Highland Light Infantry glengarry (Rifle Green)

[Watchdog]

This is the other of the two Scottish regiments who wore a rifle green glengarry rather than the Navy Blue (aka Cameron pattern) or diced types;

The Highland Light Infantry or HLI. The other was The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) see here; Glengarry cap ot; The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

This one is an early to mid 20th century (circa 1902 - 53) and a point to note is that like the Cameronians it has a black toorie unlike all the others which have a red one.

The colour can be hard to discern even in full daylight unless directly compared with the blue as shown in my last picture.



Regards

Mark

[Reid10]

Mark,

Thank you for posting your HLI Glengarry. As you know, I have a between-the-wars HLI glengarry, but I have not yet added a QoCH glen to my collection!

Reid

[Watchdog]

Mark,

Thank you for posting your HLI Glengarry. As you know, I have a between-the-wars HLI glengarry, but I have not yet added a QoCH glen to my collection!

Reid

Thanks Reid, if you are looking for a Queens Own Cameron Highlanders glengarry whilst they are not as common as the three colour diced pattern they are out there so I will keep my eyes open for you.
For any collectors not aware, the glengarry in the colour comparison of my original post here is to the Queens Own (Cameron) Highlanders. This blue pattern is still worn by pipers in other regiments and is commonly referred to as "Cameron pattern". Often confused with "The Camerons" by even established collectors is the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) who wore a Rifle Green glengarry the same as The HLI. This can be seen in the linked post in my OP.

@Reid; Let me know which items you are looking for and I will help if I can. If I see anything and it is a case of "now or never" I don't mind picking it up on your behalf. I am sure you are well aware of the market prices and if I can swing a better deal I will of course. Alternatively if it is less time / opportunity critical I can simply send a link to the source.

Regards

Mark

[Reid10]

Mark,

Thank you very much for the kind offer. There are two glengarries I would like to add to my collection, the QoCH and the Seaforth Highlanders. If you ever see either for sale, please grab them if you think they may disappear quickly!

I was recently able to acquire a RSF glengarry for a Fusilier who served in 2nd Battalion from 1939 to 1946 and was part of the BEF. It was destined for the bin, along with all of his military documents. There is a bit of a story to how I got it and all of his papers. I might make a separate thread, rather than add it to the Post WWII Scottish Headgear one we already have. One thought is to create an Interwar/WWII glengarry thread where we can show the difference between these glengarries and those that came after.

it is good to be back on the Forum after a bit of an absence due to work.

Regards,

Reid

[Watchdog]

I was recently able to acquire a RSF glengarry for a Fusilier who served in 2nd Battalion from 1939 to 1946 and was part of the BEF. It was destined for the bin, along with all of his military documents. There is a bit of a story to how I got it and all of his papers. I might make a separate thread, rather than add it to the Post WWII Scottish Headgear one we already have. One thought is to create an Interwar/WWII glengarry thread where we can show the difference between these glengarries and those that came after.

It sounds to me that the RSF acquisition is certainly worthy of a separate thread for sure!

As for a further thread on glengarry caps I think the problem is that they are almost impossible to date if they do not have maker marks/date stamps etc, really good provenance or have the factory fresh "made yesterday smell and feel. It would not be the first time a WWI badge was put on a WWII cap and nobody was any the wiser. Even the "leather band" theory that some insist on as a yardstick really is nothing of the kind. So, it comes down to an assessment of the whole package and a measure of collecting experience. I picked up a glengarry with no badge the other day that the seller insisted was RSF but the "shadow" of the cap badge was clearly RHF (same shape but different dimensions). Having pointed this out I got a substantial discount. The point is that this cap had age enough to be of '50s origin but no marks/stamps and had been owned by a former RSF soldier but it had clearly been worn with an RHF badge (formed 1959). He could have had it before RSF was amalgamated into RHF but the mark left by the RHF badge told it's own story. In the end it can be quite subjective without one or more "proving" factors and folk will invariably disagree.
So, perhaps it is best to just discuss each piece in the same thread and maybe that way all learn from each other. It would also make the subject of "Glengarry" much easier to access because if one thinks an item is WWII when it isn't he might miss the answer to a question just because he read the wrong thread about the same general subject.
Either way I am happy to follow the consensus.

What do others think?

Regards

Mark
PS @Reid, I hope you are enjoying some time at home!