MacDonald Pleats

[OC Richard]

I really like that MacDonald MOD kilt. The military always seem to know how to make things right.

So interesting to have alternating pleating like that. I don't think I've seen an MOD kilt like that before.

I'm wondering when and why the Nova Scotla Highlanders adopted the MacDonald tartan.

The Nova Scotia Highlanders (if I have my info right) was formed from the following regiments in 1954, none of which wore MacDonald:

The Pictou Highlanders (MacKenzie tartan) and North Nova Scotia Highlanders (Murray of Atholl tartan) became the 1st Battalion Nova Scotia Highlanders.

The Cape Breton Highlanders (Sutherland tartan) became the 2nd Battalion Nova Scotia Highlanders.

The Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry Highlanders wore the MacDonnell of Glengarry tartan. But excepting the current Nova Scotia Highlanders I cannot find reference to any military unit wearing MacDonald tartan anywhere on earth, at least up through the 1950s. So that MacDonald MOD kilt must be from the Nova Scotia Highlanders, I suppose.

[slohairt]

Well, technically, they would be DND kilts, not MOD.

[xman]

I'm wondering when and why the Nova Scotla Highlanders adopted the MacDonald tartan.

I don't wonder at all. MacDonalds are like flies down there. It would seem the natural choice.

[OC Richard]

I don't wonder at all. MacDonalds are like flies down there. It would seem the natural choice.

The reason I wonder is because the usual practice in the British army is when two or more regiments are amalgamated the tartans of the parent regiments are perpetuated.

Thus when the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders and the Seaforth Highlanders became the Queens Own Highlanders the rank and file wore Seaforth MacKenzie kilts and the pipe band wore the Erracht Cameron kilts.

But if that book is correct, MacDonald was not worn by any of the three units which were amalgamated to form the Nova Scotia Highlanders. Had this happened in Britain, the three tartans of the three parent units would have been perpetuated in some way.

Of course Canada isn't Britain so maybe there's no reason to expect similar procedures.

[xman]

That is a quandary I admit.