Posted by Harold Whiteoak (Captain) from Weyburn SK Canada on June 11, 2021 at 20:05:23:
In Reply to: The Infantry Sash posted by R Venus on December 13, 2021 at 21:05:15:
Each tassel represented a soldier in the platoon, and the PL WO or equivalent served as chief medic of his pl. Every time a soldier died a tassel would be torn from his sash. Upon returning to garrison his success would be determined/known well before he marched through the gates as sentries would report the condition of his sash to the King.
As the Pl got bigger, and more men were needed, other pl members wore a sash to lessen the burden on the WO, to the point wear all ranks from Sgt to 1LT wore them.
This was well before Medics were created.
The wearing of a sash at social function showed on lookers the size of the wearers command and his ability to keep his people alive. etc.