king's own scottish borderers ww1

[TenorClef]

Genuinely curious, did this regiment wear kilts? It's a lowland regiment, it transpires yet another one of my ancestors was briefly a member involved with a Scottish regiment, the other I already discovered was with the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders AND i finally received a photo of my great grandfather wearing his kilt 1915 so was rather surprised to discovered a great great grandfather serving with the King's own Scottish Borderers during ww1. No photos have surfaced yet...

[Steve Ashton]

Tartan for Trews is Leslie with Stewart Royal for pipers. I can't find any information that troops wore kilts. The King's Own Scottish Borderers Regimental Museum is located in Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed. Perhaps they can help.

[OC Richard]

The postcard above shows a soldier in Full Dress, which was withdrawn in 1914.

Here's what the KOSB looked like in the 1914-1918 period:



Yes as a Lowland regiment their Full Dress uniform (withdrawn in 1914) was scarlet doublet and tartan trews. Their Service Dress, worn from 1914, was as above, though some photos show the Scottish-cut tunics.

Here's the 4th battalion in 1914



Pipes & Drums of the 8th battalion, showing kilted pipers, drummers in ordinary trousers as per the remainder of the soldiers of the battalion



Thing is, the KOSB had numerous battalions in WWI including Territorial battalions, which sometimes had uniforms quite different from the 1st battalion. It's not inconceivable that the KOSB had a kilted Territorial battalion, it could be looked up.

Here's a list of the KOSB battalions in WWI, showing fourteen:

http://www.1914-1918.net/kosb.htm

Yes the pipers would be kilted of course, in all battalions.

[TenorClef]

Ah that's very informative many thanks for the info guys......so basically the only part of the Scottish regalia these ww1 troops would have worn was the hat and badge. Makes sense as it was a border Regiment that obviously included non Scots from just across the border.

[48HofC]

The KOSB have never worn kilts except for the pipers. As a whole, the regiment didn't adopt tartan until 1882 when they started wearing government tartan (Balck Watch) trews. It was only in 1904 that the Leslie tartan trews were formally issued to all ranks of the regiment with only the pipers wearing Royal Stewart kilts.

[OC Richard]

Yes the gradual Highlandisation that crept through the Scottish regiments, culminating with all Scottish soldiers, Highland and Lowland alike, being put into full Highland Dress, with the creation of The Royal Regiment Of Scotland.

[TenorClef]

Thought it might be nice to allude to his time with the Scots regiment by adding this period cap badge to his medals-



here is a photo of my other grandad (great)

[TenorClef]

Curiously there doesn't appear to be any medals for John Thomas as he was invalided out and he is listed as receiving a SWB (Silver War Badge) for wounds I believe?