Kilmarnock Bonnets

[macwilkin]

Mark,

you are thinking of the Royal Scots. Col. Iain Gold-Stone (late of the 2nd Gurkhas) always referred to their headgear as a pill-box, never a Kilmarnock. As he was born in Glasgow and served originally with the Cameronians, before being promoted from the ranks, I'm sure he knew the difference. Officers of the Greys wore the pill-box from 1857-1902 (O.R.s from 1869-1903) and, please correct me if I am in error, I believe it was technically called a stable cap, at least in mounted regiments.

Scott,

You'll have to take th issue of a Gurkha Kilmarnock up with Mike Chappell, ex-RSM, 1st Bn., The Wessex Regiment. Chappell is the author of The Gurkhas, and it is he that identifies the Gurkha pillbox as a "Kilmarnock" bonnet. Incidently, he has an illustration of the Simoor Battalion (later 2nd Gurkhas) wearing Kilmarnocks like the one the Archers are wearing, during the Great Mutiny of 1857. These particular Kilmarnocks are diced with red and black dicing.

I might drop the Gurkha Museum at Winchester an e-mail over this one.

And speaking of confusion over the names of covers, let's not forget that the Irish Defence Forces wear a caubeen called a "glengarry"!

T.

[macwilkin]

Further information: I just found this statement on a web site about the Argylls:

"the Kilmarnock bonnet has a plain red and white dicing around the edge and a red woollen toorie on top."

-- http://www.theargylls.co.uk/dress.php

If you scroll down you'll see a picture of a ranker from the 1960's wearing No. 1 dress and a Kilmarnock bonnet.

T.