Looking for a MOD Tam!

[figheadair]

A nice one if you can wear a 7 3/8"

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ROYAL-ARMY-M...item35b5b3148f

A couple of points:

The first is that there is a difference in style and quality between a soldier's (OR's) TOS and an officer's. The former are issued: the latter purchased. Officers wear a cloth badge and ORs a metal one.

There is no such thing as a Medical Corps TOS. The one shown belongs to 205 (Scottish) Field Hospital (V), a TA or Reserve Unit. This unit used to wear a Balmoral with purple and white dice until about five years ago when the then CO got the head-dress changed to the TOS. He'd previous served in 225 (Highland) Field Ambulance (V), a Regiment I later commanded, which had worn the TOS since the mid-1970s. During my time in command we re-rolled to 225 (Scottish) Medical Regiment (V).

Each TA Unit in Scotland wears a tartan backing to their capbadge; the exception was the Black watch before amalgamation. The tartan worn and the rationale for the choice depends on the regiment, for example: my regiment wore Red Robertson in honour of the CO in 1939 who was on a recce when the regiment was overrun as part of the 51st Highland Division in France. He voluntarily went into captivity to act as a Medical Officer to the prisoners and died in a POW Camp in 1944.

[highland mafia]

The Blackwatch museum in Perth has MOD issue.. Amazing museum as well! I spent hours there..

http://theblackwatch.co.uk/shop/unif...c-121_122.html

[mookien]

David: My brother and I each recently ordered a WPG tam. We like them very much and they look just like they are pictured with two exceptions. They have a wider diameter (~ 12 1/4"), and the toorie is a darker brown than khaki. We like both "exceptions", so they are fine with us.

Also, in reading the reviews we discovered that a lot of folks cautioned to order them one size larger than your actual head size. We did, and we're glad we did. My head size is 59 (7 3/8"), but I ordered a 60 and it fits perfectly. Your mileage, of course, may vary.

Finally, since I did not know the origin of the wool, I put mine in the deep freeze for 5 days to kill any moth eggs it might contain. I have no idea whether that did any good, or not, but I figured it couldn't hurt.

----------------------

You also might consider a "brown" tam from Ryan Ross. They're now called Rabby bonnets, I think because he and Abby are both making them these days. You can see them at

http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/rabby_bonnets.html

I have one and plan to order another. They are a higher-quality tam than those of WPG. For example, the wool is soft, while the WPG is a bit scratchy. They are also fully adjustable, though you might want to contact them and tell them about your large-sized head.

If you balk at the brown color not being khaki, I seem to recall that they would make a khaki tam, if you asked them nicely. But, I might be wrong about that, so check with Ryan Ross on this blog or through the Scottish Tartans Museum.

Good luck, and post a picture of you in your tam playing the pipes - ruptured duck, or not.

[Mike_Oettle]

Of the various styles of bonnet shown on the linked pages, the one that looks best (to my eyes) is the 1940 model at WPG.
This is because a) it is the largest and b) it is the same size as the bonnet that was issued to me (I have had it since 1969, and the label originally showed 1942 as the date of manufacture).
I have noticed a trend with MoD bonnets that down the years they have grown smaller (with regard to the crown, rather than the fit), and I find the current style quite ridiculously small.
In fact, my favourite style is the one used during the First World War, which has an even wider crown than the 1940 model.
I am awaiting delivery (oh, the jones!) of a green one that I ordered from Robert Mackie (I chose, for personal reasons, not to get one in khaki).
Pictures, when it arrives.
Regards,
Mike

[theborderer]

I have noticed a trend with MoD bonnets that down the years they have grown smaller (with regard to the crown, rather than the fit), and I find the current style quite ridiculously small.
Regards,
Mike

Many Regiments and Corps units had variations to the Army Dress Regulations. Such as changing the back pleats on the Battledress jacket.
The first smaller sized TOS I saw was as our lads came back from Malaya. Many had the smaller bonnets made by a Singapore tailor and the lining was sky blue silk !.
Certainly a change from the Cartwheel TOS and Balmoral which was put into a strange shape by a metal ring in the crown.

[Michael Flemming]

David: My brother and I each recently ordered a WPG tam. We like them very much and they look just like they are pictured with two exceptions. They have a wider diameter (~ 12 1/4"), and the toorie is a darker brown than khaki. We like both "exceptions", so they are fine with us.

That must be unique to the particular batch that yours came from, mine is a uniform color all over.

Definitely order a size up on these.

The quality of the WPG tam is really outstanding; it is like horse-blanket material, built like a tank.