Uniform specifications

[Glen48]

Hi All,

Im trying to complete my father's old uniform. SD&G Highlanders trews and blues. I need to procure a glengarry but dont exactly know the colour schemes. I found the following website that says it should be Navy with red toorie and black, red and white dicing.

http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/unif...lengarries.htm

Anyone know a more reliable source so I buy the correct one? Uniform dates from the 70s. Can put a pic up if interested.

Thanks
G

[OC Richard]

Unfortunately I'm on the road right now and don't have it to hand, but Barnes has a detailed list of the uniform of every British and Dominion Scottish regiment, and I'm pretty sure he lists dicing.

Many people may not be aware of it, but the civilian Glengarries and Balmorals Robert Mackie has long made have red/white/black dicing. This colour-scheme, as far as I know, isn't used for military headgear. The Seaforth and Gordon Highlanders had red/white/green dicing (on all their headgear, Glengarries, feather bonnets, etc) while Royal regiments had red/white/blue.

It's one of those little things Re-enactors often get wrong, because they get civilian-market bonnets and wear them with military uniforms.

But Territorial, Volunteer, and Dominions regiments have all sorts of unusual things, so who can say.

But yes AFAIK all military bonnets will be an extremely dark blue, with red tourie (with exceptions like the Cameronians, London Scottish, and so forth).

[Glen48]

Thanks for your response Richard. Would love to know the book youre referring to. ISBN or book title etc. Sounds like a really interesting piece of reference material.

Many thanks
G

[plaid preacher]

The Commanding Officer of the SD&G Highlanders is a member here ...retitle your enquiry and he may be able to help.

[OC Richard]

Yes that would be The Word!

Sorry "Barnes" is

The Uniforms & History of The Scottish Regiments
by Major R. Money Barnes
LONDON Seeley Service & Co. Limited
(no date but from internal evidence around 1953)

Unfortunately he just gives "Glengarry, blue with diced border".

I did find this page, which gives red/white/black as you said.

But it's doubly strange in that it gives red/white/black for all the dicings which one would, in Britain, expect to be red/white/green or red/white/blue, and beyond that giving piper's Glengarries as being plain black, while in Britain these are always blue (admittedly an extremely dark blue).

This makes me think that either 1) the maker of this page is in error or 2) the Canadian military has been acquiring Glengarries which were intended, at least in Britain, for the civilian market.

http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/unif...lengarries.htm

I found a number of photos online of members of the SD&GH wearing their Glengarries and for sure the colour in question appears black. But it's very common in photos for dark blue and green doublets, and dark blue Glengarries, to appear black, and to be mistakenly listed as being black, by people who haven't examined the actual things in good light.

[ThistleDown]

The Uniforms & History of The Scottish Regiments was printed by The Bowering Press, Plymouth, in 1956 for Seeley Service Limited, London.