanied him to England in 1688 when he acceded the throne and they were put on the establishment as the 5th Foot. In 1762 they were permitted to wear fusilier caps because of their defeat of the French at Wilhelmstahl, and they became a fusilier regiment proper in 1832, as the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers. Although they have a connection with the county, the title was given in 1784 as a compliment to Lord Percy who had commanded them for fifteen years. Now part of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. In 1844 the bell-topped shako finally went after twenty-nine years; its place was taken by the ‘Albert Pot’ shown here. The bearskin cap of the grenadiers went two years earlier. The 5th, being a fusilier regiment, wore a dress like that of grenadiers, and had worn a fur cap up to 1842. The ball tuft of this regiment is red-over-white, instead of white-over-red because they had long worn a white plume in their head-dress. But when, in 1829, the infantry took to wearing a white plume, they were permitted to change theirs to red and white. Their gosling green facings are unique and have survived several efforts by the planners to alter them. The wearing of a grenade on the collar was a privilege which no other line regiment could.

Source: A contemporary watercolour by an unknown artist.