Advice from servicemen and women?

[flairball]

Arlen, You seem to have some good ideas going. As you put your outfit together don't feel like you have to wear all of your badges at the same time. If things become too confusing tone it down, and keep it simple. You can always wear one badge today, and another tomorrow. The important thing is the respect your showing.

[Arlen]

Arlen, You seem to have some good ideas going. As you put your outfit together don't feel like you have to wear all of your badges at the same time. If things become too confusing tone it down, and keep it simple. You can always wear one badge today, and another tomorrow. The important thing is the respect your showing.

Thanks for that.
I'm beginning to feel like I can really show my thanks and respect without haing to go too far with everything. Just be subtle and do it in a more private way.

[Arlen]

Thank you, Julian.
I guess sometimes it just makes me sad to see that there is such a decline in any sort of rememberance of what so many people in the army do.
And with the recent drugs scandals I don't want the memories of my family and other good service men and women did to be tarnished.

[cessna152towser]

I've been through this, Arlen, in honouring my late father who died three years ago at the age of 85, having served in the RAF from 1940 to 1946. I was only ever in the Air Training Corps in my youth and never joined the full-time RAF.
The Royal Air Force now have a tartan and following enquiries I was eventually able to buy a kilt through their official kiltmaker. The kiltmaker said that while these kilts were normally pleated to the stripe as military kilts for servicemen and ex-servicemen he would pleat mine to the sett. I wear it when I'm on duty at Solway Aviation Museum, summer weekends. The kilt pin which I originally attached was my family crest but I have recently replaced this with a simple thistle motif from KiltGoodies. I wear it with my official museum uniform sweatshirt, to which I have attached an Air Training Corps badge, as well as my own Private Pilot wings badge and my airport security tag, as may be seen in the photo below. I wouldn't wear any of my father's badges or medals and in fact I have placed all these on display in the museum. So I'd say go for it and get a kilt to honour your relative and wear your cadet badge either on your shirt or as a kilt pin.

[Peter C.]

Hi Arlen,

I served with the REME for 25 years. I think what you are thinking of doing to honour your relatives is great.

I was taught the pipes very early in my army career, in a military pipe band. My teacher was a Gordon Highlander Pipe Major. He was my mentor - he died a long time ago. I wear Gordon Highlander badges and pins in his honour, with whatever kilt I am wearing.

With your reasons, the wearing of the tartan and badges as worn by the Cameronians and REME, would be acceptable to everyone. Rather than take offence, I think anyone who served in those units would be proud to think that you hold their units in high enough esteem to use them to honour your relatives.

That is a very old REME badge, it must date from the very early days of the REME. I would like to have met them.

If you didn`t mind something more modern from the REME, the stable belt buckle would make a great kilt belt if the canvas was removed and replaced with leather. It is about two and a half inches wide.

I wouldn`t have thought of that but for your thread. Maybe I`ll make another kilt belt.

Peter C

[macwilkin]

Here is the current REME badge:

http://www.specialist-reme-ta.co.uk/...me_resized.gif

The older one looks to be from the Victorian period, and is most likely an old RE badge.

T.

[Arlen]

Here is the current REME badge:
T.

Thanks for that. I like them both a lot.

[Arlen]

If you didn`t mind something more modern from the REME, the stable belt buckle would make a great kilt belt if the canvas was removed and replaced with leather. It is about two and a half inches wide.

I wouldn`t have thought of that but for your thread. Maybe I`ll make another kilt belt.

Peter C

You know, I don't mind the newer one at all and I think that's a great idea.

Glad you're getting some of your own things from this, too.

[Arlen]

cessna152towser, I think it's wonderful how you honour your father's memory.
Those RAF boys went through far more than the modern glamour about them really shows.

[Nervous Jock]

Todd I missed you post by skipping straight from p1 to 3 !!