post-1868 use of Black Watch band/music tartan

[OC Richard]

Again based on the campaign medals I think this is 1st Bn.

Both Bns were present in Egypt at the time, 2nd Bn was awarded one campaign bar to the Egypt Campaign Medal, and 1st Bn was awarded three. When zooming in on the picture, it looks like the seated man on the far left has three campaign bars, same the man laying down (on the left).

That's the strange thing, because the 1st Battalion was the former 42nd Foot which pipers we know by 1865 were wearing Royal Stewart (being a Royal regiment) while the 2nd Battalion was the former 73rd Foot which, if they had pipers, would almost certainly be wearing the Black Watch tartan.

Here's going out on a limb: Let's say that the 73rd Foot didn't have a Pipes & Drums. But in 1881, becoming 2nd Battalion Black Watch, they're now authorised to do.

To create a 2nd Battalion Pipes & Drums a number of pipers from 1st Battalion are transferred to 2nd Battalion as a cadre.

Thus former 1st Battalion men with three campaign bars are founding members of the 2nd Battalion's Pipes & Drums.

(Well it's a theory anyhow...)

[ivanovic]

That's the strange thing, because the 1st Battalion was the former 42nd Foot which pipers we know by 1865 were wearing Royal Stewart (being a Royal regiment) while the 2nd Battalion was the former 73rd Foot which, if they had pipers, would almost certainly be wearing the Black Watch tartan.

Here's going out on a limb: Let's say that the 73rd Foot didn't have a Pipes & Drums. But in 1881, becoming 2nd Battalion Black Watch, they're now authorised to do.

To create a 2nd Battalion Pipes & Drums a number of pipers from 1st Battalion are transferred to 2nd Battalion as a cadre.

Thus former 1st Battalion men with three campaign bars are founding members of the 2nd Battalion's Pipes & Drums.

(Well it's a theory anyhow...)

I believe your theory is probably the most plausible. I had overlooked the fact that 1st Bn had already been wearing the RS tartan.
I had hoped that I could find a previous sale of an Egypt pair to a piper in either Bn of the BW, since medals named to pipers command a premium in the collecting world and are usually highly advertised by the auction houses. Finding a name could lead to wedding announcements, obituaries, etc. These sometimes mentioned military service. No luck there.

In theory, you could look at the Egypt medal roll for 1st Bn, collect the names of all 1st Bn pipers, then try to find a connection any of those names to 2nd Bn somehow. The tough part is (from the campaign medal angle) is the amount of time between the Egypt campaign and the units next campaign in South Africa.

The eBay listing that I mentioned in my last post IDs the pipers as 2nd Bn.
The other photo only identifies the Soldiers only as BW: https://www.antiquesnavigator.com/d-...th-africa.html