Australian Army to ditch the Kilt...!

[The Thing]

Whilst looking at the Australian Army website I came accross a review concerning the possible abandoment of certain items of clothing from Military stores and sadly amongst these seem to be Scottish Dress 1, 2, 3 and 4, all the dresses relating to general dress order of Australian Highland Units.
However the review does say that these items will be available for purchase at members own expense. The review does not mention SD 5 or SD6 Pipers and Drummers dress.

Below is the part concerning Scottish dress of the review, the rest can be viewed on the Australian Army website http://www.army.gov.au/docs/091110-s...ing_review.pdf

Other changes to be made
2E General Duty Dress (polyesters):
- Initial Free Issue (IFI) entitlement reduced to one set per person for both ARA and ARES entrants
- The following variations to this BOI are permitted:
- Full-Time Officer Cadets at RMC and ADFA to receive three sets
- Reserve Officer Cadets to receive two sets
- On posting to specified appointments, such as the Federation Guard and the Royal Military College, a total of three sets IFI for Other Ranks. This will mean no change in the short-term, but will result in the issue of an additional two sets to those members who only received one set at ARTC under the new arrangements.
4A Barracks Dress DPCU is authorised as dress of the day, and is retitled “General Duty Dress (DPCU)”. This order of dress is mandated across Army as dress of the day, and is authorised as the dress of the day for Army personnel serving in Non-Army Groups, at the discretion of respective Army Admin CO.
Combat Jacket is replaced by ‘Jacket Fleece or Jacket Interim Cold Weather’.
Replace the T-Shirt DPCU wherever mentioned with the T-Shirt Brown
SD1 Scottish Ceremonial Dress, SD2 Scottish General Duties Dress, SD3 Mess Dress Scottish and SD4 Mess Dress White Jacket Scottish are approved for purchase at
member’s expense only. Commonwealth funds are not to be spent to buy Scottish dress uniforms, accessories or embellishments.


Does this mean the slow death of Australia's Highland troops.....!

[Chas]

It is obviously a money saving move but borders on penny-pinching. One style of button, one shape of 'rising sun' badge, how much are they going to save? Not a lot, I would have thought.

The only good thing is that there will be some kilts, new and used, coming on the market within the next year. I have seen the tartan - truly beautiful!

Regards

Chas

[English Bloke]

... I have seen the tartan - truly beautiful! ...

I agree, it is...

[Lachlan09]

I agree, it is...

Not my cup of porridge, but that's because I've been indoctrinated with the mainly green/blue regimental tartans we all know and love. Even the 72nd's tartan (Prince Charles Edward Stuart) was a bit garish for me.

[macwilkin]

Not my cup of porridge, but that's because I've been indoctrinated with the mainly green/blue regimental tartans we all know and love.

The Australia tartan shown above was not originally a military tartan, but a district tartan later adopted by the pipes & drums of the 5th/7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. Before that they wore the tartan of their affiliated regiment, the Gordons -- "surely the finest regiment in the world", to quote Churchill.

T.

[Lachlan09]

the Gordons -- "surely the finest regiment in the world", to quote Churchill.

T.

Obviously Churchill hadn't met the Argylls, probably because they were away fighting at the time !

[Spectre]

I agree, it is...

Must......have.......this tartan! That is absolutely fantasic!

[OC Richard]

I have seen the tartan - truly beautiful!

Did all the Australian kilted units switch to a single tartan at some point?

Barnes, writing in the 1950's, gives:

5th Batt (Victorian Scottish Regiment) : Gordon
16th Batt (Cameron Highlanders of Western Australia) : Cameron of Erracht
27th Batt (South Australian Scottish Regiment) : MacKenzie
30th Batt (New South Wales Scottish Regiment) : 42nd (Black Watch)
41st Batt (Byron Regiment) : Sutherland

So, each tartan of a Scottish Highland regiment was represented in Australia.

Are all of these Battalions still in existence?

[macwilkin]

Did all the Australian kilted units switch to a single tartan at some point?

Barnes, writing in the 1950's, gives:

5th Batt (Victorian Scottish Regiment) : Gordon
16th Batt (Cameron Highlanders of Western Australia) : Cameron of Erracht
27th Batt (South Australian Scottish Regiment) : MacKenzie
30th Batt (New South Wales Scottish Regiment) : 42nd (Black Watch)
41st Batt (Byron Regiment) : Sutherland

So, each tartan of a Scottish Highland regiment was represented in Australia.

Are all of these Battalions still in existence?

Here's what the Digger History web site (an excellent site that should be on your list of bookmarks) has to say about the Victorian scottish Regiment:

B Company of 5/6RVR continues the tradition of the Victorian Scottish Regiment and has in the past been kilted. However, lack of government support and declining community interest has led to limited elements of the Unit appearing in kilts, again leaving the Pipes and Drums to carry on the traditions of the Victorian Scottish Regiment. With the formation of the RVR, all previous badges were replaced by the RVR hat badge.

-- http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-...ottish-5th.htm

This seems to be a trend of a single company in one of the state regiments serving as a Scottish company; for example, Alpha Company of the 2nd Battalion, New South Wales Regiment carries on the traditions of the (now disbanded) New South Wales Scottish Regiment (which was affiliated with the RHR).

It's always been my understanding that only the pipes and drums of the Royal Australian Regiment (RAR) wore the Australian tartan; in the photo gallery of the NSW Scottish Association's web site, you will find a number of pictures from present day of Australian squaddies wearing the Government Sett, just as the 5/6 Btn of the RVR wear Gordon, etc.

T.

[The Thing]

As far as I know there's just a company sized unit of the Victorian Scottish Regiment left it's sad that it's just down to a unit that size when the Highland units played a big part of Australian military history. On that not Australian Police Pipe Bands seem to be going well, at least keeping the Scot/ Irish Piping scene alive and in touch with the Public.