Blues Dress
B (LDY) Squadron, The Royal Yeomanry have now adopted the cypher of HRH Princess Alexandra. This new regimental badge is uniform throughout the Royal Yeomanry (on headdress). However, all LDY Squadron insignia remain.
2007

 

War Office 1957

(Imperial War Museum: WO32/16521)

Leicestershire & Derbyshire (Prince Albert’s Own Yeomanry)

 

Pattern of No.1 Dress previously authorized for the Leicestershire Yeo viz:-

1. Scarlet Forage Cap with Scarlet band and welt around crown.

2. “Field Officers” (Major and above) silver embroidery on peak.

3. Blue Jacket with shoulder chains with scarlet backing to shoulder chains at Regimental expense.

4. Blue trousers with double scarlet ¾ inch stripes 1/8 inch apart.

5. Rank badges O/Rs “Silver” embroidery on scarlet backing.

6. New pattern L&D pattern buttons and badges, subject to approval from the Sovereign.

7. Leicestershire Squadrons to retain their own collar badges.

8. Derbyshire Squadrons to retain their own collar badges.

 
LDY Officers


Blue Serge jacket :- Cloth of Regimental pattern; four patch pockets, with buttons to the breast pockets only; rank badges gilt, 5/8 inch; steel shoulder chains backed on red shoulder straps , but detachable; LDY AA buttons,  size x5 25mm, x8 20mm, x2 half ball 13mm cap; stand collar (with officer pattern collar badges) without inner lining collar; pointed cuffs.
Lt. Col. Ridley Thompson TD DL
c1990		 Lt. Col. Bagshawe wearing the short cloak.
c1965


LDY Officers Dress Cap
(Example shown is c1960 Pattern SD Cap)

Officer's Shoulder chains : steel shoulder chains backed on red shoulder straps , but detachable. Screw in 20mm AA LDY buttons (looped button, if screw in unavailable). AA Button LDY, x5 25mm (front), x8 20mm (x2 on Shoulder chains, x2 per cuff, x2 on breast pockets) , x2 Plain half ball 13mm Cap.

Accoutrements


LY, LDY Folding Field Service Cap (silver bullion piping), Brown riding gloves, Officer's leather Crop and Officer's silver bullion Busby cords.



LY, LDY Officers Crossbelt, Sword belt & slings, sword with sword knot.

No 1 Dress Mounted

Worn by Corps & Cavalry soldiers who require it
- when competing in Horse Shows, and as ordered.

Blue Jacket, Pantaloons, Butcher Boots, white Gloves,
Crossbelt and Forage Cap.

Horse furniture as ordered.

 

LDY Officers Cavalry Great Coat


LDY No1 Dress Breeches (Mounted)

 

Butcher boot, there is no boot boss in the top v-cut of the boot for the Leicestershire Yeomanry (LDY wear the same boot as Hussars & Dragoons wore the same "Field" boot). 
LDY Other Ranks
1993 (Correct dress) 2007 (Incorrect dress)
Trooper of B (LDY) Sqn, RY in 1993, Scarlet peaked cap with silver half ball buttons for strap, LDY Cap & Collars, shoulders chains on scarlet, white buff crossbelt with silver fittings with black pouch with LDY cypher badge on scarlet, LY (P.A.O) silver buttons on blues jacket, blues overalls with double red stripe to George boots with cavalry pattern boxed spurs. On the steps of  HQ B (LDY) at  Glen Parva, Leics. Other Ranks Busby cords can be worn with the crossbelt, with cords clipped to the second from bottom button and hung from the right above breast pocket on a small hook. White gloves for ceremonial and tan gloves with O/R whip as walking out dress. Alternative headdress for "off duty" is a scarlet O/R Folding Field Service Cap.


LDYPAO Blues (Other Ranks) from the 1980s, 20mm buttons and "sewn on" Scarlet chain patches and missing the shoulder chain mail and AA LDY collar badges.
(Thanks to Lt. Peter Howard, C (LDYPAO) Sqn/Coy, 7th (V) Royal Anglian)

1969 (LDY on Church Parade, Royal Yeomanry Regiment) 1965

The LDY PAO are a Sabre Regiment/Squadron and therefore Parade with "Sabres" and not Lances.

There were two forms of carrying the sabre within the Guidon party, the Leicestershire wore a Dress buff Crossbelt and had a web belt under the jacket with white buff slings and the Derbyshire method was a Dress buff Crossbelt and a buff belt and slings over the jacket in the Dragoon way. Either method was acceptable within the LDY Regiment.


LY PAO & LDY PAO Other Ranks Dress Sword Slings.

Troopers Sword Knot. Blues Jacket : AA Button LDY, x11 20mm, x2 13mm plain half ball in cap .

No 1 Dress Mounted

Worn by Corps & Cavalry soldiers who require it
- when competing in Horse Shows, and as ordered.

Blue Jacket, Pantaloons, Butcher Boots, white Gloves,
Crossbelt and Forage Cap.

Horse furniture as ordered.

LDY Blues Cavalry Great Coat, scarlet lined.
LDY No1 Dress Breeches (Mounted)

 


Butcher Boots for mounted duties.

 

Accoutrements

White Gloves (When ordered), O/R Folding field service Cap (x2 Small Brass half ball buttons), senior NCO Brown riding gloves, O/R Riding whip and O/R white cord Busby lines.


Rank insignia
"All" NCOs wear the LDY cipher. The "Silver" stripes should be backed with scarlet. The senior NCO Crown should be worn "above" the cipher.



Sgt Signals Instructor


The silver stripes should have a scarlet backing.

The NCO arm badge was re-designed for the combined regiment (1962) and the wire badge was used on the NCO arm and the staybright version was used on the crossbelt pouch for NCO and Trooper. White buff Cross belts are worn in the ranks with black pouches and the staybright LDY (P.A.O) cypher on scarlet melton cloth is worn on the pouch. Rank insignia is "Silver" on scarlet background for all NCO's. In keeping with tradition of the LY (P.A.O), all ranks wear white gloves (Tan gloves in walking out dress) if gloves are required.

LY Officers
Post 1945
TBA
LY Other Ranks
Post 1945
On the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II a contingent of the LY were sent down to London to line the route. The other ranks wore a Scarlet peaked service dress cap with white metal badge, a blues jacket with shoulder chains and white metal LY(PAO) buttons and white metal collar badges on the stand collar. A white "waist" belt with silver buckle was worn instead of a crossbelt and pouch and white gloves. Blues trousers with double red stripes and ammo boots. 

Blue & Scarlet (pre1953) peaked cap with silver half ball buttons for strap, LY Cap & Collars, shoulders chains on scarlet, white buff crossbelt with silver fittings with black pouch with LY cypher badge on scarlet, LY (P.A.O) silver buttons on blues jacket, blues overalls with double red stripe. The jacket would have been cut shorter for Mounted Drill and Mounted Review order. Other Ranks Busby cords could be worn with Blues with  Side hat, with cords clipped to right top pocket and hung from the left shoulder on small hook.



All ranks regimental whip, with the loss of the horses on mechanisation the whip was used as part of dress code. The Household Cavalry's use of the whip today, on duty and off duty, is in the same method as the LY would have used it.

Accoutrements

Note the Field Service Cap above is of the Field Artillery pattern, this changes to all Scarlet on the LY rejoining the Royal Armoured Corps post War.


Rank Insignia



Sgt Signals Instructor
1928 LY PAO Dress Regs (305) state : Staff Sergeants will wear the badge of their trade on the top of their chevrons.


The silver stripes should have a scarlet backing.
LY Blues
pre 1940
Officers
Leicestershire (PAO) Yeomanry
Regimental Standing Orders 1928
Appendix IX.
II. Blue
Page 74
Regimental Tailors :- Messrs. Rogers, 8, New Burlington Street, Savile Row, W.
A. Obligatory
Detail of Uniform to be worn by officers:-
 Dress Cap :- Red cap with silver badge, Regimental pattern, and to be obtained from Messrs. Herbert Johnson, 38, New Bond Street, W.; badge to be silver, hand finished; Field Officers' caps carry silver wire on the peak.
Blue Serge jacket :- Cloth of Regimental pattern; four patch pockets, with buttons to the breast pockets only; rank badges gilt, 5/8 inch; steel shoulder chains backed on red shoulder straps , but detachable; silver buttons, small size; stand collar without inner lining collar; pointed cuffs with two holes and buttons.

Officers will carry sticks when swords are not worn.

B. Optional
 Blue slacks: - To be of the same cloth as the jacket; turned up at the bottom, and worn with brown shoes.
Blue cloak :- Blue cloth, red lining; blue collar, lined red; silver buttons; silver rank badges, 7/8 inch.


Captain Codrington's LY Blues Frock Coat c1918, the same pattern can be used today. Note: The Regiment is entitled to wear a "Prussian Blue Velvet" collar on the Frockcoat as "Prince Albert's Own" and as stated by by Lieut. Colonel Comdt. G A L Keck in the LYC dress regulations of the 1860s. This would also be correct in the collar for the officers Frock coat of the LDY today. Officers Sash worn on the waist of the frock coat (ceremonial and duty officer).


In this portrait (1843) of Prince Albert, the Prince Consort, you can see the Prussian Blue collar (as seen on The Royal Engineers Officer's Frock coat today). It is a velvet type material.

c1911
Adjutant Captain Halliday  of the 11th PAO Hussars is seen seated with the LIY Officers. White linen hat covers are also worn.

 Headdress: Scarlet staff pattern peaked cap with white linen hat cover. LIY, KC embroidered cap badge. The silver braiding is for the rank of "Field Officer", this meant Squadron Leader, his 2ic and senior officers. Junior officers, Troop leaders etc wore a plain back peak on their cap.
Jacket: Blue, with cloth epaulets, silver LY PAO buttons and silver collar badges.
Overalls: Blue, with double scarlet stripes.
Accoutrements: Silver lace crossbelt with pricker plates, boss and LYC PAO Pouch. Silver chord Busby lines. Silver lace sword belts.

Other Ranks


 (c1930-40) The "Cavalry cut" of the jacket means the length of the jacket is shorter and is double vented at the rear.

Leicestershire (PAO) Yeomanry
Regimental Standing Orders 1928
Appendix X.
Page 75

Detail of Uniform to be worn by Other Ranks:-
Cap :- Blue, with red band; silver badge.
Jacket :- Blue serge; two breasted pockets with buttons; no side pockets; chevrons silver; steel shoulder chains backed on red cloth, sewn down to the shoulder of the jacket, and without buttons; stand up collar; silver collar badges; no cuffs; silver arm badges.

c1920-30
Overalls:- Blue, with double red stripe.
Wellington boots :- Parade boots.
Spurs :- Plain steel or plated, swan neck, box spurs.

Note :- The Khaki cloak will be worn with the blue uniform.

Appendix XI.
Details of Various Orders of Dress
Page 76

Walking-Out Order
Other Ranks :- Blue : blue serge jacket, overalls, Wellington boots and box spurs, blue cap, whip, no medals, and no arms. The Khaki cloak will be worn if necessary.



An LIY NCO in walking out order c1903-14
LYC
Patrol Jacket c1890
"Undress"

LYC Officers: Patrol Jacket, blue with 7 rows of dark green mohair braiding c1895. The Pillbox cap was worn initially and then later the Torin was adopted.

Other Ranks


Ultra rare photograph (1896) of an LYC senior NCO in his undress patrol jacket.

 NCOs: 5 rows of mohair braiding without the flaps of the officer pattern. There are no shoulder cords and no colour on the collar and cuff. The mohair braid would be the same colour as the jacket (Army blue). Identical to the pattern of the NCO's of the Household Cavalry of the time.



Troopers: Dark blue stable jacket with red collar and chevron cuffs. With red shoulder cords.

Overalls:  All ranks wore army blue breeches with double red striped overalls.