Show us your Vintage Kilt Photos

[BoldHighlander]

Pipes and Drums lead the battalion in Royal Stewart tartan, route march, Calgary, 1940.

[BoldHighlander]

Men of the 7th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders on the march (North Africa).



"In June 1942 the 51st Highland Division moved by train to a variety of ports, and embarked for an unknown destination. They moved around Africa leaving Durban on the 16th July and disembarked on 14th August 1942 at the entrance to the Suez Canal at Port Tewfik.

In late August the Division moved into the Nile delta through Khatatba. Here they took up positions to defend the western approaches to Cairo with 152 Brigade on the Mena-Cairo road, 153 Brigade south of Mena and 154 Brigade west of Cairo covering the Nile barrage. At this time the enemy were no more than 50 miles west in the area of El Alamein and to its south."

[JSFMACLJR]

My uncle, kilted at a party at my grandparents' farm, Goshen, Kentucky. The photo was taken in the mid 1950's when the Bolshoi Ballet ( I believe ) visited Kentucky, hence the presence among the party-goers of some dancers. My grandparents were early patrons of the Louisville Ballet.

[BoldHighlander]

The following recently discovered photos were collected from the news stories:

Exclusive: The unseen photographs that throw new light on the First World War and New! More unseen photographs from the First World War.

Unfortuantly very little is known of the subjects in these photos, other than they were taken in 1915-1916. It's very sobering to think that most of the lads were probably lost very shortly in the Somme.









Tentatively identified as a member of the Tramways' Battalion of the Glasgow Highlanders /
or a soldier of the 9th Battalion Highland Light Infantry (Glasgow Highlanders):

[BoldHighlander]

[BoldHighlander]

236th Overseas Battalion, (The New Brunswick Kilties, - Sir Sam's Own), C.E.F.



Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Guthrie - CO the Maclean Kilties




Kiltie identified as "Barlow"


Piper identified as "Mcnamee"


A great little history of this unit can be found here.

[BoldHighlander]

His Majesty, King George VI, and Lieutenant Colonel Riley (Commanding Officer, Calgary Highlanders) inspect a Guard of Honour at the train station in Calgary in 1939. The Royal Visit was a very fondly remembered occasion not just for the Regiment but for the citizens of Calgary as a whole. Not long after the visit, Canada would once again be sending soldiers to fight for His Majesty in Europe.


Before departing the city in the spring of 1940, the First Battalion, Calgary Highlanders, laid up their stand of Colours in the Church of the Redeemer in downtown Calgary.

The two Colours consisted of a King's Colour, shown here at left, and a Regimental Colour, at right. The Regimental Colour was emblazoned with Battle Honours earned by the unit's predecessor, the Tenth Battalion, during the Great War.

Lieutenant Colonel J. Fred Scott is shown at left, wearing tartan riding pants and a balmoral. The Major holding the Regimental Colour, D.G. MacLauchlan, would later command the battalion in combat, earning the Distinguished Service Order for his leadership at Clair Tizon in the summer of 1944.


Pipe-Major Neil Sutherland talks to former Prime Minister and Honourary Colonel R.B Bennett, in England on 12 February 1943. The Pipe Band took their full ceremonial dress with them to the United Kingdom. Officer in greatcoat in centre of photo wears the Second Division patch on his sleeve with a gold wire "C-II" device. Officer at right has a decal on the left side of his helmet, in the pattern of the red and white dicing found on the glengarry.


Regimental Pipes and Drums of The Calgary Highlanders
National Guard Armoury, Spokane, Washington
May 1959


Standing: Pipe Major Angus MacDonald (left standing), Gord Raffan, unknown, Lachlan Cameron, Ron Mac Phedron, George
MacDonald, unknown, Jim Shepard, Harry Fleming, Drum Major Ben Niven

Kneeling: unknown, Doug Rohead, unknown, Johnny Mason, Jack Robertson, Sergeant Adrian Rowe, Jim Ballantyne, Dominic Creaghan

[BoldHighlander]

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/dms/past/ww1/misc.html

[BoldHighlander]

51st Highland Division surrender at St. Valery-en-Caux.
12th June 1940


L/Cpl James Wilson (A&SH's), one of the three escapees
who spoke Gaelic to evade capture at St Valéry.


The 51st Highland Division Pipe Band at Oflag VII
B Prisoner of War camp, Eichstett, Germany, 3 June 1943.


St Valéry Memorial 1950


The Beaches Of St Valéry

It was in 1940 the last days of Spring
We were sent to the Maginot line
A fortress in France built to halt the advance of an army from a different time
For we were soon overrun out-fought and outgunned
Pushed further back every day
But we never believed high command would leave us
So we fought every inch of the way
Till the 51st Highlanders found themselves on the banks of the Somme one more time
It still bore the scars of that war to end wars
The old soldiers scars deep in their minds
But we couldn't stay long for the Panzers rolled on
And the battle raged west towards the sea
Then on June the 10th when sapped of all strength
I entered St Valéry

Chorus

And all I recall was the last boat leavin!
My brother on board waving and calling to me
And the Jocks stranded there wi' their hands in the air
On the beaches of St Valéry
So I huddled all night in a hammered old house
As the shells and the bullets rained down
Next morning at dawn my hope was still strong
For we moved to the beach from the town
But the boat that had left on the day we arrived
Was the only one we'd ever see
And with no ammo or food we had done all we could
So we surrendered at St Valéry

Chorus

When I returned at the end of the war
From the stalag where I'd been confined
I read of the battles the allies had fought
Stalingrad, Alamein, and the Rhine
Wi' pride in their hearts people spoke of Dunkirk where defeat had become victory
But nobody mentioned the Highland Division
They'd never heard of St Valéry

Chorus

No stories no statues for those that were killed
No honours for those that were caught
Just a deep sense of shame as though we were to blame
Though I knew in my heart we were not.
So I've moved to a country I've come to call home
But my homeland is far o'er the sea
I will never return while my memories still burn
On the beaches of St Valéry