Tom A McCluskey Posted 22 March , 2009 Share Posted 22 March , 2009 Matt, For digging, and similar dirty work, just the kilt apron was sometimes worn - without the kilt. Reference mustard gas casualties, please find attached a page from Gas and Flame in Modern Warfare by Auld: Aye Tom McC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinhat47 Posted 22 March , 2009 Author Share Posted 22 March , 2009 Hmmm ... interesting theory. I wonder if any medical studies have been made on skin 'hardened' by exposure to the elements being less susceptible to possibility of mustard gas burns. Guess it goes to show that it takes more than mustard gas to knock a kilted Scotsman's legs out of the war! (No disrespect to non-Scottish fighting men!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Sweeney Posted 22 March , 2009 Share Posted 22 March , 2009 Matt, Mustard Gas is less a gas and more a persistant liquid. There are wartime studies in the National Archives that state that the greatest risk to burning of skin was less the exposed skin--than in prolonged wearing of contaminated clothing. The exception being if one were unlucky enough to get hit with the initial liquid of an exploding shell. Joe Sweeney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grantowi Posted 22 March , 2009 Share Posted 22 March , 2009 Not quite under the kilt... In the TV programe WDYTYA which featured Ian Hislop, it said that one of his fore fathers (Grandfsther I think) was in a Scotish regiment during the Great War and in the cold weather they had to tie strips of cloth around the knee area as the frozen edges of the kilts were prone to causing some serious cuts Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Jock Posted 23 March , 2009 Share Posted 23 March , 2009 In reply to frogturn Having served in the Black Watch (RHR) FROM 1960 TO 1972 and in Minden,I have never seen or heard of a Warrant Officer or any other officer use a mirror to check under the kilt. Yours Joe Hi Joe, Me and you together. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 23 March , 2009 Share Posted 23 March , 2009 I had the pleasure of working in the medical centre attached to the BW in Hong Kong in 1982. The majority wore running shorts under the kilt, mainly because they wore it so rarely the chaffing at the front caused a lot of irritation. A constant supply of E45 was needed. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom A McCluskey Posted 23 March , 2009 Share Posted 23 March , 2009 Mick, I can imagine that the chafing in hot and humid conditions must have played havoc with the 'wee fella' but are you sure that the Highland unit was The Black Watch? The Black Watch were in Werl, West Germany, from 1980 to 1985. Aye Tom McC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMAGH Posted 23 March , 2009 Share Posted 23 March , 2009 I had the pleasure of working in the medical centre attached to the BW in Hong Kong in 1982. The majority wore running shorts under the kilt, mainly because they wore it so rarely the chaffing at the front caused a lot of irritation. A constant supply of E45 was needed. Mick Hello Mick I was in Hong Kong in 1972, (in the Black Watch (RHR) was on the Governors Guard, 10 days at a time, Review Order,was the dress, which is the kilt,spats etc,which we wore all day, and needless to say. being a highlander, the air con. was very welcome. and no rash. How ever there were those who had acquired an irritation, which had nothing to do with wearing the Kilt!!!!!!!!!!!! Yours Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 23 March , 2009 Share Posted 23 March , 2009 I was being subtle Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 23 March , 2009 Share Posted 23 March , 2009 I need to revisit my diary then. BW, SG's, RHF's you all merge into one. The SG's were there, because there was the usual aggro but I don't recall them wearing kilts, it would have only been bandsmen. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 23 March , 2009 Share Posted 23 March , 2009 Having served in the Black Watch (RHR) FROM 1960 TO 1972 and in Minden,I have never seen or heard of a Warrant Officer or any other officer use a mirror to check under the kilt. Yours Joe What about the oft reported mirror on the floor outside the guardroom that squaddies had to walk over to show they weren`t wearing any underwear? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Jock Posted 23 March , 2009 Share Posted 23 March , 2009 QUOTE (Phil_B @ Mar 23 2009, 10:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> What about the oft reported mirror on the floor outside the guardroom that squaddies had to walk over to show they weren`t wearing any underwear? Phil, It is probably a Myth. Mick, I don't understand the the running shorts thing, if it is 1972 very few of us owned the said garment, PT shorts was the dress for sport, if they were worn under the kilt they would be noticed during drill. If anything they were suffering from dhobi rash caused by the starched shorts and trousers particularly if they were worn in the field for some time. As a platoon sergeant at the time I can't recall it as a problem. Bandsmen in the Scots Guards and RHF don't wear kilts only their Pipers in the Pipe Band Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 23 March , 2009 Share Posted 23 March , 2009 Tom it was 1982....I'm already wishing my life away to 50 don't add on another 10 years, and they certainly had running shorts then. It was the only piece of sports kit you were allowed to purchase yourself....still had to keep the red or white PT shirts (not vests, they were for PEI's). As I said, I don't recall the SG wearing kilts, although it may well have been pipers. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Jock Posted 23 March , 2009 Share Posted 23 March , 2009 Tom it was 1982....I'm already wishing my life away to 50 don't add on another 10 years, and they certainly had running shorts then. It was the only piece of sports kit you were allowed to purchase yourself....still had to keep the red or white PT shirts (not vests, they were for PEI's). As I said, I don't recall the SG wearing kilts, although it may well have been pipers. Mick Mick, That great, we were in Gerany then. I thought my old regiment had gone soft Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMAGH Posted 23 March , 2009 Share Posted 23 March , 2009 We were advised to wear swimming Trunks in the jungles of Malaysia, that was to stop the Leeches from crawling into the "Wee Fellow" however we were not wearing our Kilts in the Jungle, OG,S was the dress there. As for the Mirror at the Guard room, The depot I came through was at Perth and there was no mirror there. Can any one name a barracks Guardroom that the British Army use that had a Mirror that you walked over? Yours Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinhat47 Posted 26 July , 2009 Author Share Posted 26 July , 2009 Here's another kilt question ... did anything besides the leather straps on the kilt help hold it up? A belt underneath the tunic or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tocemma Posted 26 July , 2009 Share Posted 26 July , 2009 Matt, Many wore a leather belt, sometimes the '03 pattern equipment waistebelt, sometimes a civilian leather belt. I posted a photo a while back of Liverpool Scottish soldiers wearing braces with kilts. I have several kilts over the years which have had buttons added to the interior for just this purpose. Hope this helps Tocemma (please note I have used the British term 'braces' I have refrained from suggesting that Jocks wear 'suspenders' with their kilts to avoid a tartan backlash!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tocemma Posted 26 July , 2009 Share Posted 26 July , 2009 ps forgot to add pattern '08 shoulder braces modified by having a 'fixed' slider at one end to use as a waistbelt. I also have a length of German Maxim belt with a leather tab and buckle sewn to it, which was used as a waistbelt by a Private Rennie of the Black Watch. There are probably dozens of other variations. TM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinhat47 Posted 26 July , 2009 Author Share Posted 26 July , 2009 Amazing! Thanks for the information. A machine gun belt ... now there's ingenuity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikB Posted 26 July , 2009 Share Posted 26 July , 2009 I always thought it was a Jock strap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Sweeney Posted 26 July , 2009 Share Posted 26 July , 2009 Here's another kilt question ... did anything besides the leather straps on the kilt help hold it up? A belt underneath the tunic or something? Matt, Some Kilts did not even have leather straps. Officially, only the Seaforth and Gordon kilts were fixed by two buckle closures using lengths of leather strapping and were fixed at the waist. Kilts to the Royal Highlanders (Black Watch), Cameron Highlanders, and Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were fastened with kilt fasteners. The fasteners for each regiment were specific; Royal Highlander had glass headed pins and the Cameron’s solid headed brass pins. These pins resembled large ladies hatpins. The Argyll and Sutherland Highlander used safety pins. In the case of the Cameron Highlanders three pins were required to close the kilt in regulation manner (per Standing orders of the 1st and 2nd Battalion). Each pin “½ inch” away from the next and the top pin parallel with the top edge of the kilt. The use of only pins was a bit of an archaic practice and others means such as leather strappinmg a buttons for braces could easily be added. Joe Sweeney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neloon Posted 11 September , 2012 Share Posted 11 September , 2012 I remember my father, who was in the Gordons at Cambrai in 1917, saying that they always wore the "drawers" when travelling home on leave - upstairs on London buses, sitting around on the floors of crowded railway carriages , arriving home to mother and 3 sisters - so not surprising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoppage Drill Posted 11 September , 2012 Share Posted 11 September , 2012 Well. I'm sure I wouldn't know, but there may be a clue in the advice I once read - "It is unwise to follow a kilted highlander too closely up the steps of a dugout" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 11 September , 2012 Share Posted 11 September , 2012 That advice, if I remember correctly, is given to the central character, Bourne, when they are following a kilted unit up some dugout steps in The Middle Parts of Fortune Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KGB Posted 11 September , 2012 Share Posted 11 September , 2012 Something along the line of tights if there was a suspected gas attack, as for chafing a well measured kilt ought not to, I guess the army (enlisted men) did not have made to measure feile begs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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