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Description
One drab November evening, Holmes suggests to Watson that he try on that army uniform again…

A nice night in with an army surgeon, a decanter, and a bearskin rug. :-D

The tedious ‘historical notes’ bit:

I may have taken a little artistic licence with several things…
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- The red cross armband. Though the use of it certainly predates the Afghan Wars, and I found photos of individual European soldiers wearing the red cross in the Boer and Zulu Wars, plus various people doing the same during the Afghan ones, I don’t actually know if this was common practice for British army surgeons. Practically, I believe that some method of distinguishing between medics and infantry must have been employed, and this suits my purposes as well as any other. And I think it looks good on him. (Ditto for the knapsack).

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EDIT #1 - 01/03/2008:

From [link] :

"One of the reasons for [the] neglect [of wounded soldiers] was that army medical services were not distinguished by an emblem easily identified by all parties to the conflict.

In 1863 an international conference met in Geneva to try and remedy the ineffectiveness of army medical services. The following year the first of the Geneva conventions were passed, in which a red cross made of five equal squares on a white background was officially recognised as the distinctive sign of medical services of armed forces."

I consider myself vindicated.
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- The jacket. Watson’s regt., the 66th Foot (Berkshires), are depicted in photos around the time of Maiwand as in red jackets with either white or green cuffs. I’ve elected to put Watson in green ones, as I think it suits him.
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EDIT #2 - 01/03/2008 - Argh, the red jacket is actually incorrect. (Damn.) As my research has progressed, I've come to realise that Watson (as an Assistant Surgeon) would in fact have worn the dark uniform of the Army Medical Department rather than the scarlet (home service) regimental jacket of the 66th.

Yes, I got it wrong. So shoot me.

It's still a pretty picture.
==========================================

I found a photograph of Surgeon Major Alexander Francis Preston, the army surgeon of the 66th who Conan Doyle is regarded as basing Watson upon, in full dress uniform. Used this for the main reference, but put Watson’s lower half in campaigning gear of khaki trousers and puttees, rather than the smart striped trousers of Preston’s photograph. [C’mon, he’s dressing up for Holmes, not going on parade. I suspect Holmes rather enjoys the contrast between the dashing connotations of the red jacket and the gritty reality of puttees and khaki ].
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Description
One drab November evening, Holmes suggests to Watson that he try on that army uniform again…

A nice night in with an army surgeon, a decanter, and a bearskin rug. :-D

The tedious ‘historical notes’ bit:

I may have taken a little artistic licence with several things…
==========================================
- The red cross armband. Though the use of it certainly predates the Afghan Wars, and I found photos of individual European soldiers wearing the red cross in the Boer and Zulu Wars, plus various people doing the same during the Afghan ones, I don’t actually know if this was common practice for British army surgeons. Practically, I believe that some method of distinguishing between medics and infantry must have been employed, and this suits my purposes as well as any other. And I think it looks good on him. (Ditto for the knapsack).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDIT #1 - 01/03/2008:

From [link] :

"One of the reasons for [the] neglect [of wounded soldiers] was that army medical services were not distinguished by an emblem easily identified by all parties to the conflict.

In 1863 an international conference met in Geneva to try and remedy the ineffectiveness of army medical services. The following year the first of the Geneva conventions were passed, in which a red cross made of five equal squares on a white background was officially recognised as the distinctive sign of medical services of armed forces."

I consider myself vindicated.
==========================================
- The jacket. Watson’s regt., the 66th Foot (Berkshires), are depicted in photos around the time of Maiwand as in red jackets with either white or green cuffs. I’ve elected to put Watson in green ones, as I think it suits him.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDIT #2 - 01/03/2008 - Argh, the red jacket is actually incorrect. (Damn.) As my research has progressed, I've come to realise that Watson (as an Assistant Surgeon) would in fact have worn the dark uniform of the Army Medical Department rather than the scarlet (home service) regimental jacket of the 66th.

Yes, I got it wrong. So shoot me.

It's still a pretty picture.
==========================================

I found a photograph of Surgeon Major Alexander Francis Preston, the army surgeon of the 66th who Conan Doyle is regarded as basing Watson upon, in full dress uniform. Used this for the main reference, but put Watson’s lower half in campaigning gear of khaki trousers and puttees, rather than the smart striped trousers of Preston’s photograph. [C’mon, he’s dressing up for Holmes, not going on parade. I suspect Holmes rather enjoys the contrast between the dashing connotations of the red jacket and the gritty reality of puttees and khaki ].
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