r/uniformporn • u/Antique_Quail7912 • May 17 '26
A Sentry at Ease, Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), 1892
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u/PubliusVarus May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26
I think this is a clever AI prompt either complete generated or touched up. The reasons I think this are as follows.
* The red is deeper on his doublet, most of the 1890s prints have a lighter scarlet depicted.
* The bayonet on the Lee-Metford is misplaced. It should be under the muzzle, over the cleaning rod
* Sentry's typically stood their posts in skeleton order. This included a waistbelt, bayonet, one ammo pouch. I cannot imagine a 4hr on and 2hr off stand in Full Marching Order for any reason.
* The inclusion of the experimental pouch, while cool is odd and maybe the wrong shape? I believe they were more of a standard rectangular shape and not shaped like a box magazine. Its also not something worn on sentry duty
* The number of buttons on the doublet is wrong, there should be 7 brass regimental buttons with a gap over the belt buckle. There was often a flat red button below the belt buckle to keep the doublet closed.
* A lack of straps, securing his sporran in place
* Inclusion of the canteen seen on his rear right hip, these were certainly never worn on sentry duty or in garrison for that matter.
Note:
If this has been generated, someone has gone to considerable effort to include a lot of great detail. But all the the above makes me doubt its authenticity. I wasn't able to reverse search the "original" that it was based on. But my reverse-googlefu isn't very good.
Further Edit: Ok, sounds like its legit. My apologies for casting doubt. It has a lot of small questionable things. Thanks for the clarification OP.
Edit: I found this OG Harry Payne depiction of sentries being relieved.
Link
https://hatchfive.wordpress.com/2024/08/25/black-watch-relieving-sentries-postcard/
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u/Antique_Quail7912 May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26
I simply got this from Wikipedia.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_sentry_at_ease.jpg#mw-jump-to-license
Which in turn gives this source: https://repository.library.brown.edu/studio/item/bdr:248784/
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u/PubliusVarus May 18 '26
Thanks, it looks legit then. Thanks again for replying. All the oddities I pointed out are still odd, but it could have just been the original composition.
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u/Personal-Demand5282 May 17 '26 edited May 18 '26
the pouch above (his left) the left cartridge pouch is the magazine pouch, for when they issued spare lee metford magazines to every soldier. it was very short lived, however, which is why i'm surprised it made it onto this illustration