Post-WWII Scottish Unit Headgear (UK and Commonwealth)

[Reid10]

The forage cap, or "Staff" pattern hat, was introduced in 1905 to replace the NP Forage Cap. (In the picture above, the Scots Guards Private and what appears to be a Company Sergeant Major are wearing the NP Forage Cap, circa 1904.) The NP Forage Cap, more commonly known as the "Broderick Cap" was authorized to be worn by the Brigade of Guards in November 1900 and the Scots Guards were to be the first to receive it. (Though the Irish Guards in fact were the first to wear it.) It was not well liked, hence the replacement by the peaked forage cap.

For more information on British Army Headdress, to include the Broderick Cap, see Bruce Bassett-Powell's excellent website: Uniformology

[Watchdog]

Attachment 1730986

Attachment 1730987

A point to note regarding Scots Guards forage (visor) caps is the chin strap. Many will observe that the cap shown here does not have one but may not realise that this is correct for this regiment. The Scots Guards do not wear a chin strap on forage caps. This is a long standing tradition but as far as I am aware the origin of the habit is not precisely recorded.

As an aside to put such a distinction into context; They are the only one of the five regiments of footguards that do not wear a plume in the bearskin hat. This is attributed to them being the third in the line when all five faced the enemy on the field. The Grenadier Guards are the first or "Right" of the line and wear a white plume on the left, The Coldstream Guards are 2nd and have a red plume on the right, 3rd or centre of the line is The Scots Guards with no plume, 4th is the Irish Guards with a blue plume on the right and 5th The Welsh Guards have a white/green/white plume on the left.

Regards

Mark

[Reid10]

[Watchdog]

Apologies if there is already an example but I couldn't see it (this is quite a long thread!!) and in any case I thought this one worthy of a post.

I found it recently in a local "Vintage clothing" shop for the price close to what most dealers would charge for just the badge and I grabbed it because it is an interesting example of what could be considered a less than glamourous item.

The Lowland Brigade was formed along with several other "administrative" formations during reorganisation of the infantry in 1948 and comprised several existing regiments.

In 1958 the component regiments all adopted a common and very unpopular badge, the one shown here.

This glengarry is interesting because;

1. The badge is the earliest chromed hard metal rather than the later anodised aluminium "Stabrite" and it is clearly the only badge ever mounted on this headdress.
2. The glengarry is date marked 1962 but it is also stamped with the WD broad Arrow mark 'X' for 1959 which was defunct by 1962.

So, possibly it was in the stores system having been made in 1959 but had not got as far as being issued to a regiment and was still in a main ordnance depot when the marking regime changed and it was re-stamped under the new protocol?

Whatever the explanation is it a nice piece captured at a bargain price!

Regards

Mark
PS If you can see the picture captions "Highland" is obviously a typo and should read "Lowland"