Did Highlander officers wear sporran into combat(1914)?

[Gribb]

Most pictures suggest the regular troops went into combat wearing the apron with a simple front pocket over the kilt and no sporran.


I assumed that officers would also drop it along with their swords for practical reasons.

Would this illustration of an early war officer wearing it be correct?



Any help on the subject would be much appreciated.
Thank you.

[Mad Gadgeteer]

From what I understand, and have seen in photos and surviving uniforms, officers wore trousers at the front. Not sure why they got to wear pants while the rank-n-file wore skirts though.

There were probably some officers that did wear kilts in the frontline.

There are also pics of some Highlanders wearing the sporran while at the front. I always thought that it was just the pipers that did this, but if you look at the following pic you can see it within the ranks. The officers in the pic are in trousers.

In the second pic you can see an officer, sitting, wearing trousers, but some of those standing, that you can see clearly wearing kilts are officers too. The pic is from 1914/1915.

I wonder if wearing trousers could of been reserved for higher ranking officers early in the war. The third pic shows a group of officers wearing kilts from the early war.

[Mad Gadgeteer]

Sorry, forgot to attach the 3rd pic mentioned above.

[Mad Gadgeteer]

Your post made me curious enough to look at what the minis manufacturers did. It looks like the command packs for early war Scotts tend to be a 50/50 mix  and some have the sporran.

[Gribb]

Having seen officers in both trousers and some in kilts I suppose it could be an individual decision?
A lot of officers posing for photographs also wear kilts.
Officers initially paid for their own uniforms which could provide some variation in what they settled with?
The particular regiment I had in mind were the London Scottish Highlanders.

Here are the Gordon Highlanders departing for the front led by an officer wearing the kilt:


I think you may be on to something that it could be the higher ranking officers that wore pants.

[Mad Gadgeteer]

You brought up a point I forgot about... the officers (in all armies IIRC) had to purchase their own uniforms. I do remember reading through a forum post, on a WWI reenacting forum, wherein it was mentioned that the officers within the UK/CW armies were allowed greater leeway when it came to their uniforms more than officers in other nations.

[Gribb]

Your post made me curious enough to look at what the minis manufacturers did. It looks like the command packs for early war Scotts tend to be a 50/50 mix  and some have the sporran.

Yes, and both might be right. I've noticed most if not all have sculpted them wearing the sword, which I thought was discarded by many from the start.

Footsore Miniatures have the regular officers wearing the sporran but not the NCOs.

[Gribb]

You brought up a point I forgot about... the officers (in all armies IIRC) had to purchase their own uniforms. I do remember reading through a forum post, on a WWI reenacting forum, wherein it was mentioned that the officers within the UK/CW armies were allowed greater leeway when it came to their uniforms more than officers in other nations.

Yes, it was really not until later government provided new officers with less means allowance for a uniform it became more standardized.
And even officers in other armies did seem to have more leeway in what they wore into battle. Some with sword, some without, etc. Some French officers in short tunic, others in greatcoat or cape. But the British as you said did it to a greater extent.

[Mad Gadgeteer]

Yes, and both might be right. I've noticed most if not all have sculpted them wearing the sword, which I thought was discarded by many from the start.

Footsore Miniatures have the regular officers wearing the sporran but not the NCOs.

I know there is a pic out there showing a British officer going over-the-top wielding his sword. I have no clue if it was a Scottish officer or not, but it was after helmets were issued.

[Metternich]

There was also a tradition in Highlander regiments for junior officers (i.e. subalterns) who walked with their men wore kilts, while more senior officers (majors and above) often rode and so wore trews.

[Emir of Askaristan]

The Gordon leading the company is the photograph is a Sgt rather than an officer. He would be represented by one of the two minis in the middle of the Footsore pic.

(Nice pic. I think I know the street where it was taken. Thanks for sharing that!)

[Gribb]

For practical reasons it would makes sense officers leading the men in the field would also wear kilt to not stick out too much. Being the only one wearing pants in a kilt wearing unit wold be a sure way to draw some unwarranted attention. While more senior officers further away from combat and as some pointed out rode on horses could wear pants.

[tin shed gamer]

Gribb.
Emir is correct. The lead figure is not an officer He's most likely a QMS . at a push ( QMCM. But the pace stick suggests QMS.((appears to have the brass nut of a pace stick on the rear side)).
There's also a couple of other issues to consider There's different forms of sporren . Formal,Dress,and Day are just three that spring to mind.
Kilts are often discarded for just the basic trousers once you get to the mud( junior officers first.later in the war the rank and file too although not everyone chose too.) Because it became exceptionally painful to wear as the mud rides up the leg and as it dries it pulls at leg hair and other areas.
It's a grey area thats open to interpretation for gamers.As regulations are not the reality in any conflict . There's many a picture of regimental honours being worn on both sided of a tunic front ( often in the same photo).When the book only says left.
The reality is some book will say no ,only to have the photo on the next page contradict it.
Although officers did provide their own uniforms . They were often purchased from companies that tailored and provide military uniforms. Even small tailors used patterns of the larger companies. The sort of tailoring differences you find will simply disappear on figures unless its deliberately exaggerated. The main difference you can explore and easily express on a figure is the quality of fabrics by the colour choices used .
So I'd go old school and lavish more effort on the officers than you would for the rank and file. Regardless of Sporren choice as there's always some odd ball who goes against the regs just for the hell of it.

[Mad Gadgeteer]

You might find this interesting....



I had those Airfix minis when I was a kid in the '70s. Even had a trench system that was about 4' x 4' I made using the instructions from the book "Make Your Own Model Forts and Castles" by Richard Cummings. Unfortunately, one year when I was away at camp, a bad storm hit and it blew out my bedroom window. My trench system was under that window so it got ruined. My parents tossed it, along with all of my Airfix minis! When I got home and found out my father told me I was too old to be playing with those things anyway.

[Emir of Askaristan]

The thing is wearing a sporran isn't too comfy unless youre standing still or or walking (marching). Running with it on tends to make it clatter about and bash against bits of you not meant to be bashed (if you get my gist!). Lying flat with a sporran on can't be easy either, although it can be shifted to the hip once you get a moment.

I had a google for some Gordons and found this pic of them at the front with at least one officer but no sporrans and another of them marching through Plymouth on their way to France. As you can see there's a fair selection of trews and jodhpurs, kilts and aprons and in the first pic, lots of macintoshes.

In any case I think you are safe to do as you please on the table top.