Positioning of flashings

[OC Richard]

I thought of this thread when I looked more closely at this photo I took last weekend.

A smartly dressed band in nearly every way, but a variety of flash positionings.

In the front row, the leftmost piper has 3/6 o'clock, pretty rare in the pipe band field, and the second piper from right has his almost that far back. Most of the pipers have the usual 2/10 o'clock, but the front row piper third from the right and the drum major are wearing their flashes the Black Watch/Argylls etc manner.

[Trey]

Unless one is in the USMA pipe band. At West Point the regulations call for the flashes to be worn in the 9 and 3 o'clock positions.

This is indeed true, the band regulations cite some sort of tradition [real or "Sir Walter Scott-ed"] of kilted americans during the revolution wearing their flashes to the side as a sign of rebellion....perhaps a founding member saw a cool painting or was told something of a tradition rooted in a by-gone Army Pipes and Drums.

Therefore when wearing West Point kit the gold flashes are at 9 and 3, however when I am wearing my personal kilt I wear them as perscribed in RRoS regulations. If its good enough for Her Majesty's forces its good enough for me!