Edinburgh Castle - A nation at Arms

Like any nation, Scotland's military history has been shaped by its terrain and its position on the map. The division between highland and lowland, along the coastline and on to the main sea routes of the Atlantic and the North Sea  - the presence of a powerful neighbour – all have determined Scotland strategic importance.

The power of the European nations was becoming ever more reliant on their ability to wage war in defence of their interests. Only those nations rich enough to sustain large professional armed forces were able to extend their influence. Scotland alone could not compete for dominance of empire. England’s growing power depended on the stability of the whole of mainland Britain. The 1707 Union between Scotland and England offered Scotland a share in England’s wealth and power. In return, England gained greater military security.

What I saw on display at the National War Museum is less than 5% of collections overall – the rest in storage at different sites in the city. I did not necessarily find any information on Military tailoring, however, I managed to obtain much more insight in to the history of British uniforms. I found it very interesting to see military uniforms in all their glory, as symbols of Scottish pride and heritage. As uniforms that have been restored for hundreds of year, it goes to show how well made they must have been made and how robust the materials are to have lasted this long in history.

Uniform of an assistant Surgeon of the Royal Navy, 1856 - 1863.

Typical Naval cuffs embroidered with bullion threaded braid.

All clothing needed for service was issued to the individual in a carefully controlled system. Regulation uniforms were introduced in to the Royal Navy in the 1850's, as conditions of service for sailors became more controlled. Until 1917, the uniform had to be paid for with money held back from the sailors' wages.

Although officers' appearance was subject to regulation, officers bought their own clothing privately. Officer's clothing was of a higher quality and value then the uniform issued to the men. The metal boxes protected expensive epaulettes and aiguilette (lanyards/cords hung from the shoulder) from damage and dirt.

This here is a button stick made form bone, used to protect the cloth of the uniform from staining while polishing buttons. Much time was spent keeping uniform and equipment clean in order to pass inspection.

Holdalls, known as 'hussifs', used by soldiers to keep personal items and sewing kits to repair uniform. The holdalls could be hung by the soldiers bed or rolled up and carried in the pack. like many items that were not official issue, these have been decorated with personal and regimental symbols, and they are made from pieces of old uniform. 

The Military Foot Police were named after their dismounted role. There also existed a unit of Military Mounted Police. The familiar 'red cop' was from an early date set these soldiers apart from the rest of the army. 

This is a doublet of a soldier of the 78th Highland regiment showing a variety of special badges indicating the rank, seniority, conduct and skills of the wearer. These badges showed status and encouraged ideas of service, self respect and responsibility. The two chevrons (stripes) on the upper sleeve show that this soldier held the rank of corporal. the crossed axes were worn by pioneers - soldiers specially employed to clear roads and carry out repairs to barracks and camps. the five chevrons on the lower sleeve wee awarded for a total of 23 years of good conduct. Each chevron brought a pay increase of a penny a day. 

Armed forces exist to fight wars, a task that required individual to carry out many functions under extreme conditions. As in most jobs, sailors, soldiers, and airmen have needed special clothing and equipment to perform their tasks. 

Cavalry clothing of the 18th Century. Although increasingly concerned with presenting a uniform appearance, 18th century military clothing and equipment was nevertheless designed to give a degree of protection to those troops expected to fight. This coat was worn by a Dragoon (mounted soldier) c1710-1740. It's thick woollen material and long skirts gave some protection to the body and upper legs from sword and bayonet cuts. Jackboots were made of stiffened leather. These would protect the knee and lower leg of a mounted soldier from blows and from collision with horses as cavalry charged tightly packed together. Gauntlets were made of leather and protected the hands and wrists. I couldn't manage to get a clear enough photo of these however this is what they would have looked like:

The Khaki tunic was issued in 1885 as an experiment uniform for British troops overseas. Unlike the traditional red coat, this design was intended to blend in with the surrounding terrain. Thirty years earlier soldiers on active service in India had begun dying their white summer uniforms 'khaki' (from the Hindi work for 'dust'). The labels and seals on this jacket show that it is a 'sealed pattern', an example kept as an official record of the new uniform. On the shoulder is the regimental title  of the 2nd Derbyshire Regiment, one of the first units to try out the new tunic. The looped strips across the chest were for carrying rifle ammunition. The tunic was never issued to the whole army.

A khaki apron was worn to camouflage the kilt. in 1902, khaki clothing had become the standard active service uniform of the British Army. Highland regiments first began wearing kilt aprons during the South African War, after it was realised tat the enemy marksmen could pick out the dark tartan of their kilts in the distance. Kilts were last worn in active service in 1940. There is a little bit of interesting information on a shako cap that was out on display worn by an officer in 1892. As military headdress was often designed to look impressive on parade, these elaborate expensive caps had to be protected by the rain. A greatcoat would have protected the rest of the wearer's uniform.

I manage to hit the jackpot by finding this full dress uniform, Royal Horse Artillery, c1905. This was regarded as an elite unit. you can see that this uniform is deliberately glamorous, incorporating elements of light cavalry dress like the fur 'busby'. Like many developments in military dress, this was an important fashion, in this case copied from the Hungarian Hussars. This uniform carried such status that when an officer was selected for service, he was said to have 'earned his jacket', a reference to the elaborate braided jacket.

 

     

Busby headdress and helmet are worn in full dress by officers.

Sabretache

Pouch belt and pouch for carrying messages and orders.

Cuff braiding

There is also an interesting piece of uniform called the neck stock. These uncomfortable leather collars were worn around the neck to keep the soldier's heads upright and straight. Body posture was an important part of what was considered to be proper military appearance. Stocks were worn under the high collars of the tight fitting tunics. They were abolished in the 1860's.

The use of such simple identification devices recalled the coloured ribbons, sashes, flowers and leaves used to distinguish opposing armies in the seventeenth century. Then in the twentieth century, the common need for protective clothing determined the appearance of soldiers, regardless of nationality. 

I found an interesting fact out when reading up about this uniform, which is that soldier's waistcoats were generally made from the remnants of other items of uniform. This particular waistcoat has a tartan back, probably from an old plaid. 

This is the uniform of Leopold, Duke of Albany, Colonel of the 3rd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders, 1882-84.What interested me about this particular uniform was the incredible collar detail as well as the intricate cuff braiding. 

Again this is a tunic that is very similar style to a Hungarian Hussar uniform. This jacket is believed to be of the Glasgow shape shooters, a part-time units of the 1820's. It is incredibly to notice how many uniforms over the years have been strongly influenced by the Hussar style.