Government No. 1 vs 1A

[OC Richard]

To make the pre-RRS situation more complex, the Black Watch and the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders each had two different versions of their tartan.

I'm more familiar with the Argylls uniform, and in the Argylls one sort of tartan was worn by the Other Ranks and a different sort by Officers and senior Sergeants.

It was the Officers and senior Sergeants tartan, with the pale green, that was adopted by the RRS.

In the Black Watch, photos suggest that the tartan worn by Officers was rather darker than that worn by Other Ranks.

One book I have says that the Other Ranks of the BW and the A&SH wore the same tartan. Other people have said that no, the Other Ranks tartan of the two regiments were different. This would mean four different tartans for the two regiments. Of course BW and A&SH kilts were pleated differently regardless of the tartan situation.

Some photos!

The Pipe Major of the Argylls in the 2000s. Note the green is pale but the blue is dark.



A piper of the Argylls. Note the drone-ribbon is made from the fabric with the light green, but his bag-cover and kilt look more like ordinary Black Watch tartan.