Sporran identification

[Jags]

This is really interesting, thank you. I myself was lucky enough to find a retired QOHldrs officer who said this about it:

“There was, inevitably, some resistance from both old Seaforths, & Camerons, to the amalgamation. Your sporran may have been made by a die-hard Cameron; or just someone who only had the Cameron badge: the hair & tassels of the sporran are pure QOHlders officers.”

I have asked one retired officer, serving in Queen Own Highlanders, The Highlanders and finally in Royal Regiment of Scotland.
His reply was very interesting...

Quote: "... Just before the amalgamation of the Queen's Own Highlanders and Gordons the Sergeants' Mess got authority to wear a different sporran. The component parts were churned out and I suspect this is a product of overproduction..."

[48HofC]

My thoughts exactly. The closest I’ve seen is the sporran of an Officer in the QOH. As previously posted, Seaforth pattern with new post amalgamation badge. My sporran has never been tinkered with, the Cameron badge is original to the cantle. As I understood it, after amalgamation, the regiment wore MacKenzie tartan for all but very senior ranks. My kilt is Cameron which wouldn’t have been worn by QOH ORs.

Attachment 32985Attachment 32986

The pipes and drums of the QOHldrs (QOH denotes the Queens Own Hussars btw) are the only members of the regiment who wore the Cameron tartan kilt as did the Highlanders and now 4SCOTS. All ranks of the QOHldrs wore Cameron trews though. Your kilt could just be from the P&D’s. Through all the posts, I can’t figure out which sporran is the one you are trying to id.

[Jags]

Thank you. Didn’t realise I had been referring to the Queen’s Own Hussars It did occur to me that the kilt might have been P&Ds but they were found together and the sporran doesn’t appear to be P&Ds so this added to my confusion...

The pipes and drums of the QOHldrs (QOH denotes the Queens Own Hussars btw) are the only members of the regiment who wore the Cameron tartan kilt as did the Highlanders and now 4SCOTS. All ranks of the QOHldrs wore Cameron trews though. Your kilt could just be from the P&D’s. Through all the posts, I can’t figure out which sporran is the one you are trying to id.

[48HofC]

Thank you. Didn’t realise I had been referring to the Queen’s Own Hussars It did occur to me that the kilt might have been P&Ds but they were found together and the sporran doesn’t appear to be P&Ds so this added to my confusion...

Do you have a picture of the sporran I can see?

[Jags]

..........

[48HofC]

Here it is.

I can tell you for sure as it sits, it is not from The Highlanders. The officers wore the Gordons sporran which is opposite colours as yours. The nco’s/snco’s adopted the QOHLDRS sporran which has was a silver, not brass and was embellished with the stags head, not the Camerons St Andrew. The QOHLDRS and earlier the Camerons didn’t wear that style either. The badge on it seems to be a cap badge rather than sporran badge as well. I wonder if others have said that this is a bastardized model. QOHLDRS hair, Gordons cantle, and Camerons cap badge. The best way to get a definitive answer is to contact The Highlanders museum at Fort George.They have a website and Facebook page and are a good bunch to talk to and are generally happy to help.

Are there any markings on the back, generally issued sporrans have the soldiers #on them.

[Jags]

Yes it does look like an odd mash-up.

The retired officer I corresponded with said this:

“Your sporran appears to have been an officer's one. (The tops of the tassels are brass-coloured, & again engraved with thistles. The ORs' ones were simple white metal.”

When I asked about the white tassels on black, he went onto say:

“Yes; the QOHldrs sporran was unique that way: the other Highland regiments had sporrans with white horsehair & black tassels.”

Have to say though, the back looks unlike my other military sporrans.

I can tell you for sure as it sits, it is not from The Highlanders. The officers wore the Gordons sporran which is opposite colours as yours. The nco’s/snco’s adopted the QOHLDRS sporran which has was a silver, not brass and was embellished with the stags head, not the Camerons St Andrew. The QOHLDRS and earlier the Camerons didn’t wear that style either. The badge on it seems to be a cap badge rather than sporran badge as well. I wonder if others have said that this is a bastardized model. QOHLDRS hair, Gordons cantle, and Camerons cap badge. The best way to get a definitive answer is to contact The Highlanders museum at Fort George.They have a website and Facebook page and are a good bunch to talk to and are generally happy to help.

Are there any markings on the back, generally issued sporrans have the soldiers #on them.

[48HofC]

Yes it does look like an odd mash-up.

The retired officer I corresponded with said this:

“Your sporran appears to have been an officer's one. (The tops of the tassels are brass-coloured, & again engraved with thistles. The ORs' ones were simple white metal.”

When I asked about the white tassels on black, he went onto say:

“Yes; the QOHldrs sporran was unique that way: the other Highland regiments had sporrans with white horsehair & black tassels.”

Have to say though, the back looks unlike my other military sporrans.

Going by the back, it is a more modern sporran, not a old Cameron one. The older ones generally had a pocket as well. Overall, it is a nice piece of kit though.

[Jags]

I think it’s nice but the more I’m convinced it’s merely a mash-up rather than a customisation by a die hard Cameron, the less I feel it fits in my collection. I think I’ll consider ebay for this one and move on...

Cheers to all for all your comments and suggestions.

Going by the back, it is a more modern sporran, not a old Cameron one. The older ones generally had a pocket as well. Overall, it is a nice piece of kit though.

[Jags]

Had a gander at the back of the cantle. No evidence of another badge ever being there. This looks like the first and only badge ever to have been attached.