"Did any Highland units fight in kilts in WWII?" Topic

I understand some Highland units in the BEF wore kilts into battle in 1940 and some in the St Nazaire raid in 1942 and I found the Cape Town Highlander post at TMP link

I've got a box of HaT WWI Highlanders I am itching to convert (since I don't wargame in that period).

What say ye? I'm looking for specific units (not just pipers) that actually wore the kilt in combat.

These HAT figures are WW1.

Arnhem…one individual at least in the Airborne 1st.

Other odd cases, but no whole units in WWII. Not in combat.

Forged in Battle do an EW platoon in kilts .

Thanks for the input so far.

Yes, I know those HaT are WWI. As I stated, I hope to convert them to WWII.

link
This website states that the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders were evacuated from Dunkirk "still in kilted order and consequently the last battalion to wear the kilt in action" and link states "…Captain Donald Roy was leading his kilted Scotsmen…" which I understand were the Cameron Highlanders again.

The Forged in Battle figures look super! I'll be doing mine in 1/72 but that gives me ideas on painting.

The Cameron's were the only full regiment to ignore War Office orders not to ware the kilt in action. 2cd commando had a number of ex Cameronians who wore the kilt during raids including St Nazaine but it is difficult to find when and where as it was against War Office orders and not recorded.

x42

The more something has to be forbidden, the more likely it is to be common.

"The more something has to be forbidden, the more likely it is to be common"

In the Army? I really don't think so. Soldiers get put in prison or shot for that sort of thing in war time.

You have to have a certain grudging respect for a country whose national dress is a skirt worn without drawers, at the same time as the national flower is a yard-high thistle.

4th Cuirassier
The Cameronians in the early war wore women's bloomers under thier kilts. That along with longer hose was put forward as protection for legs and dagly parts in case of mustard attack, which was the reason that the order for no kilts was given.

x42

Martin, clearly a whole regiment 'did' flaunt the rules.
And as a avid reader of memoirs, it's almost as though the rules are there to be broken in numerous ingenious ways!

Oh a Scotsman clad in kilt left the bar one evening fair
and one could tell by how he walked he'd drunk more than his share
he fumbled 'round until he could no longer keep his feet
and he stumbled off into the grass to sleep beside the street

CHORUS
ring ding diddle dliddle add E O
ring ding diddily I Oh
(repeat last line of verse)

Well about that time two young and lovely lassies passed him by
and one looked to the other with a twinkle in her eye
"Do you see yon sleepin' Scotsman so strong and handsome built?
Well I wonder if it's true what they don't wear beneath their kilt"

They crept up to the sleepin' Scotsman quiet as could be
they lifted up his kilt about an inch so they could see
and there behold for them to view beneath the Scotsman's skirt
there was nothin' more than God had graced him with upon his birth

Well they marvelled for a moment and one said "we must be gone.
Let's leave a present for our friend before we move along"
As a gift they left a blue silk ribbon tied up in a bow
about the bonny part the Scotsman's kilt had lift and shown

Well the Scotsman woke to Nature's call and stumbled toward the trees
he lifted up his kilt and then he gawks at what he sees
and in the voice of wonderment at what's before his eyes
"Akk lad I don't know where you've been but I see you've won first prize"

It goes on, but might not make it past the censors…

So no South African, Canadian or Royal Scots at Hong Kong wore kilts in combat? South African and Canadian not technically being subject to the War Office and Hong Kong being a long way away from London…

@Beagle. No, no kilts worn in Hong Kong as the Royal Scots were not a kilted regiment. Their pipe band wore kilts but the rest of the regiment wore trews in full dress.

As stated above, 1st Battalion the Cameron Highlanders were the last regiment to wear the kilt in battle, famously conducting a bayonet charge during the counter attack at the Escaut Canal on 21st May 1940.

Point to note, the Camerons and the Cameronians were two completely different regiments.

The Cameron Highlanders were raised in 1793 as the 79th of Foot. They amalgamated with the Seaforth Highlanders in 1961 to form the Queen's Own Highlanders, who in turn were amalgamated with the Gordons in 1993 and are now 4th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland.

The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) were the 26th of Foot. They were raised in 1689 and rather than amalgamate, chose to be disbanded in 1968.

Good information …

Thanks to all, especially that last note of explanation from Windy Miller. I've an email in to the South African Army historical department to see if any of their units were kilted – the Wikipedia [ALWAYS an irrefutable source HA] note on the Pretoria Highlanders states they were outfitted in "Highland uniform" whatever that might be although all the pictures I have come across of the SA Army (in East Africa, Madagascar, North Africa and Italy) has them in pants (alas). I'll keep ya'll posted on any reply from Pretoria…

Highland uniform means they would have worn kilts in Parade Dress. For the Pretoria Highlanders this would have been in Hunting Stewart tartan. On campaign the only difference would be headress as they wore the Balmoral Bonnet instead of the field service cap or beret. I still haven't worked out how to post pictures on here but have a look at the link below about the First City/Cape Town Highlanders in Italy. Different regiment but the dress regs would be the same. Note the picture of the troops on parade – Pipes and Drums in kilts but everyone else in battledress.

link

I bought these a few years back: link

I've never heard of those figures before, LostPict.

How are they in person? Can they still be bought?