Help needed. Plaid No 1

[ddaydodger]

My regiment received many of these from the Allied Regiment (now sadly gone) in Scotland. We cannot figure out what they are, or how they are used/worn. Lots of debate but no firm ideas. Can anyone help?

[Steve Ashton]

The green blanket binding is tied around the waist. The corner with the rosette is brought up to the left shoulder and pinned.

This is what is called here on X Marks "A false plaid".

Here is another version.




It is worn to look kind of like this.

[ddaydodger]

Still a little confused, it seems a little short for that. It's exactly 3 ft long and 5 in across the top. I'm not sure how it would be worn in highland uniform.

[OC Richard]

Yes the green strap goes around the waist and that loop that emerges from the rosette goes around the button of the left-shoulder epaulette.

It doesn't go through the epaulette, but hangs down the soldier's back.

Here you can see:







This is unusual, the way this soldier has evidently shoved his epaulette through the button-loop. It's not supposed to be like that.



This sort of plaid was worn after around 1800 (the year, not the hour) by Other Ranks in the kilted regiments.

The Other Ranks plaid above is a different garment than the one that Officers wore, which had long rolled fringe all around, and had a triangle of fringed tartan that went through the epaulette and hung down in front.

Here's the belted plaid as worn by Officers

[ddaydodger]

Thanks all!! Most helpful! Our officers still wear the long plaid.

The ones we have are obviously much newer. Do you have any recent pictures of soldiers wearing them?

[ddaydodger]

Found this, I need to work on my search skills.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...54/index3.html

[OC Richard]

any recent pictures of soldiers wearing them?

The thing is, the British army abolished Full Dress in 1914. From then until 1953 Other Ranks only had Service Dress and Battle Dress, with which the plaid was not worn.

In 1953 a new "Number 1 Dress" was introduced. It featured a green coatee (rather than the scarlet doublet of the old pre-1914 Full Dress) and did not include the Feather Bonnet or Plaid.

After 1914 you did see bandsmen in the old Full Dress sometimes. In the kilted Highland regiments this included the Feather Bonnet and the Plaid like you have there. Since Pipers have their own distinctive uniform with their own sort of plaid (the long plaid, wrapped around the body) this means that that plaid like you have there would only be worn by the drummers, hence the misnomer "drummers' plaid".

It wasn't ever just for drummers, but for all Enlisted Men in Full Dress (except for certain senior Sergeants who wore the long plaid, the so-called "pipers' plaid" which is likewise a misnomer).

For these reasons to see this plaid being worn in recent times you'll need to look at photos of the drummers of the Highland regiments' pipe bands.

[ddaydodger]

I understand the history of British Army uniforms, but this is recent uniform item. Although incorrect, searching drummer's plaid was far more successful on Google than anything else.

[OC Richard]

That's a great photo showing the plaid very clearly! Thanks for posting that.

BTW I wonder what band that is. Their dress mostly follows that of the 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders but there are many oddities such as not all the pipers wearing ribbons, one piper's drones being too closely spaced, the hose and flashes not being worn with military precision, kilt pleats not being pressed, and so forth.

[ddaydodger]

I think it is the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada. The band is made up of volunteers and serving members. As volunteers they are not subject to the same code of discipline as the serving members. Don't get me wrong, they are not slobs by any means and look good for a voulnteer band. Uniforms are supplied at unit expense (mostly) so units get what they can afford, and sometimes have to go short depending on the budget. As you know highland equipment isn't cheap.
http://seaforthhighlanders.ca/organi...ipes-and-drum/