Bill Millin Reenactor

[OC Richard]

According to at least one old book I have: Although some Camerons wear it as a hunting tartan the Cameron of Eracht was never regarded as a clan tartan...

Yes as our own Peter MacDonald writes in his work The 1819 Key Pattern Book:

"Tradition has it that this tartan (Cameron of Erracht) was devised in 1793 when the regiment (the 79th Foot) was raised... given the lack of earlier portrait evidence to support these patterns (Cameron of Erracht and MacDonald) as family tartans, and also their basic colours and military connections, it is probable that both were designed for military units (the 79th Foot and the Glengarry Fencibles) in the latter part of the 18th century."

However, Donald C Stewart, in his The Setts Of The Scottish Tartans, has the following:

"The Erracht Cameron is the only Cameron tartan recorded by Logan (The Scottish Gael, 1831)... the Erracht Cameron was for long treated as a Hunting tartan..."

The tartan used as the Cameron clan tartan in modern times appears to have been invented by the Allen brothers in the 1840s (red with four equal green bands, one of a number of Allen brothers tartans using the same pattern).

[Dutypiper]

Richard, have you a photo of a regular piper with the badge at each arm ? I never saw a piper in No2 Service Dress jacket or khaki Shirt or Pullover with bagpipe badge on both arms, I have several ex piper jackets, only located the badge are on the right arm. As here the black watch piper in pipers of the trenches movie! he is wearing the badge at the right arm , there you can see both arms , also I could not find a photo! ? I would be happy to see one! I believe it is only a pipemajor and drum major thing? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oXiAu3P0LM

[OC Richard]

Richard, have you a photo of a regular piper with the badge at each arm ? I never saw a piper in No2 Service Dress jacket or khaki Shirt or Pullover with bagpipe badge on both arms, I have several ex piper jackets, only located the badge are on the right arm. As here the black watch piper in pipers of the trenches movie! he is wearing the badge at the right arm , there you can see both arms , also I could not find a photo! ? I would be happy to see one! I believe it is only a pipemajor and drum major thing? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oXiAu3P0LM

You might well be right! It's not often in a photograph that you can see both arms, where the badges would be.

Of course Pipe Majors have the piper's trade badges on both arms, as can be seen in many photos.

[Bruce Scott]

A couple of WWII pipers also showing both sleeves.

Pipers MacNeill (left) & Chisholm, talk to a French girl of St Valery who is wearing a skirt made from the tartan of a Cameron Kilt,
left in the town in 1940.

[Hawk]

This, in and of itself, is a very interesting thread gentlemen.......keep up the postings.....

Bruce Scott, it appears your email address is not updated. I'm sure that many here would like to send a personal note to you on occasion.

And, Karl, well done indeed....looking sharp there.....

Hawk

[Dutypiper]

this is not a Bagpipe badge:-))

A couple of WWII pipers also showing both sleeves.

Pipers MacNeill (left) & Chisholm, talk to a French girl of St Valery who is wearing a skirt made from the tartan of a Cameron Kilt,
left in the town in 1940.

[Bruce Scott]

this is not a Bagpipe badge:-))

Okay.... any idea what it may be?

[Dutypiper]

for example, or tartan badge?

[Mike_Oettle]

It must also be borne in mind that Millin was personal piper to Lord Lovat, who was himself highly unconventional, famously wearing a white sweater on D-Day.
So any kind of oddity might have cropped up in what Millin wore on that day.
Regards,
Mike