I AM KILTED!!

[macwilkin]

Besides the Cameronians (The Scottish Rifles), the following regiments wear the Douglas tartan:

7th Gurkha Rifles (amalgamated)
The Royal Gurkha Rifles
The Perth Regiment (Canada)
The Witwatersrand Rifles (South Africa)

The majority of these regiments wear the Douglas in trews, although pipers & drummers wear kilts. Rifle Regiments (The Gurkhas are considered Rifles) traditionally wear "rifle green", so the Douglas is a perfect tartan for them. The Wits in South Africa are still around as a militia unit, not sure about the Perth Regiment.

There is a book about the 2nd Battalion Cameronians (The Scottish Rifles) entitled "Morale" by John Laffin which deals with their service in WWI, and it goes briefly into a history of the Regiment.

1st Batt., Cameronians, were raised from the conservative Presbyterian faction known as Cameronians (named after their martyred leader, Richard Cameron), and was the only regiment raised from a religious group in the British Army. The Cameronians would post sentries at the four corners of the church on Sunday morning, and an officer would shout "All Clear!" before the Padre began the service, in reference to the secret Presbyterian meetings on hillsides and in fields called conventicles where armed covenanters protected the flock from government soldiers.

2nd Batt., Cameronians, the Scottish Rifles, had no such religious overtones & referred to themselves as the Scottish Rifles to distinguish themselves from 1st Batt. They were raised in the 1790's during the wars with Revolutionary France.

In 1968, when faced with amalgamation with another regiment, the Cameronians chose to disband, although they are still around as a Territorial Army Battalion.

Cheers,

T.

[Rob Wright]

Thanks for the info T. I'm definately going to bee looking up that book.

Rob Wright

[bikercelt1]

Dr. D, I'm so glad you're finally kilted and enjoying it so much. I too feel that your story is very "on Topic" and extremely well told. I hope you run into this fellow again and tell him how moved we all are. Congratulations and thank you for such a moving testimonial.

Jamie

p.s. lest this get too sentimental, just wait until you get to experience the reverbration of "kilt farts" on a shiney hard floor like in a Library!

[Jerry]

As I said before in my post about seeing a young lady wearing a Black Watch kilt, with pink pedal pushers under it, I think that this tartan above all others should be worn only with respect for those who have worn it and given their all.