Victorian Piper's Kit on Campaign: Boer War Zulu War, etc.

[BobsYourUncle]

I have had a question concerning what kit Regimental Pipers wore during the Boer War. I have collected sources on this topic, as I am a Piper, and have put together living history impressions of Regimental Pipers in several eras. The first order of business is to define the "load bearing" equipment issued to troops in the two conflicts discussed below, (1) the Zulu War, 1879 et. seq. and (2) the Boer War, 1899-1902. In the nomenclature of the era, it was called "White Equipment". Then, we can look at what Pipers wore.

For the Zulu War, troops were issued the 1870 pattern White Equipment, called "Valise Equipment", as the piece that performed the function of a backpack was actually...a Valise.
Here is an illustration of such a set from Pierre Turner's "Soldiers' Accoutrements of the British Army 1750-1900" :



Later in the 19th Century, beginning in the 1890's, the 1870 Pattern Valise Equipment was superseded by something called "Slade Wallace Equipment" after the men who developed it and convinced the British Army to adopt it. That equipment is also illustrated in Turner's work:

[BobsYourUncle]

Pipers DID wear the White Equipment issued in each conflict discussed here, but they also sometime wore a black version, which better matched the traditional black Piper's waist belt. Here is are photos of Black Watch Pipers of the era, and in the close ups you can see that the shoulder straps of their "White Equipment" are, in fact, black.



And the close up:






And the second close Up:



Seaforth Highlander Piper with Black Equipment:

[BobsYourUncle]

Some of you have been fans of the Osprey series of illustrated books about military subjects, a noted scholar of the British Army in African campaigns, Ian Knight, co-authored one in which an illustration shows a Piper's version of the kit we are discussing:



And the close up:

[BobsYourUncle]

Here are some photos of the 1st Bn Argylls Pipers in the Boer War:



Here is a watercolour by famous military artist W. Skeotch Cummings of the 1st Bn Argylls Pipes and Drums later in war, on the march across the Veldt. The photos that follow are from the Argyll Regimental Photo Album, and were very likely Cummings' source for his watercolour.

[stickman]

My dad’s uncle died in the Boer war. I think he may have been in the Gordon’s, however I can’t tell as the only picture of him he is wearing a slouch hat and a kilt apron. Looks like the troops in one of the pictures.

[OC Richard]

Those are some great references, thanks!

So interesting that they would blacken the ordinary leather equipment and adapt it to the wide piper's dirk belts.

I suppose the equipment was probably issued buff, and it was up to the soldiers to pipeclay it white, or in the case of the pipers polish it black.

The only image of piper-in-khaki I had studied was this group of photos taken in the Boer War period of members of the Black Watch, widely used for post cards at the time.



In it you can see the piper wearing his ordinary Full Dress dirk, dirk belt, and crossbelt, which doesn't seem practical for campaign.

(For comparison the Black Watch piper's ordinary uniform, with dark green doublet)



BTW here's your photo of the Argylls pipers reduced to fit the size of the page here a bit better



Wow look how open they're playing "C"! The PM was one of THOSE guys like "I want to see those fingers come all the way off!"

And no "open C" in that band!

Oh, and speaking of the Argylls this shows a piper wearing the ordinary field equipment rather than the elaborate wide black leather piper's belts