A History of Facial Hair in the British Army

Explore the history of the British Army through the fascinating lens of facial hair, with National Army Museum expert Julian Farrance.

In March 2024, the British Army made the bold decision to allow soldiers and officers to grow beards, breaking centuries of military tradition… Or so we’ve been led to believe.

In this light-hearted talk, the National Army Museum’s very own Julian Farrance will take a closer look at the Army’s history with facial hair, outlining changing attitudes and demonstrating that this is by no means the Army’s first brush with beards. He will also reveal how useful facial hair can be when carrying out identification work with historic photographs.

From the bushy beards of Crimean War heroes to concerns about the impact of untamed whiskers on First World War gas masks, this talk will show that the Army’s recent policy change is just the tip of the iceberg for this fascinating aspect of military history.

About the speaker

Julian Farrance

Julian Farrance is Head of Regimental Museums and International Partnerships at the National Army Museum, and an expert in the uniform and dress of the British Army. He has worked at the Museum for 25 years, wearing several different hats in the course of his career.