Hackles and Feathers in the Highland Regiments

[gordon92]

This is a topic that may be of interest only to the small number of Scottish enthusiasts on this sub-forum.  With lots of pandemic time on my hands, I have recorded in the tables below everything I know about the wearing of hackles and feathers in the various headdress of the Highland regiments.  Perhaps, this information may be useful going forward in helping to identify regiments and specific battalions from photographs.  There are gaps in this information, and, just as importantly, I am seeking help to fill those voids from knowledgeable members.  Where I have open areas or questions, these have been designated with the notation “???xxxx???.”

I am addressing only the two regular battalions of each regiment within the general time period 1902 into the 1920s, thus spanning the Great War.  The hackles worn in the feather bonnet (abbreviated FB), and Wolseley foreign service helmet (abbreviated FSH) plus feathers for the glengarry are shown for each regiment and battalion.  These are tabulated against the categories All Ranks, Pipers, Drummers, and Bandsmen. When looking at this information as a whole, there can be seen a proliferate use of the red hackle in regiments other than The Black Watch.

Corrections and inputs on omissions are enthusiastically welcomed.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 14 September , 2020 by gordon92
Revised Seaforth pipers to green hackle in FSH per input from TullochArd

[o j kirby]

I have seen photos taken in Salonika, of members of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders with a white hackle worn in the Tam o' Shanter bonnet. Not sure of the battalion just now. I will need to check that one.

[gordon92]

1 hour ago, o j kirby said:

I have seen photos taken in Salonika, of members of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders with a white hackle worn in the Tam o' Shanter bonnet. Not sure of the battalion just now. I will need to check that one.

 

Could have been either the 1st or 12th A&SH as both were in Salonika.  If you could post those photos, or point me to them, I would be very interested in viewing them.

Mike

[Derek Black]

On 06/09/2020 at 21:01, gordon92 said:

This is a topic that may be of interest only to the small number of Scottish enthusiasts on this sub-forum.  With lots of pandemic time on my hands, I have recorded in the tables below everything I know about the wearing of hackles and feathers in the various headdress of the Highland regiments.  Perhaps, this information may be useful going forward in helping to identify regiments and specific battalions from photographs.  

 

Good work Mike. That'll be handy.

 

Now of course you'll have to do a guide on kilt tartans, glengarry dicing, sporran tassles and cantles, hose, flashes, kilt pin usage and how these all relate to different regiments or even between the two regular battalions of the same regiment.....

 

Cheers,

Derek.

[4thGordons]

Mike - Nice work....  did pipers in all regiments wear plain (undiced) Glengarries? What about bandsmen - is this a distinction worth noting (ie If pipers generally wore plain and the regiments otherwise wore diced etc)

 

Later in the war: what about pipers wearing Tams etc were there any distinguishing elements?

Thanks for posting this.

Chris

 

 

 

[o j kirby]

19 hours ago, gordon92 said:

 

Could have been either the 1st or 12th A&SH as both were in Salonika.  If you could post those photos, or point me to them, I would be very interested in viewing them.

Mike

Hello,

The photos that I have seen were in the archives at the A&SH museum up at Stirling Castle. I don't know what the access arrangements are like just now. I can try to find out.

Cheers,

Owain

[gordon92]

13 hours ago, Derek Black said:

Good work Mike. That'll be handy.

 

Now of course you'll have to do a guide on kilt tartans, glengarry dicing, sporran tassles and cantles, hose, flashes, kilt pin usage and how these all relate to different regiments or even between the two regular battalions of the same regiment.....

 

Cheers,

Derek.

Derek.....All of the above are the usual minefields and suicide missions!  Might give them a try if the pandemic drags on.  Did do one on sporrans about 7 or 8 years ago.

 

2 hours ago, o j kirby said:

Hello,

The photos that I have seen were in the archives at the A&SH museum up at Stirling Castle. I don't know what the access arrangements are like just now. I can try to find out.

Cheers,

Owain

Please do, Owain.

[gordon92]

12 hours ago, 4thGordons said:

Mike - Nice work....  did pipers in all regiments wear plain (undiced) Glengarries? What about bandsmen - is this a distinction worth noting (ie If pipers generally wore plain and the regiments otherwise wore diced etc)

 

Later in the war: what about pipers wearing Tams etc were there any distinguishing elements?

Thanks for posting this.

Chris

Chris.....

To answer your questions:

 

Yes, pipers in all 11 Scottish regiments that had pipe bands (Scots Greys did not have one at this time) wore mostly plain blue glengarries, but, of course, there were exceptions: Cameronians (SR) wore black, HLI used dark green, and A&SH pipers wore plain black glengarries.  As I am sure you will recall, you have have posted photos of the occasional piper in a diced glengarry during the war who were likely Territorial or service battalions.

 

In full dress, Bandsmen wore the full dress headdress of their regiment; Seaforth and Argyll bandsmen had red hackles in their feather bonnets. Exception was the HLI whose bandsmen wore feather bonnets with red hackles instead of shakos; this was inherited from the pre-1881 74th Highlanders.  In undress or service dress, bandsmen wore the standard glengarry of their regiments.

 

I am aware of no distinguishing elements that pipers had in their Tams.  I have seen drawings of blackcock feathers in Tams, particularly one of KOSB Piper Laidlaw.  I have never seen an actual photograph of this, and I suspect that the drawings are fanciful.  Whenever troops were in Tams, pipers would usually parade in glengarries (with the usual exceptions,).

 

Mike

[FROGSMILE]

I’m not aware of any unit wearing a “black” glengarry.  Do you mean dark blue?  The standard glengarry for both Cameronian’s (SR) and HLI was dark green and identical in shade.  Indeed it was a standard issue for both units and was in small part (i.e. one of several practical reasons) why they operated a joint regimental depot, as it facilitated the supply chain from the ordnance store facilities and RACD. Prior to the Childers Reform they had been differently paired (with other regiments) under the Cardwell’s Localization Act of 1874.

Edited 8 September , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[gordon92]

4 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

I’m not aware of any unit wearing a “black” glengarry.  Do you mean dark blue?  The standard glengarry for both Cameronian’s (SR) and HLI was dark green and identical in shade.  Indeed it was a standard issue for both units and was in small part (i.e. one of several practical reasons) why they operated a joint regimental depot, as it facilitated the supply chain from the ordnance store facilities and RACD. Prior to the Childers Reform they had been differently paired (with other regiments) under the Cardwell’s Localization Act of 1874.

Yes, you are correct about the Cameronians (SR) dark green glengarry.  When writing this I was somehow thinking about the black background hair on the 1st Bn pipers' sporran.  A black glengarry was indeed worn by A&SH pipers and is believed to be a perpetuation of the old black and red check tartan (later known as Rob Roy) once worn by the 93rd pipers in the 1830s. From this same provenance are the red and black hose tops worn by A&SH pipers.

 

Another correction comes to mind.  The pipers of the 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders wore no feather at all in their glengarries; my original table incorrectly indicated a blackcock feather.

[FROGSMILE]

25 minutes ago, gordon92 said:

Yes, you are correct about the Cameronians (SR) dark green glengarry.  When writing this I was somehow thinking about the black background hair on the 1st Bn pipers' sporran.  A black glengarry was indeed worn by A&SH pipers and is believed to be a perpetuation of the old black and red check tartan (later known as Rob Roy) once worn by the 93rd pipers in the 1830s. From this same provenance are the red and black hose tops worn by A&SH pipers.

 

Another correction comes to mind.  The pipers of the 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders wore no feather at all in their glengarries; my original table incorrectly indicated a blackcock feather.

I’d be very interested to see an A&SH black glengarry in my hands, as I served alongside the regiment, which of course existed within living memory, and did not notice it.

 I enclose a photo of what purports to be one worn by pipers as you have stated.

 

Edited 8 September , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[gordon92]

11 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

I’d be very interested to see an A&SH black glengarry in my hands, as I served alongside the regiment, which of course existed within living memory, and did not notice it.

 I enclose a photo of what purports to be one worn by pipers as you have stated.

 

 

I would also like to see one in the flesh.  I do not know if the glengarry had a black or red tori.  I suspect black, but it is impossible to tell from black and white photos.  The vestige of the Argylls, 5th Bn Royal Regiment of Scotland now only a company size unit, seems to dress their pipers in glengarries with a red tori.  However, the likely many economy measures that have been taken by this time makes current observations an unreliable clue to the past.

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, gordon92 said:

 

I would also like to see one in the flesh.  I do not know if the glengarry had a black or red tori.  I suspect black, but it is impossible to tell from black and white photos.  The vestige of the Argylls, 5th Bn Royal Regiment of Scotland now only a company size unit, seems to dress their pipers in glengarries with a red tori.  However, the likely many economy measures that have been taken by this time makes current observations an unreliable clue to the past.

The one in the image I posted has a red toorie, but there’s no internal marking or label to prove it is army issue and the badge is very poor quality. I can find no other example and it’s not mentioned in any references that I can source.  I am a bit sceptical to be honest, but will remain open minded for now.

Edited 8 September , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[gordon92]

My source was a serving Argyll officer in the 1990s who appeared to be quite versed in the history of his Regiment. The black glengarry mated with red and black hose tops seem to go together. 

[FROGSMILE]

14 minutes ago, gordon92 said:

My source was a serving Argyll officer in the 1990s who appeared to be quite versed in the history of his Regiment. The black glengarry mated with red and black hose tops seem to go together. 

Well I’ve found a reference so I think you must be right.  It’s interesting and I’m glad to have learned about it:

 

Regimental Highland Dancing Team Dress:

 

1. black piper's glengarry (no blackcock feather)

2. No 1 dress doublet

3. piper's waist belt

4. piper's sporran

5. black and green long hose and green garter

flashes

Edited 8 September , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[Ron Abbott]

8 hours ago, gordon92 said:

Chris.....

To answer your questions:

 

Yes, pipers in all 11 Scottish regiments that had pipe bands (Scots Greys did not have one at this time) wore mostly plain blue glengarries, but, of course, there were exceptions: Cameronians (SR) wore black, HLI used dark green, and A&SH pipers wore plain black glengarries.  As I am sure you will recall, you have have posted photos of the occasional piper in a diced glengarry during the war who were likely Territorial or service battalions.

 

In full dress, Bandsmen wore the full dress headdress of their regiment; Seaforth and Argyll bandsmen had red hackles in their feather bonnets. Exception was the HLI whose bandsmen wore feather bonnets with red hackles instead of shakos; this was inherited from the pre-1881 74th Highlanders.  In undress or service dress, bandsmen wore the standard glengarry of their regiments.

 

I am aware of no distinguishing elements that pipers had in their Tams.  I have seen drawings of blackcock feathers in Tams, particularly one of KOSB Piper Laidlaw.  I have never seen an actual photograph of this, and I suspect that the drawings are fanciful.  Whenever troops were in Tams, pipers would usually parade in glengarries (with the usual exceptions,).

 

Mike

 

 

The Royal Scots Greys did have a pipe corps at that time and possibly a pipes & drums (e.g. pipe band with drummers).

 

They had had one since at least the 1890s, albeit unofficially.  There is mention of the pipers in newspaper articles of that period (dated 1894 and 1899).  I am aware that the regiment did not officially have a pipes & drums until 1946 (under Pipe-Major John Brockie Gray) but it certainly had one long before then!

 

With specific regard to WW1, there is also mention in newspapers, one example being the Yorkshire Post of 6th April 1915 which talks of the combined bands of the 5th Cavalry Reserve playing at an event and included was the Sergeant-Piper of the Scots Greys who played 'Scottish reels'.

 

Unfortunately I haven't managed to identify who he was.

 

However Eric John Audis (b.1903-d.1984) appears to have taken on the role from 1920 onwards.  He claimed to have been born in 1901 and managed to join the army in 1919 and subsequently served in both the Royal Scots Greys and the Lovat Scouts.  Regimental service numbers 33507 and 392050. 

 

(his father, John William Audis; also served in the Scots Greys but left in 1922 to join the Palestine Police.  I do not know whether he was also a piper).  

 

Whilst in India in the early 1920s, the pipes and drums was actually mounted.  I haven't personally seen it but there is apparently a photograph of the mounted band on page 184 of 'These Terrible Grey Horses - An Illustrated History of the Royal Scots Greys' (Stephen Woods).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gordon92]

1 hour ago, Ron Abbott said:

 

 

The Royal Scots Greys did have a pipe corps at that time and possibly a pipes & drums (e.g. pipe band with drummers).

 

They had had one since at least the 1890s, albeit unofficially.  There is mention of the pipers in newspaper articles of that period (dated 1894 and 1899).  I am aware that the regiment did not officially have a pipes & drums until 1946 (under Pipe-Major John Brockie Gray) but it certainly had one long before then!

 

With specific regard to WW1, there is also mention in newspapers, one example being the Yorkshire Post of 6th April 1915 which talks of the combined bands of the 5th Cavalry Reserve playing at an event and included was the Sergeant-Piper of the Scots Greys who played 'Scottish reels'.

 

Unfortunately I haven't managed to identify who he was.

 

However Eric John Audis (b.1903-d.1984) appears to have taken on the role from 1920 onwards.  He claimed to have been born in 1901 and managed to join the army in 1919 and subsequently served in both the Royal Scots Greys and the Lovat Scouts.  Regimental service numbers 33507 and 392050. 

 

(his father, John William Audis; also served in the Scots Greys but left in 1922 to join the Palestine Police.  I do not know whether he was also a piper).  

 

Whilst in India in the early 1920s, the pipes and drums was actually mounted.  I haven't personally seen it but there is apparently a photograph of the mounted band on page 184 of 'These Terrible Grey Horses - An Illustrated History of the Royal Scots Greys' (Stephen Woods).

 

Ron....Thank you for this most interesting update on the Royal Scots Greys. I was unaware that a pipe band unofficially existed prior to 1946. By "unofficial" is it meant that the band was funded entirely by the officers?

Mike 

 

[Ron Abbott]

11 hours ago, gordon92 said:

Ron....Thank you for this most interesting update on the Royal Scots Greys. I was unaware that a pipe band unofficially existed prior to 1946. By "unofficial" is it meant that the band was funded entirely by the officers?

Mike 

 

 

Sorry, but I have no idea how the pipers/pipes&drums was funded.  However they certainly existed, not only being mentioned in the aforementioned newspapers but I have also previously seen some photos, albeit not the one in the quoted book.

 

There is also another newspaper article from 1915 which mentions the pipers in WW1 and that was the Sheffield Daily Telegraph of 29th June 1915.  It contains an article mentioning a musical display by the 5th Reserve Cavalry Regiment which it alleges was made up of men from the 1st Dragoons and he Scots Greys.  Playing at the event was the regimental band (under the direction of SS Smith of the Dragoons and FW Frayling of the Royal Scots Greys) and their pipers, namely Pipe-Major McLean and Pipe-Corporal Martin. 

 

Frayling was very likely Frederick William Frayling.

 

The only McLean listed for the 5th Reserve Cavalry that I have surfaced was a man called Richard Purcell McLean who hailed from Stirling and who also served in the 4th Argylls, 10th Argylls and the Royal Engineers and who had been a stalker prior to WW1, however I have no idea whether that is the man named McLean who was 'Pipe-Major'.  

 

Anyway, my apologies......I have taken this away off at tangents. 

 

Obviously the Greys were not a highland regiment either.....but to bring it slightly back on track, they were known for their white coloured hackles (still worn by the pipers of the RSDG to this day....on both feather bonnets and glengarries)!

 

 

[FROGSMILE]

Pipers within regiments not authorised for a piper establishment were misemployed (repurposed) from other roles within the unit.  Sometimes this was by reducing slightly the number of drummers (infantry) and within the cavalry I suspect it might have been a few less trumpeters, although that is not the only resource that might have been slightly denuded.  It was the instruments themselves that were funded via the ‘officers band (and pipes) fund’, which was a mandatory subscription placed upon officers by regimental tradition and without demur or interference by the war office.  This was a very long-standing practice indeed.

Edited 9 September , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[gordon92]

7 hours ago, Ron Abbott said:

 

Sorry, but I have no idea how the pipers/pipes&drums was funded.  However they certainly existed, not only being mentioned in the aforementioned newspapers but I have also previously seen some photos, albeit not the one in the quoted book.

 

There is also another newspaper article from 1915 which mentions the pipers in WW1 and that was the Sheffield Daily Telegraph of 29th June 1915.  It contains an article mentioning a musical display by the 5th Reserve Cavalry Regiment which it alleges was made up of men from the 1st Dragoons and he Scots Greys.  Playing at the event was the regimental band (under the direction of SS Smith of the Dragoons and FW Frayling of the Royal Scots Greys) and their pipers, namely Pipe-Major McLean and Pipe-Corporal Martin. 

 

Frayling was very likely Frederick William Frayling.

 

The only McLean listed for the 5th Reserve Cavalry that I have surfaced was a man called Richard Purcell McLean who hailed from Stirling and who also served in the 4th Argylls, 10th Argylls and the Royal Engineers and who had been a stalker prior to WW1, however I have no idea whether that is the man named McLean who was 'Pipe-Major'.  

 

Anyway, my apologies......I have taken this away off at tangents. 

 

Obviously the Greys were not a highland regiment either.....but to bring it slightly back on track, they were known for their white coloured hackles (still worn by the pipers of the RSDG to this day....on both feather bonnets and glengarries)!

Thanks for this additional information on the Greys, Ron.

 

5 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

Pipers within regiments not authorised for a piper establishment were misemployed (repurposed) from other roles within the unit.  Sometimes this was by reducing slightly the number of drummers (infantry) and within the cavalry I suspect it might have been a few less trumpeters, although that is not the only resource that might have been slightly denuded.  It was the instruments themselves that were funded via the ‘officers band (and pipes) fund’, which was a mandatory subscription placed upon officers by regimental tradition and without demur or interference by the war office.  This was a very long-standing practice indeed.

Below is an egregious example of misemployment:  Pipes and Drums of the the 1st Bn Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders at Aldershot 1910.  I count 21 pipers and 23 drummers (including 2 boys).

 

[FROGSMILE]

Yes, that is a very good example.

[o j kirby]

On 08/09/2020 at 15:07, gordon92 said:

Derek.....All of the above are the usual minefields and suicide missions!  Might give them a try if the pandemic drags on.  Did do one on sporrans about 7 or 8 years ago.

 

Please do, Owain.

Hello,

I managed to find some rough notes taken during a visit to the A&SH museum archives many years ago. I spent time with the photo archives. I noted that officers and men of the 12 battalion in Salonika were wearing a white hackle on their T O S with a tartan patch behind. One photo of officers dated 25/12/17. Unfortunately, I do not have copies of photos. Perhaps after covid restrictions I can get back up to the archives now that I have a camera phone.

Just as a separate piece of interest, I also noted that men of the 14th batt. men were wearing a matt badge in their bonnets, not the usual shiny white metal ones.

 

I hope this at least offers a bit more information for you all.

Cheers,

Owain.

[ronmarsden]

Just found this old copy photo from DP&G.

Seaforth I think particularly nice plaid brooches.

 

[FROGSMILE]

Cameronian’s (Scottish Rifles) I think.  Black buttons and horse hair plumes on drummers, and black insignia on officers.  The pipers seem to have white metal buttons that are perhaps unique to them, not something I’ve noticed before.  The plaids are Douglas sett and the hose Cameronian’s pattern, as are the sporrans too.  The 2nd Battalion had a number of differing dress idiosyncrasies from the 1st Battalion to reflect that prior to 1881 one had been a more senior line regiment and the other light infantry.  One of these differences was the piper’s plaid brooch, another was the sporran.  It is the larger, 2nd Bn brooch that had the Cairngorm gem stone centre.  When the 1st and 2nd Battalions were obliged to merge in 1947-48 (part of infantry wide contraction) a compromise was reached by adopting selected features from each of the two battalions.  
 

The photo shows a group from the 2nd Battalion.

 

Edited 15 September , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[Ron Abbott]

8 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

Cameronian’s (Scottish Rifles) I think.  Black buttons and horse hair plumes on drummers, and black insignia on officers.  The pipers seem to have white metal buttons that are perhaps unique to them, not something I’ve noticed before.  The plaids are Douglas sett and the hose Cameronian’s pattern too.

Yes, Cameronians and I have seen photos of their pipers wearing the white metal and black buttons before......and on a variety of uniforms, but it's not common.

 

They had some beautiful plaid brooches over the years and (depending on personal opinion) some horrendous looking sporrans!