Royal Navy East Africa WW1

[Poiter50]

Probably a Helen question but can someone recommend a source for British Navy uniforms/mode of dress in the East African theatre of WW1? I'm looking to crew small boats such as the JJD River Launch or the HLBSC African Queen and also use some of the Foundry Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve Infantry.

[argsilverson]

The Naval uniform was pretty much the same in all theaters of war. In East Africa concider white and tropical issues wherever appropriate. It was common practise however for the sailors to wear also the blues.

Exception: Gilles Foden in his book "Mimi & Toutou's big adventure, The bizarre battle of lake tanganyika specifies:
Quite:
Spicer has designed a special uniform for such ceremonial occasions. consisting of army khaki tunics (short sleeved and belted at the waist), grey flannel shirts and navy blue ties. Each officer, even Dr. Hanshell, carried a naval cutlass. Spicer insisted upon this, taring a strip off the dovtor when he questioned the point of a medic wearing such an item. Dressed mostly in this manner the men lined up under the Victorian Gothic portals of St. Pancras. The effect cannot have been quite what Spicer intended, given that the ratings were in bell-bottomed sailor's trousers or khaki shorts, and Tait ahd Mollison wore kilts. He marched up and down the line all the same, carefully inspecting each man.
Unquote.

Just for a further advice, a little later Spicer replaced his trousers and favours wearing a brown skirt made of local fabric!
A nice unit to make in minis!
[OG has a Mimi/Toutou model with 3 crew members, two of them in shorts, tropical helmet and shirt, while the commander is wearing a skirt or kilt whatever you fancy. since Spicer was unique you may paint one with brown skirt and the second in some kilt. I opted for a blue tartan to match the Navy appearance of the unit. ]
However I have not found any detail of what clan was the kilt the two sailors wore! Any clues anybody?

[Poiter50]

Yes, I have read M&TGF by Foden. In fact I just got March to Tanga on the same period which is partly what triggered my question. Also got Foden's Zanzibar which appears tio be historical fiction.

Thanks arg. Perhaps the kilt might have been the khaki one that the Scots wore in Europe. We just viewed the movie Joyeux Noel on TV which is the story of the Xmas 1914 truces along the Western front and the way in which the officers were dealt with as a result of that.

Ah and my apologies for reraising this matter. I realised that I had started a similar topic some time back.

The Naval uniform was pretty much the same in all theaters of war. In East Africa concider white and tropical issues wherever appropriate. It was common practise however for the sailors to wear also the blues.

Exception: Gilles Foden in his book "Mimi & Toutou's big adventure, The bizarre battle of lake tanganyika specifies:
Quite:
Spicer has designed a special uniform for such ceremonial occasions. consisting of army khaki tunics (short sleeved and belted at the waist), grey flannel shirts and navy blue ties. Each officer, even Dr. Hanshell, carried a naval cutlass. Spicer insisted upon this, taring a strip off the dovtor when he questioned the point of a medic wearing such an item. Dressed mostly in this manner the men lined up under the Victorian Gothic portals of St. Pancras. The effect cannot have been quite what Spicer intended, given that the ratings were in bell-bottomed sailor's trousers or khaki shorts, and Tait ahd Mollison wore kilts. He marched up and down the line all the same, carefully inspecting each man.
Unquote.

Just for a further advice, a little later Spicer replaced his trousers and favours wearing a brown skirt made of local fabric!
A nice unit to make in minis!
[OG has a Mimi/Toutou model with 3 crew members, two of them in shorts, tropical helmet and shirt, while the commander is wearing a skirt or kilt whatever you fancy. since Spicer was unique you may paint one with brown skirt and the second in some kilt. I opted for a blue tartan to match the Navy appearance of the unit. ]
However I have not found any detail of what clan was the kilt the two sailors wore! Any clues anybody?