Army Pipers' Uniform RRS

[OC Richard]

Great post, and it goes to show what care and attention to detail the army has spent trying to maintain as many traditional distinctions as possible.

This process began in 1881 when all but the 79th suffered amalgamation.

With the Highland regiments, regiments which had lost their Highland Dress in 1809 were paired with regiments which had retained it, and in each case both battalions of the new amalgamated regiment were put into the full Highland uniform of the kilted regiment.

The 42nd (kilted) with the 73rd (de-kilted 1809) becoming the (kilted) Black Watch 1881.

The 78th (kilted) with the 72nd (de-kilted 1809) becoming the (kilted) Seaforth Highlanders 1881.

The 92nd (kilted) with the 75th (de-kilted 1809) becoming the (kilted) Gordon Highlanders in 1881.

The 93rd (kilted) with the 91st (de-kilted 1809) becoming the (kilted) Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders in 1881.

The exception being the pairing of two de-kilted Highland regiments, the 71st and 74th, which continued being un-kilted after 1881, indeed not regaining Highland Dress until the mid-20th century. One does wonder why one of those wasn't paired with the (kilted) 79th Highlanders.

These 1881 amalgamations are why the pipers of the 1st Battalion The Seaforth Highlanders wore a rear drone ribbon of Prince Charles Edward Stuart tartan- it was the tartan of the old 72nd Highlanders, which had been taken out of Highland Dress in 1809 only to have it partially restored in 1823 in the form of Prince Charles Edward Stuart tartan trousers.

In like manner when the Queens Own Highlanders were amalgamated with the Gordon Highlanders in 1994 the pipers of the new regiment (The Highlanders) wore Gordon bag-covers with their Cameron Of Erracht kilts and plaids. The pipers' kit included Seaforth MacKenzie tartan as well, in the pipes' drone-ribbons.

Piper of the 1st Battalion The Seaforth Highlanders (continuing the old 72nd Foot) pre-1960 showing the rear drone ribbon in Prince Charles Edward Stuart tartan



Pipe Major of the Queens Own Highlanders (1960-1994) showing kilt and plaid of Cameron Of Erracht tartan (continuing the old 79th Foot), bag-cover and front ribbon of MacKenzie Seaforth (continuing the old 78th Foot), and rear ribbon of Prince Charles Edward Stuart tartan (continuing the old 72nd Foot).



Piper of The Highlanders (post-1994) showing kilt and plaid of Cameron Of Erracht tartan, bag-cover, cords, and rear ribbon of Gordon tartan, and front ribbon of MacKenzie Seaforth tartan



You can see the rear Gordon tartan ribbons better here