Black Watch spats/gaiters

[macwilkin]

I had heard that it was not such an honorable award. I had heard that it was a reminder that their square had been broken by the "Fuzzie Wuzzies" at Tel El Kibir. I was wondering what the true story was.

What is your source for that? As noted before, my source was the programme from the 2006 North American tour; one would assume that the regimental museum was consulted for the articles in the programme.

Perhaps you're thinking of the story told in Farwell's Mr. Kipling's Army about how members of other regiments would attempt to provoke the Jocks by calling for a pint of "broken square", in reference to the Fuzzy Wuzzies breaking the square of the Black Watch at Tamai (not Tel-el-Kebir) in 1884. (p. 39) Farwell quotes Robert Graves' Good-bye to all that as the source of this story; Graves served with the Royal Welch Fusiliers during WWI, and there was evidently no love lost between the RHR and RWF.

Of course, you could always e-mail the regimental museum, or ask our own Nervous Jock.

Regards,

Todd

[Nervous Jock]

I was wondering if this one would come up. It is of course, false.

You can see squared spats in pictures from the Crimea, predating this event by some time.

In addition the part of said square which was broken was not held by the 42nd.

[macwilkin]

I was wondering if this one would come up. It is of course, false.

You can see squared spats in pictures from the Crimea, predating this event by some time.

In addition the part of said square which was broken was not held by the 42nd.

You took your time weighing in on this one.

T.