Red jackets and white helmets looked lovely on the parade ground but in the modern world of warfare developing at the end of the 19th century they also made fine targets for accurate long-range rifles.
The familiar pith helmets of the British became khaki coloured by the time of the Boer wars: a type exemplified by two examples which came up for sale at the Peter Wilson (22% buyer’s premium) Arms, Militaria, Shotguns, Firearms and Airguns auction in Cheshire on September 26, estimated at £150-250.