Highland Regiment Uniforms When Deployed...Then And Now

**Jock Scot** · 14th July 14, 03:11 AM

Well this chap managed to wear this in the Western Desert, and very close to the action by the looks of it, probably in 1942. Look very closely at the men surrounding the piper, I find this picture to be one of the most telling war pictures that I have ever seen.

I think today, as then and before, pipers in particular and bandsmen of Scottish Regiments managed to get their kilts and instruments pretty near the front whenever possible.The kilt was foresaken, as battle dress, officialy by the War Office for Highland Regiments in 1940. The Cameron Highlanders were the last Regiment to wear the kilt in battle (France 1940). I do note though that these days the pipes seem to get through to the front , well if the photographs are anything to go by, but not the kilt. It is not forgotten by modern day Commanding Officers of Scots Regiments that the pipes have a huge morale boosting effect on their men.

**Ron Abbott** · 14th July 14, 04:05 AM

Pipers are soldiers first and foremost, unlike military bandsmen.

Depends on the regiment, but in one the Pipes & Drums may be the Fire Support Platoon (heavy machine gun platoon) and in another a Mortar Platoon. Some may be employed as drivers, others as combat medics.

They pretty much wear the same as everybody else, although when in ordinary headwear, the pipers will often wear their plain coloured glengarries.

**tulloch** · 14th July 14, 07:41 AM

That is a fantastic photograph. Thank you for posting it.

**Chas** · 14th July 14, 07:50 AM

Harpenden, yesterday. The piper on the right only returned from Afghanistan last week.

**Downunder Kilt** · 14th July 14, 10:51 AM

Sgt Darren Evans of the Australian Army, pipes at a ramp ceremony in Afganistan. Photo by Gary Ramage

**TheOfficialBren** · 15th July 14, 01:55 PM

Thank you for your replies, gentlemen. Very informative.

**Bruce Scott** · 19th July 14, 02:47 PM

Infantry battalion bandsmen, including pipers and drummers, are often employed as stretcher bearers.
"At Festubert in June, 1915, the pipers of the 6th Seaforths worked continuously day and night, and brought 170 casualties from the front line to the dressing station; at Loos the 9th Black Watch lost nearly all their pipers when similarly engaged, and at the two actions of Loos and Neuve Chapelle the 6th Gordons had two killed and ten wounded."