conijoni Posted 1 May , 2010 Share Posted 1 May , 2010 This is Thomas Wylie from Londonderry, Ireland. Can anyone tell me what uniform he is wearing? Thank you. Johnny Conn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 1 May , 2010 Admin Share Posted 1 May , 2010 Johnny Can you repost this (or can a Mod move to Soldiers please? Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eviltaxman Posted 1 May , 2010 Share Posted 1 May , 2010 I don't know if this is even WW1 era uniform, but I'll move it to Soldiers anyway. Be aware that if it's not WW1 related, the thread will be closed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dundeesown Posted 1 May , 2010 Share Posted 1 May , 2010 I`ll go with Black Watch. Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 1 May , 2010 Share Posted 1 May , 2010 That looks like a Queen Victoria's crown on the insignia on the sporran. Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 1 May , 2010 Share Posted 1 May , 2010 I`ll go with Black Watch. That looks like a Queen Victoria's crown on the insignia on the sporran. It does look like St Andrew off the centre of the Royal Highlanders/Black Watch cap badge holding his cross, and therefore not a crown at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 1 May , 2010 Share Posted 1 May , 2010 It does look like St Andrew off the centre of the Royal Highlanders/Black Watch cap badge holding his cross, and therefore not a crown at all. Royal Highlanders (Black Watch) looks right to me. I scarlet tunic, royal blue facings and I think . White horsehair sporran with 5 black tassels...I'm with Gary and Andrew on this. His buff belt pouch is interesting (quite large) I wonder if he is a bandsmen? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high wood Posted 2 May , 2010 Share Posted 2 May , 2010 Medal index cards from the NA website for Thomas Wylie's with a Highland regiment connection: Wylie, Thomas Corps: Gordon Highlanders Regiment No: S/16539 Rank: Private Wylie, Thomas P Corps: Cameron Highlanders Regiment No: S/21787 Rank: Private Wylie, Thomas Corps: Royal Irish Rifles Regiment No: 3/8792 Rank: Private Wylie, Thomas Corps: Seaforth Highlanders Regiment No: S/3119 Rank: Private Wylie, Thomas Corps: Gordon Highlanders Rank: Second Lieutenant Wylie, Thomas F Corps: Gordon Highlanders Regiment No: S/20385 Rank: Private None have a Royal Highlanders connection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted 2 May , 2010 Share Posted 2 May , 2010 I have a Black Watch Red Hackle, The black Watch have a "Red hackle day" don't they. This soldier has a white feather, so unless Black Watch Musicians did not wear a red hackle not Black Watch. White feather suggest Cameron highlanders, the sporran badge looks like the collar bade of the cameron Highlanders. Why does he not have collar dogs? Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 2 May , 2010 Share Posted 2 May , 2010 Why does he not have collar dogs? Alan I was wondering this too... Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roughdiamond Posted 2 May , 2010 Share Posted 2 May , 2010 Johnny What's the DOB for your man? The photo to me looks late 19th early 20th Century, white hackle means he's not Black Watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthergw Posted 2 May , 2010 Share Posted 2 May , 2010 If the photo emulsion is not playing tricks with the colours, he is a Cameron rather than a Black Watch man. His kilt looks like Royal Stewart which would make him a piper. I think this is well before WW1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roughdiamond Posted 2 May , 2010 Share Posted 2 May , 2010 This is a photo of 3 Cameron Highlanders from the 1880's, 3 things to note, the number of tassels on the Sporran, the Sporran badge, and the darker collar complete with collar dogs, the tunic however does seem to be from the same period. IMHO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 2 May , 2010 Share Posted 2 May , 2010 lack of collardogs is worrisome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dundeesown Posted 2 May , 2010 Share Posted 2 May , 2010 I can`t see that kilt being Royal Stewart,as you can see on the lad on the right of this pic,but I`m sure it is the Black Watch sporran,I think the light is playing tricks with the Hackle.Or how about Hybrid uniform for Irish Band.( Oops) From The Black Watch Photographic Archive Book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob elliott Posted 2 May , 2010 Share Posted 2 May , 2010 Hi, Think Dundeesown is right, this could be Loyalist Pipe band uniform. Londonderry had 4 or 5 of them before the 1st war,including the Abercorn, Steelstown and Culmore and just over the border in Donegal there were even more, Raphoe, Manorcunningham, Convoy. There are still about 6 pipe bands from East Donegal. They all used Highland military dress as the basis of their uniforms and would use the badges the various regiments wore. Due to cost it would not be unusual though to see Victorian badges later. Would explain no collar dogs. Also the photographer, could it be J.Glass ? Where did the photo come from? There is a Thomas Wylie lived in Shantallow in Londonderry in the 1911 census aged 16 and although young for the photo the image could be deceptive as to when it was taken. There are a couple of other Thomas Wylie's in the City but the younger one seemed more probable due to his location, close to Steeltown. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roughdiamond Posted 2 May , 2010 Share Posted 2 May , 2010 Good find by Dundeesown for the sporran, the hybrid theory sounds good, the hackle is definately not red, there are no collar dogs, and am I right in saying that's a length of tartan coming from the right shoulder? that detail I found really strange, the photo of the Black Watch shows the plaid properly worn by the bandsmen, but the way he has it is just wrong, finally if he was a bandsman, he'd have the striped epulettes as worn by the piper on the left of the photo and the other man in the centre. One final one, there is no badge under the hackle, yet one can clearly be seen in the photo's of the Camerons and Black Watch, Robs idea sounds good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnr.ktrha Posted 2 May , 2010 Share Posted 2 May , 2010 I think it is very likely that this is a photographic studio uniform. They tended to have a strange mix of items for dressing up in. This type of photo is not uncommon, they were especially common during the first part of the war when so many men enlisted, but did not have uniforms straight away. He is wearing a type of ammo pouch used by the army c1880 [think it was called the 1884 pattern, off the top of my head], on what looks like a Slade Wallace belt. The bit of tartan on his shoulder is called a Fly Plaid, but it is worn in the photograph on the wrong side, it should be attached to the other shoulder. This was standard issue to Highland Regiments pre 1914, and was worn as part of there Full Dress Uniform. {Now only issued to Drummers in the Army}. They are usually hard to spot in period photo's. Regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 2 May , 2010 Share Posted 2 May , 2010 I would go along with the Irish Pipe Band theory I went to Campbell College in Belfast, and the CCF pipe band had a uniform that looked suspiciously like that. I tried to find a picture, but the uniform today has changed completely, and they no longer wear the busby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conijoni Posted 3 May , 2010 Author Share Posted 3 May , 2010 Very much appreciate everybody's input. Will get back to you if I find anything more about this uniform. Thank you. Johnny Conn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 4 May , 2010 Share Posted 4 May , 2010 Just one other possible that I don't think anyone has mentioned.... how about a Canadian connection? Aren't there Canadian Scottish units with close connections (eg shared or very similar badges etc) with "home" Scottish regiments? 48th Highlanders etc? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnr.ktrha Posted 4 May , 2010 Share Posted 4 May , 2010 The reason against him being in a band are the fact that he is not wearing bandsmen wings, which even during this period were very, very commonly seen worn by civilian Pipe Bands as well as the Army. He is wearing an Ammo pouch, and not a bandsmans one, which would be worn in a different place anyway. He is also wearing a bayonet frog [but no bayonet!] Not commonly used in bands. If he was issued any sort of side arm, it would of course be a dirk, if he were in a Pipe Band. He has no bonnet badge. I have never seen a band that has gone to all the trouble and expense of getting Full Dress uniforms but not then bothered to get some form of badge. If he were a piper, I would expect him to be wearing a Baldric belt, if a drummer, he would be wearing a drum sling. Also, he is not very well turned out, his sporran is in a hell of a mess and his kilt is badly creased! As I mentioned before his fly plaid is worn on the wrong side. Others have spotted the lack of any badges and he is wearing a strange version of a Black Watch sporran. All in all it looks like he has dressed up for the photo, rather than it being something issued to him. This was a very common practice during this period and very many photographers has a stock of military style uniforms for their clients to dress up in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conijoni Posted 4 May , 2010 Author Share Posted 4 May , 2010 Just one other possible that I don't think anyone has mentioned.... how about a Canadian connection? Aren't there Canadian Scottish units with close connections (eg shared or very similar badges etc) with "home" Scottish regiments? 48th Highlanders etc? Chris This is very possible...Wylie emigrated to Canada in mid 1920s. Thanks. Johnny Conn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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