Rcaf? Raf?

**jhockin** · 31st August 16, 08:22 PM

https://www.facebook.com/puredeadbri...1973640601076/

**Steve Ashton** · 31st August 16, 09:18 PM

Strange. My first thought was Anderson.

**The Q** · 1st September 16, 02:06 AM

I don't think it's RCAF,

and it's certainly Not RAF which only a small amount of red in it

**figheadair** · 1st September 16, 03:02 AM

Ask the poster, he's a member on this forum too.

**OC Richard** · 1st September 16, 05:01 AM

The RCAF tartan is very much like Anderson for sure.

I don't see any tartan in that link.

Anderson

RCAF

One of the main differences I see is Anderson is often woven with a turquoise background, RCAF with an Air Force Blue background.

Oh and those twin yellow lines changed to red.

**imrichmond** · 1st September 16, 05:22 PM

Looks as though it could be a muted variant of either tartan. The blue background appears to have been replaced with a grey.

I once commented on a forum that it seemed to me that the RCAF tartan was derived from the Anderson and was strongly slapped down by someone who claimed that he knew personally the chap who had designed the RCAF tartan and it was definitely designed from scratch. It seems unlikely, but who knows?

**Steve Ashton** · 1st September 16, 05:46 PM

Peter, the poster probably does not know what the Tartan is. This clip has been making its rounds of the internet for quite some time now. I believe it is doubtful that this was created by the Poster who asked if we thought it was RAF or RCAF.

**plaid preacher** · 1st September 16, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by imrichmond

Looks as though it could be a muted variant of either tartan. The blue background appears to have been replaced with a grey.

I once commented on a forum that it seemed to me that the RCAF tartan was derived from the Anderson and was strongly slapped down by someone who claimed that he knew personally the chap who had designed the RCAF tartan and it was definitely designed from scratch. It seems unlikely, but who knows?

Knowing a little about the RCAF pipe band - since it was formed at CFB Summerside during World War II by G/C Fullerton - I typed in a quick search and this is what was the number 1 result.

https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/ta....aspx?ref=3591

The STA notes that it was "based on the Anderson tartan". An article from the RCAF official webpage, however, does not give any provenance for the tartan, although has many details in common with the STA description.

http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/...artan/htl7jecl

If you click on the photo in the corner of the article there is a library of photos. One shows the band as it was formed in Centralia ON. Of interest, in the back row is an Aircraftman Ince. Mr Ince was the first Pipe Major of the band in PEI and was brought to Centralia by G/C Fullerton when Fullerton was posted from Summerside to Centralia. I had the opportunity earlier this year to meet the son of Mr Ince who related some of these details to me.

**imrichmond** · 1st September 16, 07:14 PM

Thanks for that info and the links. I didn't know that there had been a pipe band at Centralia. When I was a teenager, in the very early 1960s, there was no pipe band in Centralia and my pipe major and I were invited on several occasions to pipe at the sergeant's mess on the airbase. I particularly remember their last mess party just before the base closed. Towards the end of the evening, the sergeants carried a mock coffin in a solemn procession from the mess to a prepared grave while my PM and I piped for them. They claimed to be burying the good times they had enjoyed in their soon-to-be-gone mess.

**plaid preacher** · 1st September 16, 07:37 PM

Well, as I mentioned G/C Fullerton started the band while at CFB Summerside, and as I understand it, when he was posted to Centralia I think he moved the band with him. Now I'm not 100% sure whether it was that Centralia for some of the band members would have been their next school (since they were also serving members of the RCAF) or whether Fullerton fanagled to have them posted, but in either case the band seemed to follow him.

I suspect at some point in the history of the RCAF the band was recognized as the Command band and moved to Rockcliff or wherever they are posted today.

There are lot's of memories of those older bases in this area. I was out driving with an older lady the other day and we went past the remains of the radar station in Vanastra, which suffered a similar fate to Centralia in the 1970s