2nd Seaforth Highlanders kit

[Chief_Chum]

Hey, there's no fooling you Wainfleet!

Yes, fellow Forumite Mo Stokes took the photo. He spent most of the tour as a 51st Div ASC Driver, looking after the transport, but did join us in a kilt at Thiepval, making the 24.

In November 2006 we were asked to send a couple of Chums over for the rededication of the 51st (Highland) Division flagpole in Beaumont Hamel. In the end we represented every Battalion in every Brigade plus Corps troops. We had all the brass shoulder titles made and all the battle patches too. It was an impressive sight.

Photos: Marching to the 51st Division Memorial, at the Memorial showing the three Brigades and Corps troops, and finally, at the flagpole dedication service, Windy Corner, Beaumont Hamel.

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[Andrew Upton]

To give the latest kit bump in the run up to Christmas.

As I've also been sourcing Officer kit on and off, I decided to put together another glengarry with the appropriate badge, as they seem to have stuck largely with it throught out the war until steel helmets came to the fore.

This glengarry was sourced from Ebay, and is a modern made example. Rather better quality than the standard WW1 type, but I can get away with this due to Officer private purchase. It came with a modern staybright Gordons badge attached and evidence of another badge having been mounting before that.

Officers used a 3 (or sometimes 4) piece cap badge usually - a seperate scroll, 3-D stags head, and a Ducal crowned L (this is sometimes two seperate bits). Originals/full repoductions start at about £125, too much to be messing about in the field. With the formation of the Queen's Own Highlanders in the 1960's they adopted the Seaforth badge with the addition of a seperate crown/thistle at the top, and in some cases for Officers and certain OR's this was made with the scroll and stags head seperate, the stags head being also 3-D (ie exactly the same pattern as used by Officers in WW1, albeit in silver plate). Despite some sellers offering the complete badge necessary for £70, £40 and £25, I was able to source a mint bagged Firmin made example from 2004 for £10 on Ebay - bargain

Now all I needed was a crowned-L to replace the crowned-thistle and I was sorted. A Canadian silversmith who had formally worked for the Canadian Seaforths was able to do so in sterling silver for £35.

And the finished product - very difficult to accurately pierce 7 mounting holes for the complete badge through the cap material, but the end result looks excellent:

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVgrwur

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqsORtJ&code=2

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxPg18J&code=2

[Andrew Upton]

I finished the tartan backing for the tam o'shanter some time ago, and fitted the OR's cap badge so it sits behind:

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVgrIY9&code=2

My tunic has had a cloth wreathed first class MG badge added to the left sleeve, and the Seaforth brass shoulder titles added to the epaulettes:

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqsPhVi&code=2

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Ts1c6V4S&code=2

[Andrew Upton]

Courtesy of the Birmingham Pals, I was able to get a month ago a reproduction kilt cover by WPG for £10 in my size, practically unusued. I have removed the very modern label from the inside and replaced the metal outside pocket button with a vintage khaki one that very nicely matches the colour:

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxPgv4r&code=2

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Ts1c71zi&code=2

This was the last major item I needed to get my kit off the ground, so hopefully I should be able to get some shots of the complete sets together once we get some nice weather I've also copied the tartan patches of the 1918 Seaforth illustration for 1918 wear, and will get some pictures of the insignia when I've replicated the 4th Division ramshead patches in green (got some lovely bits of antique snooker table baize that belonged to my Great Grandfather somewhere which will be perfect when I can find where I've hidden it!).

[Tinhat47]

Looks great!

[BottsGreys]

Great thread all--very interesting. While I can't add anything in the way of specific uniform knowledge, I thought I would share this RPPC of No. S/22879 Cpl. John Mitchell of the 2nd Bn Seaforths, who, sadly, died of illness in 1918. Notation on reverse "Corp. John Mitchell, Seaforths, Died of fever in France. Please return to his kin in Cowdenbeath."

Chris

CWGC:

Name: MITCHELL

Initials: J

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Corporal

Regiment/Service: Seaforth Highlanders

Unit Text: 2nd Bn.

Age: 23

Date of Death: 23/04/1918

Service No: S/22879

Additional information: Only son of David and Annie Mitchell, of 254, High St. Cowdenbeath, Fifeshire.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: XXIX. N. 1.

Cemetery: ETAPLES MILITARY CEMETERY

[Andrew Upton]

Just to give this one a bit of a bump, I thought I'd add some pictures of a few more recent acquisitions, namely two pairs of original 1914 issue khaki Scottish spats, which were a gift to me and a result of a lot of hard work.

I very deliberately acquired two pairs, a small sized almost mint pair which had lost a few buttons but still had their original 1914 paper labels intact for my collection, and a larger sized slightly worn pair to modify and use with my early war Seaforth living history kit.

This is the nicer of the two pairs, as I acquired it. As can be seen, one button is just a stub, the other damaged one is only half left, and one is intact but just hanging on by a thread:

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqKoPmr

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxTLUSA

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqKpYHA

[Andrew Upton]

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqKq7G9

A few new buttons cannabalised from a similar vintage pair, some careful sewing later, and voila:

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqKqrDi

[Andrew Upton]

Now for the second pair - similar to the first, two buttons off and a couple only just hanging on. As this pair had been used in the past, I intended to modify them by carefully removing the half-attached leather strap, adding four buttons to each and replacing the fixed strap with detachable leather ones which seems to have been a popular period modification:

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVvwlNr

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=TsifdTi

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=TsjkcEA

[Andrew Upton]

The sticky marks that were all that remained of the original 1914 labels on this pair. Tocemma posted some pictures of an identical pair which I linked earlier in the thread - when he mentioned the coarse canvas the exterior is made of, I didn't expect them to be this coarse!

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=TsjkmD9

After the buttons had been sorted:

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVwDNcA

After the straps had been removed, buttons added, and the detatchable straps fitted:

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Tsjku6A

[Andrew Upton]

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Tsjkz5S

And a few pictures of me wearing with the rest of the appropriate legwear for 1914 - the shoes are in fact a pair of modern black Oxfords, I feel they capture the spirit of the plain lines of original shoes much better than what the modern brogues have evolved into:

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=TsmNBnA

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=TsmNQlr

[loganshort]

Nice knees Andrew! Lucky thing getting a kilt apron at that price! Looking forward to seeing the full kit. And nice pic Chris of J Mitchell. Hope Andrew will look as smart.

[Andrew Upton]

Nice knees Andrew! Lucky thing getting a kilt apron at that price! Looking forward to seeing the full kit. And nice pic Chris of J Mitchell. Hope Andrew will look as smart.

Thanks, actually had the later war kit out at Kelmarsh earlier in the year and a few pictures from then got posted, one group shot copied below:

http://s3.postimage.org/3COS-b778cdf958dbae723a8ad6692d1c25aa.jpg

[rgalley]

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Tsjkz5S

And a few pictures of me wearing with the rest of the appropriate legwear for 1914 - the shoes are in fact a pair of modern black Oxfords, I feel they capture the spirit of the plain lines of original shoes much better than what the modern brogues have evolved into:

Apologies for adding to this so late in the day, but here's a variation on the theme of spats. As worn by a member of H Company, 1/4th Seaforth Highlander, 1914. Shows two-piece leather strap fastended with buckle under instep, to allow for adjustment of fit against sides of shoe. The straps are sewn into the spats, rather than buttoned.

Regards

Richard

PS Anyone closer to finding a source of repro khaki spats (other than Replicaters)?

[Andrew Upton]

Apologies for adding to this so late in the day, but here's a variation on the theme of spats. As worn by a member of H Company, 1/4th Seaforth Highlander, 1914. Shows two-piece leather strap fastended with buckle under instep, to allow for adjustment of fit against sides of shoe. The straps are sewn into the spats, rather than buttoned.

PS Anyone closer to finding a source of repro khaki spats (other than Replicaters)?

Thanks for the picture, nice to see yet another variation in how they were modified to achieve better/more practical results

I know someone who has been looking into properly/authentically made khaki spats, and sent the pictures of my mint pair to someone else with similar aims, but nothing seems to have come of either yet. So until then for those not lucky enough to find a suitable original pair the dying white ones still seems to be the main option.