Black Watch spats/gaiters

[Bigkahuna]

I have been looking for answers on why the Black Watch wear spats with squared off toes. Can anyone give me the true account for this???

[macwilkin]

I knew I had read the answer to this query somewhere, and today I found it in the programme of the 2006 North American Tour of the bands of the Black Watch & Welsh Guards:

"The squaring of the toes on the spats is another pecularity to the Regiment and is said to represent the bravery and steadfastness of the regiment when fighting in a formed defensive sqaure during the Napoleonic period." (p.22)

Regards,

Todd

[Riverkilt]

'cause the Macdonalds whacked off the pointy parts with their claymores??

[macwilkin]

'cause the Macdonalds whacked off the pointy parts with their claymores??

See my post above, Ron. The RHR didn't face the Macdonalds, as they were off in France...

T.

[Bigkahuna]

I had heard that it was not such an honorable award. I had heard that it was a reminder that their square had been broken by the "Fuzzie Wuzzies" at Tel El Kibir. I was wondering what the true story was.

[macwilkin]

I had heard that it was not such an honorable award. I had heard that it was a reminder that their square had been broken by the "Fuzzie Wuzzies" at Tel El Kibir. I was wondering what the true story was.

What is your source for that? As noted before, my source was the programme from the 2006 North American tour; one would assume that the regimental museum was consulted for the articles in the programme.

Perhaps you're thinking of the story told in Farwell's Mr. Kipling's Army about how members of other regiments would attempt to provoke the Jocks by calling for a pint of "broken square", in reference to the Fuzzy Wuzzies breaking the square of the Black Watch at Tamai (not Tel-el-Kebir) in 1884. (p. 39) Farwell quotes Robert Graves' Good-bye to all that as the source of this story; Graves served with the Royal Welch Fusiliers during WWI, and there was evidently no love lost between the RHR and RWF.

Of course, you could always e-mail the regimental museum, or ask our own Nervous Jock.

Regards,

Todd

[Nervous Jock]

I was wondering if this one would come up. It is of course, false.

You can see squared spats in pictures from the Crimea, predating this event by some time.

In addition the part of said square which was broken was not held by the 42nd.

[george7]

My experience in the military leads me to believe that some higher up chose to change to squared off toes, changed the uniform accordingly, and it's been the same ever since... just because.

[xena]

My experience in the military leads me to believe that some higher up chose to change to squared off toes, changed the uniform accordingly, and it's been the same ever since... just because.

Quite probably the most accurate answer yet!

It probably had to do with what was locally available at the time. Huge logistics and supply systems giving troops standardized kit throughout the world is a very new thing. Formerly, when armies marched, and needed replacement kit, I presume they either made it themselves, or aquired locally produced closest equivalents. There was likely a tremendous amount of variation in uniforms that aren't reflected in all the official historic illustrations.

[macwilkin]

There was likely a tremendous amount of variation in uniforms that aren't reflected in all the official historic illustrations.

True enough, but over time is quite common to see historic illustrations assigned to very utilitarian reasons for bits of uniform kit. Most are based in myth and legend.

T.