Dress & Badges of Rank

General
Soldiers are issued various uniforms.  The Dress Regulations are contained in Standing Order 52 and summarized here.

The uniform of the Royal Bermuda Regiment is an extension of the Regiment and is to be worn with pride. It should be clean and serviceable and should be comfortable without being too tight or baggy.  Cap badges should be highly polished; boots should be clean, properly laced and maintained, belts and webbing should be sized appropriately and fit correctly.

Moustaches must be trimmed in line with the upper lip.  No other facial hair is permitted and soldiers are to be clean and neatly shaven for every Regimental activity.  A medical officer will issue shaving certificates to personnel who are unable to shave for valid medical reasons. 

Hair is to be closely cropped at all times.  Sideburns are to be at the middle of your ear and hair should be cut above the collar.  Lines and other designs are not permitted; this including eyebrows.  Females are to have their hair in a neat bun.  Longer hair should be secured in a fair net off the shoulder.  Hair should be of a natural colour.

Jewellery is not to be worn, with the exception of wedding bands. Servicewomen may wear a single pair of small gold stud earrings when attending formal functions.  

Quick Reference Guide to the different Orders of Dress:

 


Dress #

Known As

Jocular / Slang

Short General Description

When worn

Notes

1.

Number 1 Dress

Blues

Dark Jacket; black trousers with red stripe

Only by permission from the CO.

Not part of general issue

2.

Service Dress

 

Green Jacket and Trousers

At formal, but non-ceremonial events

Only issued to FTS

3.

Ceremonial Dress
SNCO
Officers 

 Whites

White Jacket, navy blue trousers with red stripe

All ceremonies and parades

 

4.

Mess Dress

Mess Kit

Red Jacket, #3 trousers

Formal Mess functions

JNCOs wear #9 Dress

5.

Drill Order

 

Combats with Peaked Cap, Drill Boots, and belt

Drill / Parade Practice

Drill Instructors wear #6 Dress

6.

Office Dress

Barrack Dress

As #2 Dress without Jacket

 

Only issued to FTS.  Summer and winter variants.

8.

Combat Dress
Winter/Summer

Normal Working Dress

MTP with beret

Daily

 

9.

Travel Dress

none

Jacket and tie

As directed to social events

Winter and summer  variants 

There are three orders of dress that a soldier will typically wear during their time in the Regiment: Training Dress, Drill Order and Ceremonial Dress. These are outlined below.  NCO’s and Officers or Full time Staff will have the opportunity to wear other orders of dress.

Training Dress (No. 8 Dress—Combat)
The basic uniform for all of your Regimental training activities.

  • Head Dress: Blue beret with cap badge over left eye.
  • Shirt: Combat shirt.  Sleeves of shirt folded in a 3 inch fold ending 3 inches above the elbow.
  • T-Shirt: Tan.  Wearing is optional.
  • Trousers: Combat Trousers worn with belt.  Trouser bottoms tucked into elastics around the boot.
  • Footwear: High top rubber-soled boots and issued beige socks.
  • Jacket: Combat jacket to be worn when ordered.
  • Norwegian: Norwegian (Olive Green/Tan). When ordered.
  • Webbing: As ordered.  When in doubt, bring it!

Drill Order (No. 5 Dress)
Worn for drill lessons and parade practices.  It is as above for Training Dress, except:

  • Head Dress: No1. Forage Cap with Cap Badge.
  • Footwear: Leather-soled boots with toes and heels highly polished.
  • Belt: Black Plastic worn on outside of shirt.

Ceremonial (No. 3 Dress)
The ceremonial uniform used for all standard parades.

  • Head Dress: No1. Forage Cap with Cap Badge.
  • Jacket: White jacket / Tunic.
  • Trousers: Dark blue with red stripe.
  • Footwear: Leather-soled boots with toes and heels highly polished and issued olive green socks.
  • Belt: Black plastic.                             
  • Bayonet Frog: Black plastic.
  • Gloves: White.
  • Undershirt White or Black with no design. 

Rank

Abbreviation

Addressed as

Badge of Rank

Private (1)
Bandsman
Drummer

Pte
Bdsm
Dmr

Private
Bandsman
Drummer

 

Lance Corporal

LCpl

Lance Corporal or “Corporal”

Corporal

Cpl

Corporal

Sergeant

Sgt

Sergeant

Colour Sergeant (2)

CSgt

Colour Sergeant or “Colour”

Warrant Officer Class Two
(Sergeant Major)

WO2

Sir or Sergeant Major

Warrant Officer Class Two
(Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant / Chief Clerk)

WO2 (RQMS/CC)

Sir or Sergeant Major

Warrant Officer Class One
(Bandmaster) (3)

WO1 (BM)

Sir (Officers may use “Bandmaster” or “Mr Last-name”)

Warrant Officer Class One
(Regimental Sergeant Major)

WO1 (RSM)

Sir (Officers may use Mr Last-name”)

Officer Cadet (4)

OCdt

Mr Last name

Second Lieutenant

2Lt

Sir (senior officer/Warrant Officers may use “Mr Lastname”)

Lieutenant

Lt

Sir (senior officer/Warrant Officers may use “Mr Lastname”)

Captain

Capt

Sir or Captain

Major

Maj

Sir or Major

Lieutenant
Colonel (5)

Lt Col

Sir or Colonel

Colonel

Col

Sir or Colonel

Notes

  1. All of these ranks are equivalent to Private.
  2. Other Battalions may use Staff Sergeant (SSgt), addressed as “Staff”.
  3. At the date of publication, these appointments were not made.
  4. Not a substantive rank.
  5. Lieutenant Colonel is the senior commissioned rank within the Royal Bermuda Regiment and is held by the Commanding Officer.  The rank of Colonel is held by the Regiment’s Honourary Colonel. The ranks of Brigadier, Major General, Lieutenant General and General are not depicted here.