Although it's a very long way off I've been doing some more research on uniforms of the Royal Marines, with the Black Tree Designs Zulu War range in mind for a Naval Landing Party unit. The obvious example to follow is the Royal Marine Light Infantry at Tel El Kebir, which is the closest in time and location. The Sudan Campaign a couple of years later is also relevant but I'm going to focus on the uniform and equipment used in Egypt, as there would be fewer bits to convert or modify. Here's the description to go with the illustration in the Osprey book:
Private, Royal Marine Light Infantry
The Royal Marine Light Infantry uniform worn in Egypt in 1882 consisted of the customary white helmet and a blue 'frock’ with brass buttons. The blue collar was decorated with a bugle-horn badge in scarlet worsted and the shoulders were decorated with scarlet worsted cords. The trousers were blue with a scarlet welt on the outside of the leg and worn tucked into black leather gaiters. The equipment was the 'Valise’ pattern worn with black leather pouches, which had been replaced by white in most regiments by this date. At Tel-el- Kebir The Times war correspondent remembered seeing the “… endless line of the dreaded redcoats, broken by the even more fearful blue of the Marines.”
With the exception of the pugaree and some details in the uniform that can be easily fixed, such as the cuff braiding, the Zulu War figures are a pretty good match, especially if you are not too bothered about button counting (which I most definitely am not!).
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