Balmoral (Atholl) bonnet / black chequered dicing / 1960 British War Department

[LaidlawBell]

Evening all.

I was hoping that someone could help shed light on the Balmoral bonnet for me.

It is black in colour with black chequered dicing detail, double ribbon at rear and a 'Torrie' (pom-pon / pom-pom) at crown. There are also two small holes to the outer band where I assume a badge would have been attached.

The inside lining is stamped '7' (size) and a possible makers name or owner - sadly this has been rubbed and I'm only able to make out a few letters.

On the inside seam I have noticed the follow ' X W D /|\ ' - Standing for 'War Department' /with broad arrow stamp. (A United Kingdom government department responsible for the supply of equipment to the armed forces of the United Kingdom and the pursuance of military activity).

Directly underneath this you will see numbers 22 - It looks as though there may have been a letter or number in front of this.
Possibly the letter N ( N 22) - or 1922 - Being a possible date of pattern ? - To be confirmed.

Firstly I would like to know the correct terminology with regards to the style. As I've seen this advertised as a Balmoral bonnet & Atholl bonnet.

With regards to the black chequered dicing (Sillitoe Tartan). I understand that this was issued to the Police Force. I also understand that the Glengarry style was also issued , although I'm unable to find an example with the Balmoral bonnet.

A recent search led me to 'The Lovat Scouts' (British Army) ... Perhaps I am getting warmer by the minute.

Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

All the best. Gillan Bell

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[The Wizard of BC]

I can't help with identifying if this is military issue or not but I can clear up a few points.

This is what is called a Balmoral style bonnet but does not have the standard rosette we use today.
Many Balmorals have some sort of dicing. This is the checkered pattern around the band. This dicing can be of many different colors including red/white, Red/black/white, etc.


This is not an uniform issue item for the police. It is also not the Sillitoe Tartan. Sillitoe is blue/white

The Scottish Tartans Authority has this to say about Sillitoe.

"This is the name given to the blue and white chequered band worn around their hats by many of the world's police forces. Strictly speaking it isn't a tartan and Sir Percy Sillitoe (Chief Constable of Glasgow) didn't design it - it had existed for about 100 years as an Heraldic symbol in many Scottish coats-of-arms. Highland soldiers are said to have woven white ribbons into their black hatbands, thus creating a chequered effect. Sir Percy - answering criticism that it was difficult for the public to differentiate between the police and bus conductors and other uniformed officials, introduced the three line chequered bands in 1932. The experiment was a success and the idea spread across the world with the ultimate accolade being its adoption by the European Union as the universal symbol of the police. Sir Percy was Director General of MI5 the UK's internal security service from 1946 to 1953."

I cannot comment on the usage of the word "Atholl" in reference to this type of Balmoral. I cannot find many contemporary photos of The Atholl Highlanders in anything but the fore and aft style bonnet called a Glangarry.
I did find photos of The Atholl Highlanders when they participated in the Braemar Gathering wearing Balmorals but without any dicing.
I can tell you that the current Atholl Highlanders are not part of the British Army. They are a ceremonial unit under the employ of Duke of Atholl and as such are the last European private army.
They would not get their uniforms from British Army stores.

It would seem possible that you have a bonnet from the Lovat Scouts. Many old photos show them in Balmorals similar to yours.

Caubeen_Lovat_Scouts_2.jpg

[LaidlawBell]

Thank you for the detailed reply. After running a number of searches it seems The Lovat Scouts is likely.


It was Wikipedia that gave me the following on the Sillitoe Tartan. With clear photographs of both black and white and blue and white. Although I understand that this hat may not have been issued to the Police as uniform there is clear evidence that both black & white and blue & white chequered dicing are used by them today.


Stating as follows:

'Sillitoe Tartan is the nickname given to the distinctive black and white chequered pattern which was originally associated with the police in Scotland, but which later spread to Australia, New Zealand, and the rest of the United Kingdom, as well as to some other places such as Chicago and Pittsburgh in the United States and in parts of Canada to distinguish members of the Auxiliary Police. Based on the diced bands seen on the Glengarries that are worn by several Scottish regiments of the British Army, the pattern was first adopted for police use in 1932 by Sir Percy Sillitoe, Chief Constable of the City of Glasgow Police

Sillitoe Tartan may be composed of several different colours and number of rows depending on local custom, but when incorporated into uniforms, or vehicle livery, serves to uniquely identify emergency services personnel to the public.'


'Black and white Sillitoe Tartan, commonly used for police in the United Kingdom (other than the City of London Police who use red and white).'

'Blue and white Sillitoe Tartan, commonly used for police in Australia and New Zealand.'


'The Sillitoe tartan was an exclusively Scottish phenomenon until introduced in South Australia in 1961.[2] From 1972, within the United Kingdom, the original black and white Scottish version began to rapidly spread throughout England and Wales and it is now used by all police forces in Great Britain.

Most forces use black and white chequered hat bands, however the City of London Police is unique in that it uses distinctive red and white chequers. The City of London Corporation also run the Hampstead Heath Constabulary and the Billingsgate Market Constabulary (who are no longer attested as constables but retain the historic title), who both also use red and white chequers. The Hammersmith and Fulham Parks Constabulary, whom are run by the local authority, also originally used red and white chequers in line with their corporate colours of the council but they reverted to the standard type.'

With regards to the blue and white.

Blue and white chequers are also associated with the police, and may be used on vehicles and signage. Subsequent to the launching of Battenburg markings on police vehicles in the 1990s, the police introduced retro-reflective versions of the Sillitoe tartan markings to their uniforms, usually in blue and white, rather than the blue and yellow used on vehicles.

Many police force’s have a sky blue and white Sillitoe Tartan hatband as part of their PCSOs uniform. This is as a result of moves by the trade union UNISON to develop a national law enforcemeent uniform within the UK.

As a result of this the blue and white Sillitoe Tartan has been taken up by a number of municipal organisations, including the London Borough of Newham Law Enforcement and Nottingham City Council Community Protection,who are accredited under the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme. It is also being taken on by a number of private security organisations (most notably Canary Wharf Security) in recognition that they are now part of the extended poling family.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sillitoe_Tartan

Cheers.

BorisPolicePA_468x636.jpg

I can't help with identifying if this is military issue or not but I can clear up a few points.

This is what is called a Balmoral style bonnet but does not have the standard rosette we use today.
Many Balmorals have some sort of dicing. This is the checkered pattern around the band. This dicing can be of many different colors including red/white, Red/black/white, etc.


This is not an uniform issue item for the police. It is also not the Sillitoe Tartan. Sillitoe is blue/white

The Scottish Tartans Authority has this to say about Sillitoe.

"This is the name given to the blue and white chequered band worn around their hats by many of the world's police forces. Strictly speaking it isn't a tartan and Sir Percy Sillitoe (Chief Constable of Glasgow) didn't design it - it had existed for about 100 years as an Heraldic symbol in many Scottish coats-of-arms. Highland soldiers are said to have woven white ribbons into their black hatbands, thus creating a chequered effect. Sir Percy - answering criticism that it was difficult for the public to differentiate between the police and bus conductors and other uniformed officials, introduced the three line chequered bands in 1932. The experiment was a success and the idea spread across the world with the ultimate accolade being its adoption by the European Union as the universal symbol of the police. Sir Percy was Director General of MI5 the UK's internal security service from 1946 to 1953."

I cannot comment on the usage of the word "Atholl" in reference to this type of Balmoral. I cannot find many contemporary photos of The Atholl Highlanders in anything but the fore and aft style bonnet called a Glangarry.
I did find photos of The Atholl Highlanders when they participated in the Braemar Gathering wearing Balmorals but without any dicing.
I can tell you that the current Atholl Highlanders are not part of the British Army. They are a ceremonial unit under the employ of Duke of Atholl and as such are the last European private army.
They would not get their uniforms from British Army stores.

It would seem possible that you have a bonnet from the Lovat Scouts. Many old photos show them in Balmorals similar to yours.

Caubeen_Lovat_Scouts_2.jpg

[Pleater]

I was thinking that there could be some connection to the striped 'duty bands' but no, they were just striped, not chequered.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[The Wizard of BC]

OK, maybe I did not understand the original question.

I thought we were being asked to help identify a Balmoral bonnet.

I thought that we had been given enough information to identify that this bonnet could have been a British military issue item.

The only question then would have been is "What unit could have worn a bonnet like this and when?"

Am I being totally dense here? I don't seem to be able to make the connection to what color dicing some police forces use.

So, can someone help me understand. Was the original question by the OP - "Which police force wore this bonnet?"

[LaidlawBell]

Sorry for the confusion. My initial question covered the style of the bonnet yes. I also went on to question if the Police Force used the balmoral bonnet as I was unable to find any information. Further more I am looking for the unit to which the hat was used by. Which we later went on to verify - The Lovat Scouts.

To clear up. Research told me that black dicing (known as Silitoe Tartan) was used by the Police Force. You went on to state that this was not the Silitoe Tartan and Silitoe was blue and white dicing. My research proved otherwise. Perhaps where the confusion lies.

My next question relates to the date inside the bonnet '1960' . I was wondering if this correspond with the style and materials used by 'The Lovat Scouts' at this time. As I have seen earlier examples that look very similar.

Thank you.

OK, maybe I did not understand the original question.

I thought we were being asked to help identify a Balmoral bonnet.

I thought that we had been given enough information to identify that this bonnet could have been a British military issue item.

The only question then would have been is "What unit could have worn a bonnet like this and when?"

Am I being totally dense here? I don't seem to be able to make the connection to what color dicing some police forces use.

So, can someone help me understand. Was the original question by the OP - "Which police force wore this bonnet?"

[figheadair]

W D (with upward arrow between) = War Department became the MOD in 1964.

So, yes it's military and pre-1964 (although it could have still been issued later due to pre-MOD stocks). Sorry, can't help with the unit; there were numerous Regular and Reserve (TA) ones at the time.

[The Q]

W D (with upward arrow between) = War Department became the MOD in 1964.

So, yes it's military and pre-1964 (although it could have still been issued later due to pre-MOD stocks). Sorry, can't help with the unit; there were numerous Regular and Reserve (TA) ones at the time.

I was issued kit made in 1941, I received it in 1977!! There's probably still some still stores now!!!! Certainly you can buy unused military kit from those days that has only recently been sold off buy the MOD.

[Bruce Scott]

Sillitoe's diced police cap band, introduced in 1932 when he was Chief Constable of Glasgow was blue and white.

In summarising the event he wrote: -
“Another small innovation which was, I think, welcomed, was the fitting of the blue-and-white diced bands around the peaked caps of the police officers.
Frequently in the past motorists had refused to stop on country roads when they were signalled to do so after dark by an unidentifiable figure in cape and cap – and as a motorist myself I cordially sympathised with them, for there was no way at all of knowing if one was being halted by a bona fide policeman or a hold-up man, and one certainly did not wish to risk stopping to find out. White capes seemed impractical, and white caps would not have been sufficiently distinctive. But the ‘diced band’ of the uniform of the Brigade of Guards would be unmistakable and seemed ideal, so I borrowed it for my men and it became known as Sillitoe’s Tartan."

The Lovat Scouts Yeomanry certainly wore a diced bonnet which, as I understand it, was originally a dark blue. There was no rosette, the badge going straight onto the diced band.

pease1-310x482.jpg
2LT Joseph Pease, Lovat Scouts, 1914

[LaidlawBell]

Sillitoe's diced police cap band, introduced in 1932 when he was Chief Constable of Glasgow was blue and white.

In summarising the event he wrote: -
“Another small innovation which was, I think, welcomed, was the fitting of the blue-and-white diced bands around the peaked caps of the police officers.
Frequently in the past motorists had refused to stop on country roads when they were signalled to do so after dark by an unidentifiable figure in cape and cap – and as a motorist myself I cordially sympathised with them, for there was no way at all of knowing if one was being halted by a bona fide policeman or a hold-up man, and one certainly did not wish to risk stopping to find out. White capes seemed impractical, and white caps would not have been sufficiently distinctive. But the ‘diced band’ of the uniform of the Brigade of Guards would be unmistakable and seemed ideal, so I borrowed it for my men and it became known as Sillitoe’s Tartan."

The Lovat Scouts Yeomanry certainly wore a diced bonnet which, as I understand it, was originally a dark blue. There was no rosette, the badge going straight onto the diced band.

pease1-310x482.jpg
2LT Joseph Pease, Lovat Scouts, 1914

Thank you.

After further inspection it seem the dicing is in fact indigo (dark blue) and white . Which fits with both statements provided above. It must have been the poor lighting that lead me to believe it was black & white. Apologies for that.

Warm Regards, Gill.