Help identifying a Regiment please

[MacRob]

My old eyes are struggling with the picture and if the kilts have no tartan pattern, then I wonder whether the London Scottish might be a thought?

There is a sett in the tartan so it is not hodden grey. I tried to scope out the badge but there is no detail, of course. So, got out John Gaylor's book on badge collecting and leafed through some of the Scottish regimental badges. It may be Liverpool Scottish, if that is the badge on the cantle of the sporran. It was the only one which seemed like it would resemble what is in the photo, with limited detail. But they did wear diced bonnets and these chaps do not.

[figheadair]

I've enhanced the image as best I can. The kilts are deinitely tartan which looks to have the Government 2/4 arrangement, I don't see any evidence of lighter stripes so that would rule out Gordons, Seaforths, Liverpool Scottish (wore Forbes) and the like. So, more likely undifference Government tartan. The other elements may help identify the regiment.

[figheadair]

Found it - 5th (Deeside) Volunteer Battalion Gordon Highlanders which was renumbered as the 7th Bn under the Haldane Reforms of 1908.

I'm still not sure what tartan they are wearing. One would automatically assume it woud be Gordon but in this picture of an officer from the 3rd (The Buchan) Bn he is wearing a plaid of Gordon but his trews are Government/Black Watch tartan.

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[OC Richard]

Here's the photo cropped in order to make it larger, and the values enhanced a bit.

It's very interesting, the round badges (like clan crest badges, note the thing sticking out on the bottom) on sporran and Glengarries.

Note that the trim and the buttons on the doublets are dark, and the waistbelt buckles are subdued. My guess would be that these doublets are made in the style of Rifles regiments, in Rifles green. Or perhaps the doublets are drab like those of The Liverpool Scottish. Also note that there is no dicing on the Glengarries, another Rifles style thing.



I found this photo online of a "Scottish Rifles" doublet. To me it appears to be similar to the ones above, though this is an officer's doublet with more trim:



This picture is inscribed "H Coy 7th G. H. leaving for war 6/8/14". Note that the uniform appears to be like The Gordon Highlanders in most/all visible respects: standard Gordon sporrans, Gordon diced Glengarries, Gordon (or Gordon-like) cap badges

[MacRob]

The badges on the sporrans are much clearer with the enhancements to the photo and I can see the device now, that of the Gordon Highlanders. Excellent work to get the question answered.

[48HofC]

The badges on the sporrans are much clearer with the enhancements to the photo and I can see the device now, that of the Gordon Highlanders. Excellent work to get the question answered.

I agree with you they are Gordon's. I actually have both versions of that badge, one is a relief cut out stags head, and the other is solid. It is pre ww1 when there was more independence for volunteer battalions from the parent regiments. The rifle regiments similarities could come from the fact they were raised as a independent rifle company before falling under the Gordon's.

[OC Richard]

I actually have both versions of that badge, one is a relief cut out stags head, and the other is solid. It is pre ww1 when there was more independence for volunteer battalions from the parent regiments. The rifle regiments similarities could come from the fact they were raised as a independent rifle company before falling under the Gordon's.

Cool that you have both badges.

I found the solid one just now on Ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Scottish-6th...8AAOxyRNJSfXVE

It's listed as the badge of the 6th Volunteer Battalion Gordon Highlanders 1887-1891. Evidently the cap badge was changed to the ordinary Gordon Highlanders badge in 1891.

Here's a great site which lists the large number of "Rifle Volunteers" units raised in the second half of the 19th century

http://www.scottishmilitaryresearch....fle-volunteers

Here's the page on the 6th and 7th Volunteer Battalions Gordon Highlanders

http://www.scottishmilitaryarticles....tish_RV_9e.htm

They don't show Highland Dress but obviously they had at least one Company so dressed.

Note that the jackets are grey. I found a document about the Rifle Volunteers which says that the 6th VB Gordon Highlanders wore grey jackets with black facings until 1891 when they changed to scarlet with yellow facings (as per the ordinary Gordon Highlanders uniform).

If those dates are correct it would allow us to bracket when the OP's photo was taken.

I found this photo of a piper of the 6th Vol Batt Gordon Highlanders. Unfortunately the photo has been crudely coloured; however it's clearly the same unit, with the same sporran and Glengarry. You can also see that he's wearing the ordinary Gordon Highlanders collar badges, and the usual Gordon Highlanders pipers' crossbelt badge.

I would bet that the piping and buttons on the doublet are subdued, not white and silver as it's been over-painted.