Cadet uniforms today

Regular army soldiers are issued with several different sets of uniform: smart parade dress, barrack dress, combat fatigues and so on. Cadets, on the other hand, usually wear army uniform just a few hours a week and must usually make do with a single all purpose outfit. In the immediate postwar years the combination of battledress and denims proved very suitable for most cadet activities. The denims served well for the rougher forms of training, whilst battledress could be made to look reasonably smart for the parade ground and ceremonial events.

When it was first mooted that the 'working dress' of green pullover and combat trousers would provide the replacement for the cadets' battledress uniform, there were immediate objections. It was felt by many cadet officers that working dress would not look smart enough for ceremonial occasions, church parades and cadet bands. However, most army cadets wanted more than anything else to look like modern soldiers and the new uniform proved to be very popular.

The City of London School cadets pictured left are parading in heavy green pullovers, open-necked shirts, barrack room trousers and maintenance-free nylon belts. It is interesting to compare this photograph with one of a cadet parade at this same school some forty years ago.

The cadet of that era would have had to spend some considerable time preparing his uniform and kit. By contrast, the only real 'bull' demanded of today's cadets is the task of polishing their boots. The air section cadets visible at the rear wear a similarly practical uniform.

It is noteworthy that the cadet NCOs in the photograph are outfitted with No 2 dress in the traditional British army khaki; the uniform certainly lends them dignity and authority.

Whatever today's cadet kit may lack in smartness it certainly makes up for in practicality. Any present day army cadet who has browsed through the preceding pages will probably be glad to have been spared the rigours of tight puttees, blancoed webbing and bristly serge.

Harrow School, featured on the Victorian page, still has a thriving cadet corps. These pictures from a recent TV documentary show Harrow cadets in action.

Next page: Air Cadet uniforms

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Bluecoat Schools..........The Eton Suit..........Military Foundations

The Traditional English Schoolboy

School Scout Troops.........School Uniforms Miscellany

Uniforms in Close-up.....Main Page

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