Military Origin of ‘True Scotsman’ Tradition

[neloon]

During the '14-'18 war, kilted troops were issued with ladies' silk drawers, or bloomers, which were intended to act as some kind of protection against gas attacks. Personal reports by individuals are just what you might expect.
It must be remembered that our idea of underwear is essentially a 20th century concept, and history and traditions become confused. Highlanders of the 18th century are well-documented as sporting no underwear - but the same is true for all men at the time, kilted or otherwise.

The ant-gas bloomers were a War Office invention in the late 1930s but , unsurprisingly(!), they were never issued. In any case the kilt on active service disappeared early in WW2.

"Highlanders of the 18th century are well-documented as sporting no underwear " Well documented where? It must be remembered that the kilt is really an OVERgarment therefore the word "underwear" really does not go with kilt wearing. Highlanders, unless they were very poor, continued to wear the short trews that they had worn before the arrival of the feileadh around 1580.

Alan