Quote:
Originally posted by Garry Shipton
This leather collar is once again an early American copy of British line regiment traditions including those of the Royal Marines.As an example,view Sharpe's Rifles,a series of the 95th Rifles,wherein line regiments wore the black leather collar to keep the soldier's heads erect during the Peninsular War under Lord Wesseley(Wellington).When I was down in Boston last fall for a Patriots football game against Seattle Seahawks,on Saturday with our host went up to the Lexington Concord battlefield bridge,where the "shot heard around the world" started the revolution>There was an early American reenactor battle group there,who were also wearing the black leather neck piece.Everything from drill on down to the drumming was of British regulations.Heck they even played "British Grenadiers" as part of their performance.
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It was known as a stock. It was an 18th century introduction and also used on the Continent (Europe). Much disliked by rank and file and by the time of the Peninsular there was a tendency when on active service in the field for them to sort of accidentally get lost. The originator of the Rifle Regiment - General Moore - was against its use as constricting a soldiers ability to breathe and therefore his agility. Wellington didn't care if they were worn or not as as far as he was concerned provided that a uniform was relatively dry and clean, kept the wearer warm and above all allowed him to be easily distinguished from the enemy in the gun powder engendered smoke of battle that was enough.