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Dice colours of the Glengarry worn by the Scottish regiments of the British Army


Kenny Andrew

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In this thread I will list the different dice colours used by Scottish regiments of the British army. Although the Glengarry is recognised as a traditional form of Scottish headdress, the Glengarry was also worn universally by most British Regiments from 1874 to 1895.  

The Glengarry bonnet was made part of the uniform of the Glengarry Fencibles when they were formed in 1794 by Alasdair Ranaldson MacDonell of Glengarry, who has been described as having invented the cap, but it may have originated earlier when Balmoral bonnets were bent and creased. In his Dictionary of Military Uniform, W.Y. Carman notes that that first recorded military use of the Glengarry may have been that of a piper of the 74th Foot. It is not clear whether earlier pictures of civilians or fencible infantry show a true Glengarry or simply a folded highland bonnet.

Capable of being folded flat the Glengarry became a characteristic part of the uniform of the Scottish regiments of the British Army. By 1860 the Glengarry, without a diced border and usually with a feather, was adopted by pipers in all regiments except the 42nd (Black Watch), who retained the feather bonnet. By 1914 all Scottish regiments were wearing dark blue Glengarries in non-ceremonial orders of dress, except for the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) who wore it in Rifle green, and the Scots Guards who wear peaked forage caps instead, albeit with a diced band. The diced bands were usually in red and white but the toories on top could be red, Royal blue or black according to regiment.

For a period from 1868 to 1902, the Glengarry was adopted as an undress cap for ordinary duty and walking out dress for most British soldiers. A cap described in a 1937 amendment to the Dress Regulations for the Army as "similar in shape to the Glengarry" became the Universal Pattern Field Service Cap of the British Army in World War II. In the 1930s, Percy Sillitoe, the Chief Constable of the City of Glasgow Police, replaced the traditional police helmet with peaked caps featuring black and white chequered cap bands based on those featured on the military's Glengarry headdress, popularly known as the 'Sillitoe Tartan'. The diced band was subsequently widely adopted by British and other police forces around the world on their caps.

Gordon Highlanders Glengarry 

 The Gordons wore a dark blue glengarry with red ,white and very dark green dice with a red toorie.

The Gordon Highlanders were a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed for 113 years, from 1881 until 1994 when it was amalgamated with the Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons) to form the Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons) In March 2006 they became the 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (4 SCOTS)

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Their cap badge comprised of a white metal badge, with a stags head within a wreath of ivy, with a coronet and small scroll with the motto 'BYDAND' (Steadfast)

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Three officers of 1st Battalion The Gordon Highlanders photographed in France during the early months of the First World War 

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Cameronians Glengarry

The Cameronians wore a rifle green glengarry with a black toorie,  black ribbon tails and a black rosette behind the badge. It was adopted by the Cameronians in the 1890s.

The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) was a rifle regiment of the British Army, the only regiment of rifles amongst the Scottish regiments of infantry. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 26th Cameronian Regiment and the 90th Perthshire Light Infantry. In 1968, when reductions were required, the regiment chose to be disbanded rather than amalgamated with another regiment, one of only two infantry regiments in the British Army to do so, with the other being the York and Lancaster Regiment. It can trace its roots to that of the Cameronians, later the 26th of Foot, who were raised in 1689. The 1881 amalgamation coincided with the Cameronian's selection to become the new Scottish Rifles regiment.

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The cap badge of The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) is a Mullet of the Coat of Arms of the Douglas family upon a stringed Bugle Horn, within two sprays of thistles.The badge reflects the origins of the regiment and its connections with the ancient and powerful Douglas family. It also commemorates their origins in the Light Infantry, as indicated by the bugle horn. Bugles were used in light infantry regiments to give signals in the field in the same way as the drum was used in infantry line regiments.

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Major Richard Oakley on the left and Regimental Serjeant Major John Chalmers MC DCM on the right. This photograph was taken shortly after Major Oakley was sent to the 2nd Battalion it dates to April 26 1915. After the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, the 2nd Battalion found itself without most of its officers; Major Oakley, who was 2i/c of the 1st Battalion, took over temporary command of the 2nd.

John Chalmers was awarded the DCM while a Serjeant in the 2nd Battalion during the Boer War, and by the time the Battalion landed in France in November 1914 he was Regimental Serjeant Major. During the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, when almost all of the officers had been killed or wounded, Chalmers was the lynch pin that held the Battalion together. He was awarded the Military Cross for his efforts at Neuve Chapelle, and in this photograph he is proudly displaying the ribbon of his new decoration.

Sadly, Chalmers was shot by a sniper near Le Transloy in the dying stages of the Battle of the Somme. Chalmers had been offered a commission on several occasions, but would always politely refuse on the grounds that he could do more good for the Battalion as the Serjeant Major than as a Second Lieutenant. 

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Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders glengarry

Gengarry courtesy of Buster 

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders wore a a dark blue glengarry with red and white dice and a red toorie.

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until amalgamation into the 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland in March 2006.

The regiment was created under the Childers Reforms in 1881, as the Princess Louise's (Sutherland and Argyll Highlanders), by the amalgamation of the 91st (Argyllshire Highlanders) Regiment of Foot and 93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment of Foot, amended the following year to reverse the order of the “Argyll” and “Sutherland” sub-titles. The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was expanded to fifteen battalions during the First World War(1914–1918) and nine during the Second World War (1939–1945). The 1st Battalion served in the 1st Commonwealth Division in the Korean War and gained a high public profile for its role in Aden during 1967.

As part of the restructuring of the British Army's infantry in 2006, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were amalgamated with the Royal Scots, the King's Own Scottish Borderers, the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment), the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) and the Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons) into the seven battalion strong Royal Regiment of Scotland. Following a further round of defence cuts announced in July 2012 the 5th Battalion was reduced to a single public duties company called Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders).

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Their cap badge consisted of a white metal badge with a circlet inscribed ARGYLL AND SUTHERLAND. Within the circlet, voided, the cypher "L" of the late Princess Louise, interlaced and reversed. On the left of the cypher is a boar's head and on the right a cat-a-mountain (wild cat). Above the cypher and overlaying the top of the circlet is the Princess's coronet (a Royal Ducal coronet), all within a wreath of thistles. 

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Below is Lieutenant-Colonel Colin Campbell Mitchell (17 November 1925 – 20 July 1996) he was a British Army officer and politician. He became famous in July 1967 when he led the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in the British reoccupation of the Crater district of Aden. At that time, Aden was a British colony and the Crater district had been taken over by nationalist insurgents. Mitchell became widely known as “Mad Mitch”. His reoccupation of the Crater became known as "the Last Battle of the British Empire". The event marked the end of an era in British history and made Mitchell famous.

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  • 1 year later...

Black Watch Glengarry "Ladies from Hell"

 Dark blue crown and body with red toorie, the Black Watch did not use a diced band.

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The regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot (The Black Watch) was amalgamated with the 73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of Foot. It was known as The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) from 1881 to 1931 and The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) from 1931 to 2006. The source of the regiment's name is uncertain. In 1725, following the Jacobite rebellion of 1715, General George Wade was authorised by George I to form six "watch" companies to patrol the Highlands of Scotland, three from Clan Campbell, one from Clan Fraser of Lovat, one from Clan Munro and one from Clan Grant. These were to be "employed in disarming the Highlanders, preventing depredations, bringing criminals to justice, and hindering rebels. The force was known in Gaelic as Am Freiceadan Dubh, "the dark" or "black watch".

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First badge WW1 Cap badge with the motto Nemo Me Impune Lacessit "Nobody provokes me with impunity"

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Second badge WW2 version without the scrolls. 

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The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) is permitted to retain its most famous distinction, the red hackle. It could be worn on every form of headdress except the glengarry. Originally thought to be as a reward for their achievement at the Battle of Geldermaisen in 1794, in fact there is evidence to show that the Red Hackle was worn by the Regiment during the American War of Independence 1775-1783.

Under a plan devised by Lieutenant General Alistair Irwin and approved by General Sir Mike Jackson, on 16 December 2004, it was announced that the Black Watch was to join with five other Scottish regiments – the Royal Scots, the King's Own Scottish Borderers, the Royal Highland Fusiliers, The Highlanders and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders – to form the Royal Regiment of Scotland as the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) The battles which have contributed most to The Black Watch history have been those in which the odds have been most formidable. From Fontenoy to Fallujah with Ticonderoga, Waterloo, Alamein and two World Wars in between the Black Watch has been there when the world’s history has been shaped.

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  • 9 months later...

Nice posts about Glengarries.  The BW though do not wear the red hackle on a Glengarry, only on the Balmoral and TOS, by itself as it becomes the ‘badge’ on those headwear.

 

 

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Thanks Adjudant,  welcome to the forum and thank you for the correct information regarding the red hackle. I have now updated the post.    

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Seaforth Highlanders Glengarry

The Seaforth Highlanders wore a dark blue glengarry with red ,white and very dark green dice with a red toorie.

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The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's) was a historic line infantry regiment of the British Army, mainly associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The regiment existed from 1881 to 1961, and saw service in World War I and World War II, along with many smaller conflicts. In 1961 the regiment was amalgamated with the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders to form the Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons), which merged, in 1994, with the Gordon Highlanders to form the Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons). This, however, later joined the Royal Scots Borderers, the Black Watch, the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment) and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders to create the present Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Regimental cap badge of the Seaforth Highlanders. With the motto Cuidich 'n Righ (Aid the King)

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Three Seaforth Highlanders, Bedford, England 1915. Photograph hand coloured by Chris Foster.

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Very interesting headdress and badges. Difficult to ascertain from which period they are from, as they have hardly changed in over 100 years.

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Thanks Fritz, once I've completed the basic regiments I'm going to go back and add further details such as officers badges, time lines, amalgamations  etc.  

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Highland Light Infantry Glengarry 

Rifle green crown and body with black toorie.  The Highland Light Infantry did not use a diced band. The HLI and the Cameronians were the only two Scottish Regiments to wear the Rifle green glengarry.  They wore a white over red Hackle.  

The Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment)

The Highland Light Infantry (HLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1881. It took part in the First and Second World Wars, until it was amalgamated with the Royal Scots Fusiliers in 1959 to form the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment) which later merged with the Royal Scots Borderers, the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment), the Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons) and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders to form the Royal Regiment of Scotland, becoming the 2nd Battalion of the new regiment.

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Cap Badge of the Highland Light Infantry. "Hell's Last Issue" The regiment was nicknamed 'The Glesga Keelies' during the Peninsular Wars.

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Highland Light Infantry 1915

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I would also like to know more on these, is there any way to tell if a cap is from WW1 or WW2? I have seen several examples of both and nether have any tags or markings. But I have no way to verify this.

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There is no exact way to date them unfortunately. The black leather binding was introduced in 1908 so any with leather binding either black or brown can safely be considered WW1 period, however after WW1 began a faux silk binding was also introduced so these could also be WW1 period, although the faux silk binding is still used today. So if it has a leather binding you can date it, and if it has not you really just have to judge it yourself on wear and tear and age of the badges if present. That's why WW2 glengarrys are difficult to date as they would be very similar to 1950's etc.          

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Awesome, thanks for the tips!

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  • 5 weeks later...

The Cameron Highlanders

The Cameron Highlanders wore a dark blue glengarry with a red toorie.

The Regiment was formed during the height of the French Revolutionary Wars (1792-1802) by Sir Alan Cameron of Erracht in 1793.  It was named after one of the most powerful Highland Clans at the time as the Cameronian Volunteers, but soon designated as the 79th Regiment of Foot (Cameronian Volunteers).  The Regiment was then sent to the West Indies and remained at Martinique for 2 years, where it suffered terribly from disease, to such an extent that fit men were allowed to transfer to other Regiments and only 200 men returned to England in 1797.
 
In 1799 the regiment was part of the Helder Campaign during the War of the Second Coalition (1798–1802) and took part in the battle at Egmont-op-Zee.  The campaign had two objectives: to neutralize the Batavian fleet and to promote an uprising against the Batavian government.  The Anglo-Russian forces brokered a deal in order to evacuate from the peninsula after defeat at the Battle of Castricum (1799).  The 79th were also part of a failed assault on the Spanish coast at Ferrol in 1800.
 
In 1808 the 79th Foot moved to Portugal and then Spain as part of the Peninsular War (1808-1814) fighting at the Battle of Corunna, The Battle of Busaco, The defence of Cadiz, The Battle of Fuentes d'Onor, The Battle of Salamanca, The occupation of Madrid, The siege of Burgos, The Battles of the Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, and The Battle of Toulouse.  In 1815 the 79th formed part of the Duke of Wellington’s force at the Battle of Waterloo.  During the battle the Regiment formed a square to repel the French cavalry and Piper Kenneth MacKay stepped outside the square playing the ancient tune of "Cogadh no Sith" (War or Peace) to rallying effect and by nightfall the Great Army of Napoleon had been destroyed.
 
In 1854 the Regiment served during the Crimean War fighting at the Battles of Alma and Sevastopol. The Regiment then moved to India to assist the Honourable East India Company in crushing The Indian Rebellion of 1857.  The 79th took part in the recapture of Lucknow (1858) and then remained in India for 12 years.  Upon their return the Regiment were stationed on the Isle of Wight and performed ceremonial duties for Queen Victoria, for which they were awarded the title ‘The 79th Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders’.
 
In 1881 the Regiment was one of the few to escape amalgamation during the Childers Reforms, due only having one battalion, while the title 79th was dropped and the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders moved to Egypt as part of the successful Tel-el-Kebir remaining in Egypt until 1886.  The Regiment then participated in the Boer War and fought at various battles including the fall of Pretoria, the Battle of Diamond Hill, the capture of Spitzkopf and the Battle of Nooitgedacht and returned to Scotland in 1904.  The Regiment went on to serve during both World War One and World War Two.
 
In 1961 as part of the Defence Review the Cameron’s were amalgamated with the Seaforth Highlanders to form the Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Cameron’s).  In 1994 it was further amalgamated with the Gordon highlanders to become the Highlanders.

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Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders, white metal cap badge depicting St Andrew on ground with his saltire cross at the centre of a wreath of thistles, the top arms of which join the top arms of the cross. At the base of the wreath is a scroll bearing the title ‘CAMERON’

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CAPTAIN NAPIER CHARLES GORDON CAMERON, 1st BATTN. THE QUEEN'S OWN CAMERON HIGHLANDERS, was born at Gibraltar on the 14th December, 1876, being the son of the late General Sir William Gordon Cameron, G.C.B.,of Nea House, Christchurch, Hants, who served in the Crimea.
Captain Cameron began his military career by joining Strathcona's Horse in 1900 ; in the following year he received a commission in the Scottish Horse, and served with them during the remainder of the South African war, in which he was wounded. For his services he was mentioned in Despatches and received the Queen's medal with four clasps. In June, 1902, he was gazetted to the Northumberland Fusiliers, and when the battalion was disbanded in 1908, obtained a commission in the 1st Battalion Cameron Highlanders as a Lieutenant,.
With this battalion he served in the Great War, being promoted Captain in September, 1914. On the 14th of that month he was reported wounded and missing, but rejoined his regiment after two days. On this occasion he owed his escape from capture by the Germans by feigning death, and lay for time on the ground while German soldiers cut off his belt and removed his claymore and revolver. Later on, while waiting till darkness to return to the regiment, with some private soldiers, they heard an officer of the Black Watch calling for help, and Captain Cameron with a private in the Camerons went out and brought him in under heavy fire. He was killed in action at the Battle of the Aisne on the 25th September, 1914.

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  • 8 months later...

Hi Coops as far as I know the only black Scottish glengarries were worn by pipers and drummers. The Glengarry was also worn universally by most British Regiments from 1874 to 1895 so perhaps some of the English regiments wore black but this is something I would need to research further.    

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  • 1 month later...

The dicing on those glengarrys are red, white, and a very, very dark green, not black or blue. 
“Glengarry
The Glengarry was introduced to the British Army by Lieutenant Colonel The Hon Lauderdale Maule as Commanding Officer of the 79th. It was a practical and popular form of bonnet which soon became the undress wear in the Highland Regiments and by the 1870s was worn by all the Lowland and many English and Welsh line regiments.
The Regiment wears the green, white and red dicing previously worn by the Royal Scots, Kings Own Scottish Borderers, Royal Scots Fusiliers, Royal Highland Fusiliers, Seaforth Highlanders and Gordon Highlanders. It is worn at an angle slightly down on the right.”

-2nd edition, 2018 Royal Regiment of Scotland uniform regulations. p.63


https://www.theroyalregimentofscotland.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/20180618-Master_v3_SCOTS_New_DressRegs.pdf

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Welcome to the forum Creek. You are correct they are indeed very very dark green. I have a KOSB Glengarry in the shop at the moment and after very close inspection you are correct it is very dark green. On a thread called Dice colours of the Glengarry this is very important, thanks for pointing that out, I have updated the descriptions.     

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  • 2 months later...

Cameron Highlanders updated and other photos. Coming soon the Royal Scots 

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