Scots Sergeants

[gordon92]

Recently found this interesting photo of Scots sergeants with men of various regiments displaying a variety of SD jacket cutaway configurations.

No 'T' or numbers on shoulder titles,so they are not TF. Are they regulars or service battalions?

Here is my take on each man:

Front row (L to R facing): 1. KOSB sergeant wearing monocle. Physical Training Instructor badge above chevrons? 2. KOSB WO. Is that a wound stripe on left sleeve? 3. KOSB captain wearing Leslie tartan trousers. 4. Cameronian (SR) 2nd Lt. 5. KOSB staff sergeant.

Middle row: 1. Black Watch sergeant. 2. KOSB sergeant. 3. KOSB sergeant. 4. Black Watch sergeant. 5. Argyll & Sutherland sergeant. 6. KOSB sergeant.

Back row: 1. Sergeant of unclear regiment wearing kilt. 2. KOSB sergeant. 3. Black Watch sergeant.

The left-most man on the top row wearing the T-O-S is perplexing. Seems like his cap badge is star-shaped but would not be Black Watch who would wear a small red hackle instead of badge. Further, an apparent white stripe is visible on the top of his kilt suggesting Seaforth, but this is inconsistent with the cap badge. Any ideas on his regiment? What are the two dark stripes on the upper sleeve just below the shoulder straps?

Mike

[Tyneside Chinaman]

I know where you found it cause I bid on it too.

The two marks are a battle patch, possibly HLI of 32 Div.

regards

John

[gordon92]

I know where you found it cause I bid on it too.

The two marks are a battle patch, possibly HLI of 32 Div.

regards

John

John,

It looks like we were both looking at the same item.

Thanks for mentioning HLI because I had forgotten that the 6th HLI wore kilts (as did the 9th HLI but in Govt tartan); the MacKenzie tartan would have shown a white stripe as seen in the image. 6HLI were in the 52nd (Lowland) Division. I believe all of the HLI service battalions in the 32nd Div would have worn trousers.

Mike

[Tyneside Chinaman]

I added 32 Div because I know they did wear bars as a battle patch not sure of the 6th or 9th battalions.

Nice card though.

regards

John

[Lachlan]

I'm swithering about the Argylls serjeant. The badge is obscured, though the fact it's curved (bent horizontally into a curve by the soldier as a fashion statement), causing that side of the glengarry to lean flatter, suggests it’s the large Argylls badge.

However, looking at the kilt, I’m trying to decide if it’s the Argylls’ 1A Government sett or if it has what looks like coloured lines through it – the Seaforth’s MacKenzie sett. If the latter is the case, their 5^th TF battalion wore the old 93^rd’s red/white diced Glengarry, albeit the battalion's badge was smaller than the Argylls’ and circular.

[gordon92]

I'm swithering about the Argylls serjeant. The badge is obscured, though the fact it's curved (bent horizontally into a curve by the soldier as a fashion statement), causing that side of the glengarry to lean flatter, suggests it’s the large Argylls badge.

However, looking at the kilt, I’m trying to decide if it’s the Argylls’ 1A Government sett or if it has what looks like coloured lines through it – the Seaforth’s MacKenzie sett. If the latter is the case, their 5^th TF battalion wore the old 93^rd’s red/white diced Glengarry, albeit the battalion's badge was smaller than the Argylls’ and circular.

I see your point about the possible striations in the kilt on the man wearing the red-white diced glengarry. The 5th Seaforth wore Government tartan as well as a glengarry of Sutherland dicing. So, I do not know what to make of this apparent anomaly.