Old Photos

[MacKenzie]

These photos were found on the FB page of "All Things Scottish".

The first photo was labeled, "Three members of the 10th Royal Highlanders Feb 1915". Is that some type of leg wrap above the boot? It doesn't appear to be leggings (spats) or gaiters.



Better of the leg wrap (and kilt w/front pocket).



Again. The fellows on the ends.



I just threw this one in because I thought it interesting that the ranking fellow (I assume, based on the sleeve chevrons and shoulder braid) was the only one with a sporran. And quite a nice one given that the photo appears to be from the field instead of a studio picture.

[Macman]

Those are called puttees. I think there is another old thread on them somewhere.

[artificer]

They sure looks like sets of low rising puttees to me.

They were quite commonly used in WWI to keep the mud out of your boots and provide protection for the lower leg.

You might be familiar with the more commonly seen style for trousered soldiers.


Here's a Gordon Highlander from the time wearing a very similar uniform & accessories.
It's a very nice website.


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edit: macman beat me to it.

[MacKenzie]

They were quite commonly used in WWI to keep the mud out of your boots and provide protection for the lower leg.

Interesting. Thanks for the replies.

[OC Richard]

Here is a clearer photo of a member of The Black Watch, showing the kilt apron and puttees



(The apron has a pocket, not the kilt itself. The kilt underneath the apron is an ordinary tartan kilt without pockets.)

It takes some experience to get the ends of the puttees just where you want them, for a uniform appearance.

In WWI the trousered soldiers wore long puttees right up to the knees, while kilted soldiers wore short puttees that left the upper half of the hose exposed.

Those short puttees continued to be worn with the kilt right through WWII and into the 1950s as seen here, the pipers of The Black Watch. Note that the Pipe Major wears different-coloured hose and puttees. Note the very light strap on the Black Watch puttees. This can be seen throughout WWII and differentiates BW puttees from those of other regiments.


The Black Watch continued to wear puttees (though only in one particular form of dress) up until the formation of The Royal Regiment of Scotland. I don't know if there's any form of dress in the RRS that uses them.

[MacKenzie]

Thanks Richard.

[Macman]

It takes some experience to get the ends of the puttees just where you want them, for a uniform appearance.

That's for sure! We wore them when I was in the reserves in the early 70's. Ours were the same colour as the hose tops, and the straps were of different material but the same colour as the puttees themselves.

[OC Richard]

This wonderful photo of Canadian Pipe Majors shows how the puttee colour varied from regiment to regiment. Interesting, the wearing of puttees with tartan/diced hosetops in many cases



Here's another photo showing the straps considerably lighter in shade than the puttees themselves. On my puttees the straps are were woven to the correct width, in a herringbone pattern, while the puttees themselves are thick felt-like wool, the edges being simply cut and left un-hemmed.

[TheOfficialBren]

The chap in the back row wearing the Tam O' Shanter has his cover cocked to the left instead of the right like theman in the front row. Is this something that varied from regiment to regiment? Is there any convention for civilian use of the Tam of which a civvie should be aware (aside from the obvious badges and regimental accoutrements that good taste say to avoid if one is not entitled to wear)? Why is the Balmoral worn cocked the way that it is today? Thanks.

[ThistleDown]

Wonderful photo of the pipe majors, OCR. The lad with the caubeen is probably pipe major The Irish Fusiliers, Bren. I have a pic somewhere..... If I find it I'll post it as an edit to this thread.

EDIT: Canadian Irish WWII