bearskin

Soldiers of the Danish Royal Life Guards presenting arms

A bearskin is a tall fur cap, usually worn as part of a ceremonial military uniform. Traditionally, the bearskin was the headgear of grenadiers, and is still worn by grenadier and guards regiments in various armies.

Origins

A 1st Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna" Soldier

The cloth caps worn by the original grenadiers in European armies during the 17th century were frequently trimmed with fur. The practice fell into disuse until the second half of the eighteenth century when grenadiers in the British, Spanish and French armies began wearing high fur hats with cloth tops and, sometimes, ornamental front plates. The purpose appears to have been to add to the apparent height and impressive appearance of these troops both on the parade ground and the battlefield.^[1]

During the nineteenth century, the expense of bearskin caps and difficulty of maintaining them in good condition on active service led to this form of headdress becoming generally limited to guardsmen, bands or other units having a ceremonial role. The British Foot Guards did however wear bearskins in battle during the Crimean War and on peacetime manoeuvers until the introduction of khaki service dress in 1902.^[2]

Immediately prior to the outbreak of World War I in 1914, bearskins were still worn by guard or other units in the British, Belgian, Danish, Dutch, Russian and Swedish armies.^[3]. This did not include use of the busby and other types of smaller fur headdress sometimes confused with the high bearskin. The Italian Sardinian Grenadiers had discarded bearskins in the nineteenth century but were to readopt them for limited ceremonial wear in modern times.

Belgian use

Until 1914 bearskins were worn in parade uniform by the Regiment der Grenadiers ("Regiment of Grenadiers") of the Belgian Army. The modern regiment has readopted this headdress for limited ceremonial purposes.^[4]

British use

Irish Guards, wearing bearskins, march to the Cenotaph, London, on 12 June 2005 for a service of remembrance for Irish troops

Following the Battle of Waterloo and the action in which they gained their name, the Grenadier Guards were permitted to wear the bearskin. This tradition was later extended to the other two regiments of Guards. The officers of Fusilier regiments also wore the bearskin as part of their ceremonial uniform. The bearskin should not be mistaken for the busby, which is a much smaller fur cap worn by the Royal Horse Artillery and hussar regiments in full dress. Nor should it be confused with the similar but smaller 'Sealskin' cap worn by other ranks of the Royal Fusiliers, actually made of raccoon skin.^[5]

The standard bearskin of the British Foot Guards is 18 inches tall, weighs 1.5 pounds, is made from the fur of the Canadian black bear. However, an officer's bearskin is made from the fur of the Canadian brown bear as the female brown bear has thicker, fuller fur, and is dyed black. The British Army purchase the hats, which are known as caps, from a British hatmaker which sources its pelts from an international auction. The hatmakers purchase between 50 and 100 black bear skins each year at a cost of about £650 each.^[6] If properly maintained, the caps last for decades; some caps in use are reportedly more than 100 years old.

Opposition

On August 3, 1888 The New York Times reported that bearskin caps might be phased out because of a shortage of bear skins. The article stated that, at that time, bearskin hats cost £7/5s each (about 35 contemporary US dollars^[7]; £600 in 2007 pounds^[8]) and noted “it can readily be seen what a price has to be paid for keeping up a custom which is rather old, it is true, but is practically a useless one save for the purpose of military display..” ^[9]

In 1997 Minister for Defence Procurement Lord Gilbert said that he wanted to see bearskins phased out as soon as possible due to ethical concerns,^[10] but no replacement was available at that time.

In 2005 the Ministry of Defence began a two-year test of artificial fur for the hats. The army has already replaced beaver hats and leopard skins, worn by some of its soldiers, with artificial materials.^[11]. In March 2005, Labour MP Chris Mullin called for an immediate ban on bearskin hats stating that they "have no military significance and involve unnecessary cruelty."^[12]

Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has protested against the continued use of real fur for the guards’ hats, alleging that the animals are killed cruelly. For several years, PETA members have held demonstrations, including one with 70 naked protesters at St. Peter's Hill, near St Paul's Cathedral, in 2006.^[13] PETA wants the fur hats to be replaced with synthetic materials and claims that the Ministry of Defence has not done enough to find alternatives.

Supporters of the headgear claim that the animals used are not killed for their fur but are roadkill or culled animals. A website purporting to be “an historical encyclopedia of the land forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth” claims that Inuit hunters cull 40,000 black bears annually out of a population of more than a million.^[14][15]

Nations which currently use bearskins

•  Belgium: Belgian Army
  • Mounted Royal Escort (1830) ^[16]
•  Canada: Canadian Forces
  • Royal 22^e Régiment (1914),^[17]
  • Governor General's Foot Guards (1861),^[18]
  • Canadian Grenadier Guards (1764),^[19]
  • Les Fusiliers du Saint-Laurent
  • Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal
  • The Princess Louise Fusiliers
  • Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke
  • The Royal Regiment of Canada (band only)
•  Denmark: Royal Danish Army
  • Royal Life Guards or Den Kongelige Livgarde (1658)
•  Italy: Italian Army
  • 1st Grenadier Regiment Granatieri di Sardegna (Guard Infantry) ^[20]
  • 8th Cavalry Regiment Lancieri di Montebello (Guard Cavalry)
•  Netherlands: Royal Netherlands Army
  • The Guard Grenadiers or Grenadiers Garde (1829) - now Garderegiment Grenadiers en Jagers^[16]
•  United Kingdom: British Army
  • the five regiments of Foot Guards
  • the Royal Artillery's Honourable Artillery Company

Modern use by military bands

In addition to the specific units named above, bearskins are worn by limited categories of other military personnel with ceremonial functions. These include the band and corps of drums of the British Army's Honourable Artillery Company, band and pioneers of The Royal Regiment of Canada, band of the Sri Lanka Artillery, and drum majors of the United States Marine Band, the United States Army Band, the United States Navy Band, the United States Coast Guard Band, the United States Air Force Band, and the United States Army Field Band. Drum majors of the various service academies, as well as unit, division and fleet bands across the USA and worldwide, also frequently use the bearskin in ceremonial missions. Drummers and drum majors of the Pipes and Drums of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment use the bearskin as well.^[21][22].

Royal Thai Guards

The Royal Thai Guards of the Thai Royal Family uses a bearskin like headgear. The colour varies from black, pink/red and blue.

Vatican Gendarmerie

The Papal Corpo della Gendarmeria wore bearskins as part of their ceremonial uniform until this force was disbanded in 1970.

See also

• Feather bonnet, which slightly resembles a bearskin.

References