Rome Italy 1944

[sailortats]

This is a pic that was on my Facebook page earlier today. It looks as though the soldiers/pipers are actually inside the coliseum.
Any ideas as to the tartans?

[plaid preacher]

I'm going to take a shot on this one: I'd say Black Watch on the left and Gordon on the right. But I usually get these things wrong!

[Dughlas mor]

That`s a great photo. The gent on the left look like he is pretty well used to having his kilt checked out. Plaid Preacher, I think you nailed the tartans.

[figheadair]

I agree about the Gordon but the tartan of the left hand kilt doesn't look like 42nd to me. The each of the paler squares (red?) appears to have a single tramline centred on it as opposed to the 2/4 arrangement of the 42nd. I'd bet that it's Red and Green Erskine, and so the chap on the left was most likely Royal Scots Fusiliers.

[OC Richard]

I'd bet that it's Red and Green Erskine, and so the chap on the left was most likely Royal Scots Fusiliers.

Yes that's what I assume too, RSF for sure, on the left.

Also telling are the rosettes their pipers wear.

Note the belled flashes of the Gordons piper, on the right.

Also note the difference in puttee colour. You'll see that in photos of WWII pipers, each regiment having different hose and puttees, and sometimes the Pipe Major's being different from the other pipers.

For example The Black Watch had dark khaki puttees but the binding tape was very light-coloured.

I can't offhand recall seeing entire puttees of light khaki, as with the RSF piper, in WWII. I'll have to do more looking.

[OC Richard]

(doubled post)