which bonnet

[Peter Crowe]

Yes indeed, so when Highland soldiers went to sunny climes (beginning around 1800) they had to adapt, first by putting visors on their Feather Bonnets, then by adopting Pith Helmets, and later Bush Hats.

What I find amazing is that in the present day, when we have so much information about skin cancer, that current Highland soldiers are serving in very hot sunny climes wearing only their bonnets. Their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, if they were Highland soldiers from the 19th century up through the 1930s, would have worn pith helmets in these sunny places.

These days they often wear MTP (Multi Terrain Pattern) bush hats with wide brims in theatre when not wearing their Kevlar helmets. They maybe wear the TOS on parade but footage I've seen of the Jocks in Helmand had them either in the bush hats or helmets when a potential existed for a contact with the Taliban.