Show us your Vintage Kilt Photos

[BoldHighlander]

[BoldHighlander]

William A Flett, the subject of the pipe tune "Flett from Flotta".
Possibly taken around 1942 at the Fort George Barracks.

One interesting story behind the tune 'Flett from Flotta':
Donald MacLeod, MBE, was a very prominent piper of old in the Scottish regiments. The regimental silver was on it's way down to London for a big "do" and Donald and another soldier were guarding the silver on a train. While sitting on the crates containing the silver, they played their chanters to while away the time. Donald said they should write a tune to pass the time and when the tune was finished they were looking for a title. He asked the big soldier what was his name and where was he from. The rest is (as they say) history. The tune was written after Donald observed the peculiar gait of Flett. The rhythm is supposed to reflect his awkward walking style.

[BoldHighlander]

The first Pipe Major of the Calgary Highlanders was Hugh MacBeth, who led the Regimental Pipes and Drums from 1921 to 1923. Born in Scotland, MacBeth had immigrated to Canada, and served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the First World War, most notably in the 16th Battalion (Canadian Scottish), a famous unit of the 1st Canadian Division that was also the parent formation of the 10th Battalion, the forerunners of The Calgary Highlanders. MacBeth also played in The Calgary Highlanders after stepping down as Pipe Major, and is identified in the photo (below) as the band's Pipe Sergeant at the time of the Canadian Pacific Railway Scottish Music Festival in Banff, probably in 1927. The CPR held a series of music and folk arts festivals from 1927 to 1931, organized by publicity agent John Murray Gibbon.

[BoldHighlander]

Pipe Major Neil Sutherland of The Calgary Highlanders during the parade of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division in Dieppe on 3 September 1944. The Division had provided the bulk of the combat force (with several hundred British Commandos and 50 U.S. Army Rangers) during the famous Raid of August 1942, leaving behind 2,000 prisoners at the end of the day. The Calgary Highlanders' mortar platoon was sent to Dieppe but did not disembark; Sergeants Bill Lyster and Bert Pittaway were Mentioned in Despatches for shooting down a German aircraft while on anti-aircraft duties offshore. Captain Ted Insinger, assigned to a brigade headquarters, was killed while ashore. The Division returned to the European continent in July 1944; by 1 September the Battle of Normandy had been concluded and Allied forces were across the Seine River in force. The German garrison at Dieppe showed no stomach for a rematch and evacuated the city as the division approached; on 3 September 8,000 men marched 10 abreast through the city to mark the liberation and commemorate the 800 dead buried in the nearby cemetery after the 1942 battle.

[BoldHighlander]

Drum Major Pat Gibson, photographed on the balcony at Mewata Armouries in November 1985 by John Skrypnyk of the Calgary Herald. The giant Highlander has been a fixture at the armouries for over two decades. When a McLeod Bros. men's clothing store was being demolished to make way for the Centre for Performing Arts in downtown Calgary, the building's owner gave the sign to the Regiment. Drummer Chris Linford repainted the sign in regimental uniform.

[BoldHighlander]

13th Platton 'D' Company
2nd Battalion 16th Canadian Scottish
Salt Spring Island
1931

Back Row L-R
Paul Layard, Peter Turner, Ray Best, Jim Winthrop, Sam Beddis, Bob Akerman, henry Monk, Andrew Stevens, Peter Cartwright, Mervin Gardner, Allen Cartwright, Ted Brown, Tom Stewart, Cyril Beech, Harry O'Flynn, Pierre Bion

Centre Row L-R
Ray Morris, Norman Emsley, Harry Nickel, Desmon Crofton, Jerry Jackson, Pat Crofton, Sonny Elliot

Front Row L-R
Ken Mollet, Fred Morris, Rolli Englis, Bobby Atkins, Jim Akerman, Wilber Smith

[BoldHighlander]

92nd Highlanders using early model gas masks during a drill.
August 15, 1916

[JSFMACLJR]

To give us all a change from the military pics, here is a photo of my grandparents and one of my uncles.

[JSFMACLJR]

Not sure if I've ever shown this photo of my father.

[Redshank]

Sandy, interesting photo's, the 1st a real snapshot in times, would that be the 1940's by any chance, just going by the gentlemans clothing and cars in the background, I prefer a family photo to have cles as to the era in which it was taken