A MUG wearer in WW1 - in the Royal Navy???

[Dale-of-Cedars]

After watching the African Queen again last night, I did some searching for any historical pretexts for the story and came across the Battle for Lake Tanganyika.

Stay with me here... in 1915 the Admiralty shipped two 40' armed motor-launches from England to South Africa, and then carried them 3,000 mi (4,800 km) overland to Lake Tanganyika; where they succeeded in running the Kaiser's forces off the lake.

The man they put in charge, Lieutenant-Commander Geoffrey Spicer-Simson, was rather... unconventional...

He was the oldest Lieutenant-Commander in the RN at the time of his posting, and has been described by the writer of a recent account of the battle as "a man court-martialled for wrecking his own ships, an inveterate liar and a wearer of skirts."

And that's where my ears pricked up: "wearer of skirts."?
It turns out that for whatever reason, (probably comfort in the tropical heat - possibly health,) he took to wearing the khaki kilt-apron (sans kilt) instead of the regulation khaki shorts.
(this figurine image is from his family tree no less)

There is one clear picture of him in-theater (on the left ith: ):

You can clearly see the front pocket of the kilt-apron.

Notwithstanding any eccentricities, like flying an admiral's pennant in front of his tent, he was promoted, and awarded the Distinguished Service Order (some very good pictures of the motor-launches on this page.)

Some more good material on the Naval Africa Expedition, and Commander Geoffrey Spicer-Simson's own address on the expedition here.

Personal note: his wife, Amy Baynes Reid, was born in Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada, on Vancouver Island, and they both retired to, (and died,) in the same community. So they may have been acquainted with my mother's family from the same area and time.

[Bugbear]

Interesting. Thanks for posting this.

[Detroitpete]

Excellent find!

[kc8ufv]

That looks very much like modern kilts such as the Utilikilt, UTkilts, Alt.Kilt...

[Jock Scot]

Whatever we may think, we need to remember that whatever happens: "there is the right way, and the wrong way of doing things------and then there is the Royal Navy's way!"


For a world renowned conventional thinking armed services, Britian seems to specialise in non conventional servicemen when needed. Lawrence of Arabia, Mad Jack Churchill, Colonel Stirling, Lord Lovat, Wingate, Paddy Mayne just to name a few and this officer is one of a very brave, single minded and unconventional group.

[brewerpaul]

Very interesting, thanks for the post. His kilt looks like the first version of Mountain Hardwear's Elkommando kilt. It was not pleated but the new ones are.

[azwildcat96]

Amazing history. I love reading the colorful adventures of past military officers.

[clanciankent]

Probably on the Autistic spectrum...

[Dale-of-Cedars]

Probably on the Autistic spectrum...

Actually, the more I read, the more it seems that he was firmly in the a**h*** spectrum... but it worked out for him.

Here is another picture, taken at the burial of German soldiers, he is on the far right:


Apparently he was referred to by his Belgian allies as "Le Commandant á la Jupe." (Jupe, meaning skirt). See this page for more.

[tulloch]

Amazing. Interesting. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I had never heard of him.