RAF Highland Mess Dress

**JSFMACLJR** · 9th June 09, 06:16 AM

Very interesting, and worthy of bringing to the attention of the Group:

602 Squadron resurrects Highland mess dress kilts
Officers from 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron donned uniform kilts for the first time in 52 years for a formal squadron dinner in February.

In 1933, kilts bearing the Grey Douglas tartan were approved for the pipe bands of 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron and 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron by George V. On 31 July 1936, further approval was granted for officers of Scottish Auxiliary Squadrons to wear Grey Douglas tartan mess dress — a privilege extended to them by 602’s commanding officer at the time, the Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale (14th Duke of Hamilton), and confirmed by Edward VIII.

Resurrecting the Highland mess dress was no easy feat, as Flying Officer Richard J MacDonald explains: “After returning from deployment in Iraq, I needed to get a mess dress uniform, so I started to see if I could find out what the official Highland mess dress was, and if we could still acquire it.” Contact was made with 2622 (Highland) Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth, whose own pipe band wears Grey Douglas kilts, and a basic list of officers’ Highland mess dress kit was unearthed within ‘Glasgow’s Own’, an illustrated squadron history of 602 Squadron by Dugald Cameron.

Armed with this, and black and white photos of 602 wearing Highland mess dress for the last time in 1957, the pieces of the jigsaw began to fall into place. Kilts and flashes were sourced in St Andrews and custom-made diced socks were traced to a Highland outfitters in Blairgowrie. Tracing the official sporran proved far more difficult. With the help of Squadron Leader Andy Thane, Chairman of the RAF Pipe Band Association, the original makers were discovered in Edinburgh, and they confirmed after much searching that the original 602 Squadron pattern still existed and could be re-cast and assembled. With all the main elements now in place, Flying Officer MacDonald coordinated Highland mess dress orders for 602’s officers.

Wearing their Highland mess dress at a formal Squadron function for the first time in 52 years was a proud moment, as 602’s Commanding Officer, Squadron Leader Graeme Lyall, explains: “This is a tangible link to 602’s historic past and our tribute to those who went before us. It is a unique privilege granted to Scottish-based Royal Auxiliary Air Force officers by Edward VIII and a uniform we wear with pride.”

602 was the first squadron to be established by the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF). Its current role is to provide operational support to RAF maritime units, as well as at other deployed locations as needed. (Individual deployments to date have included Kinloss, Cyprus and Iraq.) It does this by specialising in the following operational support roles: Flight Operations Officers, Flight Operations Managers, Flight Operations Assistants and Intelligence Officers.

602 Squadron is actively recruiting. If you wish to join the RAuxAF’s senior squadron, your interest and application would be warmly welcomed. Please call 0141 948 0084 for more information.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafreserves/sq...B59AC91320EF5C

**cessna152towser** · 9th June 09, 06:26 AM

Very nice indeed.
There is nowadays a Royal Air Force tartan which some servicemen wear for special occasions, but the Grey Douglas is historically accurate for these Volunteer Reserve Squadrons.

**macwilkin** · 9th June 09, 06:30 AM

Originally Posted by cessna152towser

Very nice indeed.
There is nowadays a Royal Air Force tartan which some servicemen wear for special occasions, but the Grey Douglas is historically accurate for these Volunteer Reserve Squadrons.

To add to Alex's post, The Pipes & Drums of RAF Halton wore the Douglas tartan (modern colours) until 2004, when it (along with the four other RAF pipe bands) received the RAF tartan.

http://www.rafhalton.com/

Great article!

Todd