1915 pic

**TheSp8** · 23rd November 07, 10:13 PM

I bought this photo postcard a couple of years ago from an antique dealer at a bazaar in Germany. The date on the postcard is Aug 1915 and is written to his Aunt and Uncle in Perthshire. The fellow in the kilt certainly looks like he's enjoying his time in the country. The thing I noticed first was that he was not wearing a sporran and no kilt pin. I'm not sure what kind of belt he is wearing either. Overall I think his outfit looks pretty sharp though. Enjoy the pic.

YMOS,
Tony

**Big Homestead** · 23rd November 07, 10:27 PM

Great grab, man. It is wonderful to see history in print. Thanks for sharing your find.

Cheers!!!!

**cessna152towser** · 24th November 07, 06:06 AM

Interesting find there, thanks for posting.

**James MacMillan** · 24th November 07, 06:57 AM

Looks like a Blackwatch service kilt. Can't figure the belt out either. Interesting hose also.

Thanks for sharing.

**macwilkin** · 24th November 07, 07:08 AM

Originally Posted by James MacMillan

Looks like a Blackwatch service kilt. Can't figure the belt out either. Interesting hose also.

Thanks for sharing.

Ahem...Black Watch...two words.

:mrgreen:

Great photo. Since the Aunt & Uncle live in Perthshire, I'd safely bet that the young man in the kilt is a member of the RHR, since the Black Watch was traditionally recruited from Peth, Angus & Fife.

Regards,

Todd

**James MacMillan** · 24th November 07, 07:29 AM

Todd, your chain is so easy to pull......

The photo kicker for me is the top band on the kilt..... sure wish we knew more about the background. I know a guy that does photo detective work as a hobby. He has all kinds of techniques that the average person just wouldn't think of.

**Archangel** · 24th November 07, 08:34 AM

I have a sort of hobby of collecting these pics. It was bought in Germany. Some of those are of prisoners or "found" from WW1.

The hose looks like puttees. However, I don't recall seeing full puttees with kilts. In Osprey, p. 18, there is a studio picture of a soldier with similar wrinkled socks. (No point confusing the issue by identifying unit, it was a different kilt.)

The belt does not seem to fit any description except that it looks like the ends of short puttees usually worn with kilts. He may have taken his off and tied them around his waist.

The background in the picture looks more like the battlefield backgrounds than anything natural. I'm leaning more to that as part of the story. Perhaps it is some kind of work detail. However, his shirt throws me off. It doesn't look military although with a collar and a shirt or jacket over it, it would not show. Typically, it would be white but he may have chosen a dark colour knowing it would not stay white. Or some type of chaplain, hmmn?

**sharpdressedscot** · 24th November 07, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by James MacMillan

Looks like a Blackwatch service kilt. Can't figure the belt out either. Interesting hose also.

Thanks for sharing.

how can ya tell? It looks like a grey blob to me!

**James MacMillan** · 24th November 07, 09:04 AM

Originally Posted by sharpdressedscot

how can ya tell? It looks like a grey blob to me!

Heck it could be anything! This is all guess work, isn't it? But - -

In black and white - The regulation Military kilt has a lighter band around the top, where the inside waistband bends over. Plus, during that time, what else would it have been? The Gordon is close, but I don't see the distinctive light colored stripe as below: