Right - Extracted from a larger illustration 'Ottoman army soldiers during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 (Source: Edmund Ollier, Illustrated History of the Russo-Turkish War, Vol. I, London, 1890)', are two figures of Ottoman Army Staff officer, and head-quarters rider from 1877; Both figures were depicted as accompaning a senior Army general.
The distinctive feature of these uniforms in the five cheast loops, this same feature is seen worn by the 1876 Sanjakdar (Standard Bearer) rank (below).
Right - The 1876 Sanjakdar (Standard Bearer), was a comparative rank to that of ensign, in the British Army, namely a junior commissioned officer [1]. This officer was distinguished by wearing a special officer’s tunic, with five black chest-loops; and carrying an officer’s sword, with a lower grade officer’s sword portepee. His sole responsibility was the care, maintenance, and protection of the Sultan’s standard. He commanded a picked squad of two-to-five soldiers, to protect the flag.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] In the British 1916 Handbook on the Turkish Army, he is listed in seniority as below a Regimental Clerk Officer, and above the rank of Sergeant-Major
Right - A Medical Major weaing his 'Grand Parade Uniform' displaying white cuffs edged red, and a red collar edged white. The Ottoman imperial army doctor, from 1900 wore the Ottoman Red Cross Society armband. The original 1876 rank system for army medical officers, had only three ranks in addition to the 'Doctor-General', and these were:
Rank was shown on the collar only. A simplified uniform from 1900 appears to have been introduced:
The Doctor was the highest ranking medical officer (gold insignia); followed by the Pharmacist (gold and silver insignia), and the Surgeon (silver insignia). In terms of corresponding Imperial Army ranks:
The medical soldiers still continued to wear the 1860s Zouave uniform, with blue cuffs edged red, and no shoulder piping.
Right - Illustrated a Sapper from the '1876 till 1908' Infantry Regiment Sapeur Squad. In this picture, his axe pattern is different, as it has a large spike on the back of the axe-head. Other illustrations do not show this feature [1].
Infantry drummers are usually shown in the 1876-1908 period wearing the same apron as the sappers.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] Askeri Müze ve Kültür Sitesti Komutanligi. (1986) Osmanli askeri teskilat ve kiyafetleri: 1876-1908 [Ottoman military organization and uniforms] Yayinlari.
The French Model 1873 buckle was the pattern-base for the Turkish version. The early French buckles were quite large, measuring 60 x 69 mm, fitted to the ‘le Ceinturon (belt) Model 1873’.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] see E.J. Brill. First Encyclopaedia of Islam 1913-1936: Vol. IV: 53. History of the Regiment of Firemen: 833
Right - The Ilave (reserve) infantry battalions through-out 1876-1908, continued wearing the 1860-1876 Zouave uniforms. As well, wore a plain blue version without red tape facings (Right -facing illustration).
The Auxiliary Troops - such as the Laz (North-west Turkish people), had a long tradition, that lasted into the 20th century, who formed militia regiments in the Ottoman Imperial Army.
These provincial soldiers are often confused with the Imperial Army Corps of Bashi-Bazouk (1860-1870)
Right - This photograph shows the Military Engineers around 1900, they wears a blue tunic, with a fly covering the buttons edged in light-blue, and light blue facings. Prior to 1908, the 'Tophane-i Amire Nezareti' (Ministry of Imperial Ordinance), which was independed of the Ministry of War - that controlled the field Imperial Army, and it looked after production, repair and supply of weapons and military equipment. This had responsibility for guarding the Straits of the Black Sea and the Bosphous, and the training of technical personnel.
Under the command of a Pasha with the rank of Marshal, he commanded the following regiments:
Right - A specialist from the 'Tophane-i Amire Nezareti' (Ministry of Imperial Ordinance), Military and Mechanical Engineers, extracted from Askeri Müze ve Kültür Sitesti Komutanligi. (1986) Osmanli askeri teskilat ve kiyafetleri: 1876-1908 [Ottoman military organization and uniforms] Yayinlari, a private's uniform in the Mechanical Engineers regiment. Another picture (from the same book) shows a red four-chevron cuff decoration, for a 'private'. However, this should actually indicated a much higher rank than soldier, such a Sergeant-Major. Where as the red three-chevron cuff decoration for a 'private'. However, this should actually indicated a much higher rank than soldier, such a Sergeant. The 'Mechanical Engineers Regiment' was a unit specifically formed to work with machinery. The unit was specifically composed of machinist-specialists, and the unusual cuff insignia denoted this, giving the wearer a special authority, sugesting [1]:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] It may have been that the 'one-cheveron' cuff, and the 'two-cheveron' cuff ranks, were the year one, and two students in an engineering school, who went onto serve army training apprenticeships, as year three and four students.