Post-WWII Scottish Unit Headgear (UK and Commonwealth)

[Reid10]

Mark,

You continue to impress me with your depth of knowledge! Thank you very much for your contributions to this thread. I have learned a lot from your posts. In my spare time I am working on a project related to this thread. I will send it to you and Ade for your comments and input when it is more complete.

Here are pictures of the RHF badge. They are not great, but I am traveling again and left the glengarry at home. I will take better pictures later.



The bonnet I missed out on is not bearskin. Those are much too expensive for me right now and I would have nowhere to display or store it. Maybe in the future, once I have retired. The one I have wanted for a long time, but have never seen for sale until last week, is the bonnet worn by the RSDG drummers. I really regret not placing a higher bid, but since it was an issued bonnet, I did not think it would go for such a high price (35 GBP) which, for the rarity, may not have been that high. Lesson learned. It still stings a bit... Here is a picture of the bonnet:

[Watchdog]

[QUOTE=Reid10;2171245]
Here are pictures of the RHF badge. They are not great, but I am traveling again and left the glengarry at home. I will take better pictures later.



Hi Reid,

Yes I see what you mean about it being a hybrid of the Officers and ORs badges.

It looks very similar in construction to both.

My hypothesis (and it is just that) is;

a. That it is an issued albeit quickly discontinued (orobably on cost grounds) variant of the brass and white metal badge that briefly preceeded the anodised aluminium type.

or

b. That it is a private purchase as described from during the anodised aluminium period.

Personally I tend to favour the former mainly because of the apparent age and that I never saw one whilst I was in close proximity with the regiment or since.

It's hard to be certain as I can find no reference in print and the RHF brass badges were in use for only a very short time.

Either way I like it and would be happy with it in my collection

Regards

Mark

[Watchdog]

The bonnet I missed out on is not bearskin. Those are much too expensive for me right now and I would have nowhere to display or store it. Maybe in the future, once I have retired. The one I have wanted for a long time, but have never seen for sale until last week, is the bonnet worn by the RSDG drummers. I really regret not placing a higher bid, but since it was an issued bonnet, I did not think it would go for such a high price (35 GBP) which, for the rarity, may not have been that high. Lesson learned. It still stings a bit... Here is a picture of the bonnet:

Ah, the veil is lifted!

RSDG (Royal Scots Dragoon Guards) not SG (Scots Guards) hence my confusion. No connection between the two

One is an infantry regiment (Her Majesty's Regiments of Foot Guards) and part of the Household Division. The other is a senior (formerly 2nd Dragoons) cavalry regiment and not part of the Household Division. To mistake one for the other in a pub is certain to cause a fight

Yes the RSDG Balmoral Bonnet is unique and albeit the one you missed out on is a fairly recent issue (metric size not imperial is an instant sign) but I don't think it was over-priced at £35. Of course the bearskin is worn by RSDG in certain dress (not quite the same shape as the foot guards caps) but the one to watch out for is the white bearskin worn by the kettle drummer A bit of a holy grail that one!

The idea of your "project" has me intrigued and I look forward to seeing it in due course.

Regards

Mark

PS I wouldn't normally post a link as they disappear but this only need to be here long enough to support what I said about the price!
A private purchase from an outfitter. An absolute snip at £165 to you Sir

[Reid10]

Mark,

I am sorry about the confusion, I meant to write RSDG.

I saw the bonnet on the tailor's website. I am sure it is very well made, but there are a lot of things you could buy for that price!

I have one of the cheaper anodized RHF cap badges. It is pretty flimsy. I am glad I was able to find this one. I really appreciate the information you provide on how and where cap badges are purchased. That is not the kind of detail we often get over here, though I could tell you all about how military items are purchased/issued in the U.S. Army! Not quite as exciting and we tend to not purchase higher quality badges. I do not even know if they are offered! We used to have sterling silver qualification badges (airborne, pilot, etc.), but those went away years ago.

Once I have a decent draft, I will send what I have for my project to you for review and input.

Cheers,

Reid

[Watchdog]

Attachment 1494182

Just looking back over the thread and thought to mention that the reason for the name change was that 40 Regt RA (The Lowland Gunners) was disbanded and one sub-unit; 38 (Seringapatam) Bty was transferred to 19 Regt RA (The Highland Gunners). Thus a combination of the two nominally Scots RA regiments indicated the name change to The Scottish Gunners.

I hope this adds interest

Regards

Mark

[Watchdog]

Attachment 1494762

There are several holes where the badge attaches, which might mean there was once a different badge. However, it is the right glengarry for The Highlanders and I do not know of other units that use a plain blue glengarry with a rosette and red toorie.

Here is an officers cap badge of The Highlanders (Seaforths Camerons and Gordons) it is identical in design to that of The Queens Own Highlanders (Seaforths and Camerons) as the new regiment (Queens Own Highlanders ammalgamated with The Gordon Highlanders before becoming 4SCOTS in The Royal Regiment of Scotland) took the cap badge of QOHLDRS and the kilt of GORDONS. The physical differences in the badges are simply because it is of newer manufacture from new dies. This one is on a patch of Government (aka Black Watch) tartan as is now worn by 4SCOTS (The Highlanders), Royal Regiment of Scotland. It is still worn with the blue hackle of the antecedent regiments in both TOS and the Glengarry Cap.

Confused? You will be



Regards

Mark

PS The Black Watch did wear the same pattern Glengarry in certain forms of dress eg mess dress and pipers but I'm not certain this has carried over into 3SCOTS

[Reid10]

Thank you, Mark!

That is a great example and I always appreciate the detail you provide. I have a few officer TOS, but none from the line infantry units. I would love to acquire one of the 3D Gordon Highlander officer badges someday. (And the BW officer badge as well!)

I have been away for a bit, but should be able to post a few things I have been able to acquire over the next few weeks. First, I need to put them into the same format as my other submissions for this thread.

Cheers

Reid

[Reid10]

I was very lucky to be loaned a Military Intelligence Corps Officer Side Cap from the British Liaison to my unit, so I could post it to our thread. He has also been nice enough to point out a few of the mistakes I have made in my descriptions, which I need to make sure I update!

Thank you again, Peter! I only received a few strange looks when I went into your office and came out with your cap...

[Reid10]

Since Peter was nice enough to let me borrow his officer side cap, I thought I would do a comparison between it and the Senior Noncommissioned Officer side cap I posted earlier in the thread.

Peter is the one who pointed out that the cap I have is likely a side cap worn by a senior NCO because the cap badge is gold and on a slider. Also, because lower OR usually did not wear the side cap.

[Reid10]

This first beret was given to me from a friend in the Ranger Regiment (most of my friends are well aware of my collecting habit and try to help me with my addiction). The second beret is my own.

Earlier in the thread, Mark and I discussed beret shaping in the British and U.S. armies. Each soldier in the U.S. Airborne, Rangers, and SF develops their own style for how they like to shape their beret, which is often influenced by where they first were issued their beret. For example, I started in the 82nd Airborne Division, where the style was often to pull the fabric hard toward your right ear while the beret is wet, while holding tightly to the flash with your other hand. This creates a very distinct shape. However, the berets of other friends of mine have more of a rounded shape, with less fabric over the ear (like the Ranger beret above). Mine tend to be smaller now and with less fabric over the ear, because the unit I am in tends to "Take the Mickey" out of those who shape their berets like a conventional airborne unit. Again, it is often the soldier's preference, but often influenced by their peers.