Master and Commander

[beloitpiper]

So I was watching Master and Commander again (one of my favorite movies!) and I noticed something--actually two things. First: uilleann pipes! I never noticed before, but one of the sailors plays Uilleann pipes! He plays "O'Sullivan's March" the first time you them:

I circled it. Bottom right corner. That is a Uilleann pipe chanter.

The second time you see it is at the end during a funeral. He's not playing it, but it's sitting on his lap:


So, my second realization: some of the sailors may be wearing Glengarries. For all of the historians on the forums, what do you think? Are these two sailors wearing Glengarry bonnets? I wasn't sure...


Unfortunately, they did not show the back, so I couldn't tell if they had ribbons. Did English sailors wear hats that looked like Glengarries?

And finally, not a realization, but a screen shot I wanted to share because it's so beautiful:

[Mr. MacDougall]

Pressed men didn't generally have a uniform in the way we think of them today, so AB seamen may well have worn a glengerry, depending on where they were pressed.

[MacWage]

Nice catches and nice end shot. I will be modifying that into a screen image.

[davidlpope]

I'm pretty sure that Highland Regiments at this time were wearing the Kilmarnock Bonnet, which evolved into the modern Glengarry. I seem to think that the Glengarry, as we know it, only dates to around Queen Victoria's reign. I'm sure that there's someone out there more knowledgeable about these things that can provide a better researched answer, though...

Cordially,
David

[fluter]

I'm almost certain to say this after any movie is mentioned, but...

If you have not checked out the books, do so! Patrick O'Brien, the first is Master and Commander. Far Side of the World comes later...

[Shane]

Those are Royal Marines in fatigue uniform. Sailors had no uniform during that period.


Shane

[beloitpiper]

Those are Royal Marines in fatigue uniform. Sailors had no uniform during that period.

I'm not sure about that, because there were marines in the film, and they wore red coats with a special hat and hackle. The hats in that one screen shot, I only saw once in the film.

[macwilkin]

As David mentioned, the glengarry came from the old Kilmarnock bonnet (which the Gurkhas still wear a variation of, similar to the pillbox cap) -- at one time, the glengarry was the fatigue cap for a majority of British regiments, not just Scottish ones -- around the 1870's -- rent "Zulu Dawn" and you'll see that the old 24th Foot and others wore them.

I would venture to guess that these are some sort of fatigue cap. And aren't these lads midshipmen? They did have a uniform, if memory serves me correctly.

The US Marine reenactor at the bottom of the page is wearing a fatigue cap:

http://www.shipscompany.org/c1800marineuniform.htm

Osprey's "Nelson's Navy", part of their elite series, should have the answer. There are also several naval reenactors from the age of Nelson on the web who might know.

Up Spirits and Splice the Mainbrace!

Todd

[Shane]

The Marines had two uniforms at the time. A dress Scarlet uniform, and a white fatigue uniform. These Marines are working the windlass which means that they would be wearing their fatigue uniform. At this time in history they wore their fatigues day to day and their dress uniform in battle and when on duty, rather the opposite of today's practice.


Shane

[Shane]

Midshipmen had a uniform at the time, but it was blue. Their dress and undress uniform were the same. Blue jacket, gold buttons, white collar tabs, you can see these uniforms quite a lot in the movie Master and Commander. They wore a Bicorn hat, but often replaced it with a Top Hat when not on duty (not official uniform, mind). They did not where anyting resembling Glengarries, whereas the Marines did.



Shane