PM Stuart Samson Gordon Highlanders

[OC Richard]

Captain Stuart Samson MBE was the last Pipe Major of the Gordon Highlanders, being the Pipe Major at their amalgamation with The Queens Own Highlanders. He later became the director of the Army School Of Piping and Highland Drumming.

You can spot him over the years as a piper due to his height, usually towering above the rest of the band.

Here you can hear an nice solo from him

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS1o2LjhPBw

Here's a lovely photo of him as Pipe Major of the Gordon Highlanders



When I came across the following photo of him today I was puzzled.



He's wearing an interesting amalgamation of Gordon Highlanders Pipe Major's kit, Gordon Highlanders pipers' kit, and civilian kit.

He's still playing his distinctive pipes (vintage Glen, as I recall) which are dressed in gold and black civilian cover and cords, and he's wearing a civilian plaid brooch.

He's wearing a piper's (non-Pipe Major) tunic with his officer's gold and black twisted epaulettes. His tunic lacks the piper's trade badge and also the Pipe Major stripes. His crossbelt is the Gordon Highlanders piper's (non-Pipe Major) pattern.

He's also wearing the Gordon Highlanders officer's pattern dirk.

The background people are interesting too, because you can see a Drum Major of The Gordon Highlanders with a drummer and piper of The Highlanders wearing their RRS cap badges. In other words there's a mix of pre-amalgamation and post-amalgamation soldiers.