Seaforth officers' shopping list

[Troglodyte]

Putting together a kilt outfit is always a shock to the bank-ballance, and most of us do so in easy stages whilst allowing budget and personal taste govern the choice.

This list is the requirment of an officer in the Seaforth Highlanders during the Great War, and is taken from the memoires of an Englishman who ran away from home to join up at the start of the conflict, after his coastal home town of Hartlepool had been bombarded by German warships. The Seaforths were the farthest away.

He entered as a private soldier, advanced quickly through the ranks of NCOs, and was selected for officer training. At the time, officers were expected to provide their own kit, and this list is the basic requirements. The items marked with an X are those he already had as part of standard issue for an NCO or private; the rest he would have to buy himself.

The account is by Norman Collins who lived to be 100 years old, and is entitled Last Man Standing. Many of the photographs in the book are Collins' own from his time in the trenches, and from when he revisited the battle scenes in later life.

Interestingly, and rather poignantly, he says of The Armistice that it came too late, as eveyone was already dead. And he tells of the mean and selfish hostility of a surprising number of French locals to the soldiers - refusing them water on their marches up to the Front, or the dry shelter of a barn to sleep in when coming back in depleted numbers and battle-weary. Not what we normally hear...



Collins marks the prices in pounds-shillings-pence (Lsd) and comes up with a combined cost of about £65. As a junior officer, his pay would have been about two pounds, thirteen shillings a week, before compulsary 'stoppages'. The kilt is one of the most expensive items, while the revolver, Sam Browne belt and Skean Dhu are all similar in price. He notes these a minimum prices, and a mens average earnings at the time was about £70 - so almost a year's earnings. Average earnings today are about £27,000.

Although not listed here, he elsewhere mentions his basket-hilt broad-sword, which he carried as an NCO and officer, and which would have formed a significant part of his kit, saying the weapon was quite unsuited to trench warfare.

[kilted2000]

This list reminded me of another I found in the very good introductory text, ‘The Tommy of the First World War.’ written by Neil R. Storey. Not Scottish, but it further illustrates the expense of a First World War British officer. It also includes prices for a sword.


No copyright infringement intended.

So it looks like I finally figured out how to post a picture. How do I make sure it is the right way up?

[Troglodyte]

The prices, although given only in shillings (eg 75/-) instead of three pounds, fifteen shillings (£3-15/-) seem to be fairly close to what Norman Collins records.

If average earnings for the time are compared with the quoted prices, being an officer was beyond the means of most men - even those who might be 'officer class' - if they were not of private means. The Seaforth kilt at four pounds, four shillings (£4.20 in decimal currency) demands a hugh chunk of an officer's pay - more than a week and a half's worth.

As a proportion of men's average earnings for the time, £70 per annum, £4-4/- is a sizeable percentage - more than 20 percent. The same proportions of today's average earnings would put the kilt at the equivalent of about £15,000. That would have to be some kilt..!

A bespke weaving of the most superior kilting, and made up into a totally tailored kilt by the highest skilled maker would only cost about a tenth of that today.

About 40 years ago, I inherited my grand-father's uniform and equipment from the time of the Great War, and that which he acquired between 1939-45 - some of it never worn - boots, belts, dress uniform, service and battle-dress, along with compass, binoculars, camping-gear, etc. I had wondered why he had kept it, but at this kind of cost I can see why...

[OC Richard]

And that list is just Service Dress, is it not?

Prior to 1914 officers would have purchase Full Dress as well!

Note the wide variety of Seaforth officers' dress c1900



There are items like

-Full Dress doublet
-feather bonnet
-white sword and waist belts
-dirk
-plaid and plaid brooch
-full dress/Levee dress sporran
-full diced hose
-buckled brogues
-blue Patrol frock
-riding boots
-riding breeches
-spurs
-shell jacket

[Troglodyte]

Yes, that would be for service dress, and full regimentals would be a whole different matter. But I believe expectations in war-time were different regarding that.

Regimental tailors still often advertise special rates and terms for cadets and junior officers, and some, like Gieves & Hawkes, provide a special kind of storage service for full dress uniforms.

It used to be that the men had the cost of their uniforms and equipment stopped from their pay, but by the time of the Great War, when it was about a shilling a day (5p) that had come to an end.

In the days when the commanding officer could add to, or change, elements of the uniform arbitrarily or on a fancy, the poor individuals of the Other Ranks were perpetually in debt to their regiment. The only benefit was when the individual left the service, and his gear left with him.

My father's uncle who served in the Seaforths at the same time as Collins, gave his kilt to his youngest sister for her to make into a skirt.

[Pleater]

Yes, it looks like shillings and pence, except where it is guineas, of course.

Anne the Pleater

[fluter]

Yes, it looks like shillings and pence, except where it is guineas, of course.

Anne the Pleater

I have very scant experience with shops where prices are in guineas, but I translate that as "I can't afford it!"

[figheadair]

A bespke weaving of the most superior kilting, and made up into a totally tailored kilt by the highest skilled maker would only cost about a tenth of that today.

The tartan would have been standard cloth for the military (different qualities for different ranks and uses) and not a bespoke weave.

[Troglodyte]

The tartan would have been standard cloth for the military (different qualities for different ranks and uses) and not a bespoke weave.

Exactly so, which makes the cost of the kilt even more incredible.

But my point was to show that in today's terms, bespoke-weaving and kilt-making would have to be something exceptional to demand a price anywhere near 20 percent average earnings.

Back in the late 1980s-early 90s, there was an army surplus outlet in Nottingham selling off double-width military kilting, at what I remember being £2.00 a metre. It was only Mackenzie, and they had several bolts of it - I wonder if it all sold.

[OC Richard]

The tartan would have been standard cloth for the military (different qualities for different ranks and uses) and not a bespoke weave.

Interesting point to ponder.

I had noticed, time and again, the difference between the tartan worn by Other Ranks (the very heavy slightly fuzzy blanket-like stuff) and that worn by Senior Sergeants and Officers, which in many photos appears to be civilian-style 16 ounce Strome-like stuff.

Question is, say it's 1914 and a wealthy officer is ordering his kilt from the Saville Row shop of which he's been a customer for years. Who weaves the tartan? Could it be anybody?

Where it's most clear is with the Panels seen on the kilts of Argylls officers. In a photo of a number of officers no two panels are alike, which I feel indicates that each officer has used a different tailor. (The various panels have used various shades of green thread, and the precise pattern of the embroidery varies.)