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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Kilt experts wanted


john in minnesota

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John,

Please find enclosed an Argyll kilt with box pleats (bear in mind this is a new kilt).

Hope this helps you picture what a box pleat looks like.

Aye

Tom McC

post-10175-1157302470.jpg

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John,

Out of interest I was perusing the net, and found a brilliant example of an Argyll Kilt. The chap that bought it thought it was a Black Watch Kilt. It even states on it A & S H, O R & Pipers (Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Other Ranks & Pipers) :lol: . And he still thought it was Black Watch.

http://www.geektimes.com/michael/culture/c...watch/kilt.html

If you look a the kilt (not the auctioneer one, the one from the back) you can see the that the tartan is 'bright' compared to traditional Black Watch tartan, you can also see the box pleats, and the way the folds do not show the full sett of the tartan (it just looks like bright, horizontal lines) - Argyll Kilt.

Again, hope this helps, and hop this guy eventually finds a Black Watch Kilt :D

Tom McC

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  • 1 year later...

Sorry I'm a bit late for this thread ! From my recollection of a book I read many moons ago, Argylls' r & f wore Black Watch pattern in common with the BW r & f and officers, presumably pattern 1, but A&SH officers and WO's had a slightly different pattern - could this be the 1A ?

Also, I recall reading that BW kilts and pleating showed off the blue tones while the A&SH kilts and their pleating highlighted the green coolour better.

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Hi John and Joe,

I believe that the tartans were exactly the same but the pleats at the back of the kilt were different - one had square 'box' pleats (The A&SH I think) and the other had the conventional folded pleats.

The 2001 Khaki Chums tour of the Somme was a Highlander Tour and every particiant had to represent a different kilted unit which served on the Somme. Of the 36 Battalions which fought on the Somme we managed 24 different ones. The pic shows the McChums on 1st July 2001 marching through Beaumont Hamel on the way to Thiepval.

I'm sure there is a kilt fettishist out there somewhere who can confirm those pleats.

Cheers,

Taff

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Taff,

In your photo in post #9 the McChums appear to wearing what I know as 'Bratties' over their kilts. According to my aunt, 'brattie' is the Gaelic word for 'apron' and is worn to protect the kilt from mud etc. A number of years ago she gave me her father's (my gransfathers) brattie, from when he sevred in the 7th A&SH in WW1 (No kilt though, that was long since lost).

Any body have any info on bratties and the wearing of them with kilts?

Andy

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Andy

Discussed fairly recently :

HERE

and at more length:

HERE in what started as a discussion of drab kilts.

Chris

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Thanks Chris,

Very interesting links!

Loads of info on the subject, although no mention of the Scottish gaelic name 'brattie' . Maybe my aunt was mistaken...

I have the kilt apron made from thin khaki material with a pocket at the front, which my granddad must have used between Dec 1915 and Feb 1917 when he served with the A&SH.

Cheers,

Andy

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Andy, any chance of a picture? - is it a full wrap around or just an "apron"?

I wouldn't asssume your aunt was mistaken on the name - sounds perfectly reasonable to me and I'm not sure the discussions here went in that direction.

Chris

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I have seen somewhere in my many books a poem about the 'brattie' I will see if i can find it and get back to you.

Regards,

Stewart

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Found it. The poem was called 'the Brattie' and was written by Neil Munro. It appears in Trevor Royle's book 'In Flanders Fields'.

I will try and find out if there is a word similar to Brattie in the Gaelic.

Regards,

Stewart

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John,

If the pin is original to the kilt (very hard to verify) then your issue kilt could be to the A&SH.

Oddly, the way to tell between RH and ASH is by the Kilt fastener.

ASH used a safety pin.

RH used Glass headed pins

Also the:

Camerons used solid brass headed pins.

Seaforth and Gordon kilts were fixed by two buckle closures using lengths of black leather strapping.

If you find a kilt with three strap closure its 1930's or later.

The Kilt fasteners are actually hard to find.

Take care

Joe Sweeney

Hello!

This has all been a very worthwhile topic. I have three WW1 Kilts: Seaforth, a government tartan...and Gordon highlanders. The Gordons kilt was with the man's Glengarry and T.O.S.,and named and numbered to him inside. This kilt has the 3 strap fastening- it all looks a bit imprivised, but definitely WW1. The soldier transferred to the Royal Engineers later on in the war.

Owain

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Hello!

This has all been a very worthwhile topic. I have three WW1 Kilts: Seaforth, a government tartan...and Gordon highlanders. The Gordons kilt was with the man's Glengarry and T.O.S.,and named and numbered to him inside. This kilt has the 3 strap fastening- it all looks a bit imprivised, but definitely WW1. The soldier transferred to the Royal Engineers later on in the war.

Owain

Owain,

(not meaning to hijack this thread but....)

Do you have the chap's name and number? It seems a good few 1/4th Bn men transferred to the RE. I keep running accross this reference and I am trying to establish a pattern.

Chris

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4th Gordons,

I'm being badly let down by technology at the moment, so I can't attach a photo to this post. Sorry.

It is a 'half' apron, and is very similar to the photo in the 2nd thread which you posted. Interesting that the half aprons were unofficial 'mods' to the full apron.

Cheers,

Andy

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Owain,

(not meaning to hijack this thread but....)

Do you have the chap's name and number? It seems a good few 1/4th Bn men transferred to the RE. I keep running accross this reference and I am trying to establish a pattern.

Chris

Hi Chris,

Th man was S/9025 L/Cpl Henry Osborne, but he was with the 10th Gordon highlanders. He was renumbered 112220 when transferred to the RE. I don't have my information to hand, but I think he rose in promotion. This probably doesn't fit into your pattern with the 4th but at least it answers your question.

Cheers

Owain.

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  • 5 weeks later...

Hi All,

I have just returned from a forum meeting where one of the chaps brought along a 1917 Black watch kilt. The kilt was manufactured in Glasgow, and as described it has no buckles (at all), it is described as a Royal Highlanders kilt, and it has barrel pleats.

Hope this helps

Aye

Tom McC

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Gary,

Excellent, many thanks for posting the photos. I will put a post action report on the meetings thread tomorrow.

Aye

Tom McC

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Tom-Dundeesown,

That very nice Kilt is RACD pattern 7952/1913, 12 December 1913, for the Royal Highlander’s.

I have a nice 1918 dated version with a very nice paper label.

Yes, all Royal Highlanders Kilts had Barrel--also known as a cane or round pleat, until very recently (1930' or 40's).

I published details of Kilts in the April issue of Militaria Magazine.

Joe Sweeney

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  • 4 months later...
Tom-Dundeesown,

That very nice Kilt is RACD pattern 7952/1913, 12 December 1913, for the Royal Highlander's.

I have a nice 1918 dated version with a very nice paper label.

Yes, all Royal Highlanders Kilts had Barrel--also known as a cane or round pleat, until very recently (1930' or 40's).

I published details of Kilts in the April issue of Militaria Magazine.

Joe Sweeney

I'd also be very grateful for a copy of the article.

Many thanks,

Hugh Tulloch

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Hello , i confirm , articles made by Joe in the french magazine militaria , is ..very nice , perfect with every details

many thanks Joe

if you like scottish clothing of the great war , you must to buy it !

cheers

Toplexil

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Just to confuse the issue, I have found that the Yellow stripe in Gordon Tartan doesnt show up on old black & white photo's

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  • 8 years later...

Hello,

Can anyone share any of the images from the French Militaria Magazine of April 2008 of Kilts and any other Scottish military uniform?

Many thanks,

Owain.

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  • 6 years later...

Has anyone got of a copy of Brig Gen Joe Sweeney's article about kilts published in the April 2008 Issue of Militaria Magazine that would be happy to share with me.

I am founder trainer for the College of Master Kilt Tailors and I feel this would be valuable information for the students. 

 

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