| Mike Target | 27 Aug 2011 12:30 p.m. PST |
Hello chaps, Im trying to get some sort of idea of who wore what amongst the scots regiments of the BEF in 1914, between various books and Google Im gathering the following: Most Highland regiments wore Kilts but some wore trousers instead.
Most Lowland (or English City) Scots wore trousers, but some wore Kilts instead.
Scots regiments could mix and match between the ordinary service cap, the glengarry and the bonnet: As far as I can tell from various pics some battalion picked one and went with it, others mixed the service cap and either the glengarry or the Bonnet (I havnt seen a pic of a unit that mixed and matched the glengarrys and bonnets, so Im assuming there was a distinction here, though I dont know what as both seem to be worn by both kilted and trousered scots.)… Basically, Im putting together a force based on the BEF at Mons 1914 (for our modified BlackPowder1914 rules) and theres several scots regiments in the force Im aiming for… I think the one Ill be doing first will be a Royal Scots Fusiliers battalion which appears to wear a mix of service caps and Glengarrys and were trousered rather than kilted. Though possibly with tartan trousers… Im not to bothered about being 100% accurate…but If Im going to get it wrong Id at least like to know why its wrong so I can sound knowledgeable… Anyone got any points to add? |
 enfant perdus  | 27 Aug 2011 1:40 p.m. PST |
The RSF should be in trousers and Glens, with no SD caps. Likewise for the Royal Scots, the HLI, the Cameronians, and the KOSB. The Scots Guards would be in SD caps, also trousered. No tartan trews, just plain khaki. The Black Watch, Seaforths, Gordons, Camerons, and Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders would all be kilted and in Glens. It's all very straightforward until you get to the Territorial Force battalions, and then it isn't. |
| Mike Target | 27 Aug 2011 2:17 p.m. PST |
No Caps for the RSF? Am sure I saw a pic with a mix of caps and glengarrys…could have been from a different regt, and looked like officers…and Id bet different rules applied for them… And would any scots regt wear a bonnet as well or instead of (cos I found a pic on google images of what is apparently a ww1 RSF tam-o-shanter..Of course you dont have to believe everything you see on t'interweb). thanks tho, thats very helpful! |
| enfant perdus | 27 Aug 2011 3:04 p.m. PST |
No, no caps for RSF. Regimental QM's stores would have two types of headdress; fur cap for full dress and the Glen for all others. It was possible for an officer to privately purchase a cap, but the RSF cap badge is enormous and quite impossible to wear on anything but a Glen or fur cap. The T-o-S came later in the war, with the Balmoral appearing in some Regiments in the interim. The 6th (TF) HLI had worn Balmorals at the start of the war, and the Scottish Horse ( a Yeomanry Regiment) wore Atholl bonnets. The Royal Scots and KOSB wore Kilmarnocks, but only in full dress. |
| Mike Target | 27 Aug 2011 4:11 p.m. PST |
Thats the pic I was referring to, I see what you mean abut the cap badge..It looks like the two cap wearers are either of a different regiment then, or have just omitted the cap badge on their caps, as I cant make one out. |
| enfant perdus | 27 Aug 2011 4:18 p.m. PST |
The man to the right is definitely a different regiment as his cap and collar badges (barely visible) are not RSF. The one to the left lacks any badges as far as I can see (which is slightly odd), but his tunic does not have the distinctive gauntlet cuffs of Scottish Regiments, making it highly unlikely he is RSF. |
| Cardinal Hawkwood | 27 Aug 2011 4:53 p.m. PST |
they were probably just visiting Winston |
| Mike Target | 27 Aug 2011 5:00 p.m. PST |
Probably, but Im quite keen on the theory that they are there completely by accident (saw the chairs and fancied a sit down) and are wondering who all the scottish chaps are… Funny things, uniforms…no two are alike… Thanks for clearing that up though! |
| XV Brigada | 27 Aug 2011 7:31 p.m. PST |
The man in the back row far right has a side cap with a tassel. |
| enfant perdus | 27 Aug 2011 8:30 p.m. PST |
That's not a tassel. He's wearing a field service cap and the front is somewhat pinched together, giving the illusion of a tassel. Judging from the shape of his collar badge, I'd say he's from either the Royal Fusiliers or the Royal Munster Fusiliers |
| Chouan | 08 Sep 2011 4:50 a.m. PST |
I think it is a tassel, and he's French or Italian. |
| DHautpol | 27 Jul 2020 2:58 p.m. PST |
I've been researching out this very issue for the last few hours, scrutinising photos thrown up by Google. This thread may be 9 years old but has still helped me out. I'm doing the BEF for GWSH and this thread has finally established that I need only one kilted Scottish battalion (Gordon Highlanders), the other three (Royal Scots, Royal Scots Fusiliers and KOSB) are in breeches/puttees with Glengarry caps. |
