What of these Cords?

[GIKyle]

I’m in an area well outside my bounds but curiosity has the best of me and I could not find an answer in Emerson.  What are the below cords called?  Do they come in branch specific colors? Dress? Optional?  I saw in some threads they are worn in period photos across the breast of uniforms.  Is there a better name for it than “waffle cords”?

 

 

Thanks!

 

Kyle

[Rakkasan187]

Kyle,

 

I believe these are called aiguillettes and they do come in branch specific colors. We have a few in Red for Artillery and yellow for cavalry as well as blue for infantry at the NCO Museum..

 

I believe these would be draped across the front of the dress uniform, I have seen many of these accompany the dress helmets, similar to what you show.. Not sure if they are some how connected with the helmet and the placement on the dress uniforms...

 

Leigh 

[GIKyle]

Leigh,

 

Thanks for that.  Appreciate your insight.

 

Kyle

[Woodymyster]

The ones associated with the 1872 and 1881 helmets have always been called helmet cords.  They are attached to the helmet and then they are very carefully looped around the dress uniform of that time.  They are only present on mounted troops (Cavalry, Light Artillery, Signal Corp, Indian Scouts, and Field Officers from Infantry).  They were attached in a way that the user wouldn't lose their helmet while on horse back.  Because they were such a pain attach, many modified their cords so that they were cut into two pieces and latter attached by hook.  Their color was associated with the brach while metallic gold was reserved for officers.  

 

The helmets were discontinued after 1902, but the new uniform kept the chest cords with the waffles as seen in the new 1902 dress uniforms.  These were shorter and of a different style.  I believe they would be called chest cords.  I don't know if I would call them aiguillettes as I always associated aiguillettes with brass pointed ends ( brass pencils). I associate aiguillettes of that time as retaining to aides de camp to command staff and they would wear both the cords and aiguillettes.

[GIKyle]

Thanks so much, Woody! 

 

Kyle

[Woodymyster]

There are many pictures if you search online to see how the cords attach and were worn.  The following were taken from Wikipedia to avoid any trademark issues.

This Painting of the 9th Cavalry shows a Cavalry Officer on horseback talking to an enlisted Signal Corpsman.  The color of the plume reflects the branch (yellow-cavarly, orange-signal corp)  If you look very closely, you can see the officer's helmet cord is a metallic gold vs the color of his plume.  Compare this to the enlisted cavalry troopers in the back which have helmet cords the same color as their plumes.  This is more obvious when looking at the enlisted signal corp as his cord is the same color as his plume and chevrons.  Also, this painting does a good job of showing how the cord is attached to the helmet.  The braided section of the cord on the helmet continues down to the uniform.  

 

Next we have a picture of Lt William W. Cooke below

Cooke was the adjunct to Custer in the 7th Cavalry and was present at the battle of Little Big Horn.  This was before the 1881 regulations and you can barely see his 1872 helmet on the left.  Like I said in the previous post, most would cut their cords into two to allow them to take off their helmet without spending 10 mins removing the cord from their uniform.  Here a small hook on the uniform cord side would connect to the tassel seen on the helmet.  I chose this picture to show an officer wearing both his helmet cords as well as his adjunct aiguillettes.  Two separate pieces that serve two different purposes.

 

After 1902, the plume and spike helmets were mostly done away with and the new m1902 dress uniform was prescribed with a new visor as headwear.  Im attaching a link to another post from this site to show the 1902 brest cords on the new uniform.  You can see how these new uniforms used a braided section on the breast cords which were not on the 1872/1881 cords.  It is obvious that the tradition of color of cord reflecting branch is still used.  Also, more colors are now shown as now the cords no longer are associated with only mounted units.

 

 

[GIKyle]

Woody you went above and beyond what I hoped to get out of my original question, thanks so much!  I’ve certainly learned a lot in this thread.  
 

Best,

 

Kyle

[Cwnavy1]

Here are four more original images of cavalry troopers in full dress, all of whom have separated their auguilletts from the helmet cord.  One of the images has all M1872 helmets, the others are all the M1881s.

[Woodymyster]

23 minutes ago, Cwnavy1 said:

Here are four more original images of cavalry troopers in full dress, all of whom have separated their auguilletts from the helmet cord.  One of the images has all M1872 helmets, the others are all the M1881s.

Just to remain on track with the vocabulary,  I would not call the helmet cords that have been separated, "aiguillettes".  I know others call them breast cords, but they are still helmet cords.  Aiguillettes are an additional article of clothing relating to aides de camp, adjuncts, etc. 

[AZPhil]

Great photo's.

 I'll share mine of my Great Great Uncle .

These are the originals and the other was colorized by a friend of mine.

Semper Fi

Phil