Victorian-era Queen's Own Rifles of Canada 'Field Service Cap'

[RattlesnakeJack]

I have previously posted images of my 1885 Northwest Rebellion-era 2nd Battalion Volunteer Militia of Canada (Queen's Own Rifles) uniform and kit, which is what I have primarily worn as my field uniform the past few years at Grand Army of the Frontier (GAF) shooting competitions.  Here I am in November at the most recent GAF National Muster in Texas -



Up 'til now, I have been using a green glengarry cap badged to the QOR, as seen above, which was standard-issue headdress for the unit until 1882 when it was replaced by ta regimental-pattern "field service cap".  However, "Military Uniforms of Canada 1665-1970" documents that the old-style glengarry was issued for 1885 service "after supplies of the regimental field service cap were exhausted" .... and that is what the rifleman on Rebellion service depicted in the relevant plate in that book has draped on his rifle muzzle -



However, I have long intended to also kit myself out with a suitable regimental field service cap.  Of course original caps are rare, expensive and .... if one can find one .... too small for my modern noggin.  I have been held up on the alternative of making a reproduction by the lack of any suitable pattern caps in the necessary black color.  I have recently solved that problem by acquiring a reproduction khaki field service cap, dying it black and then affixing the necessary red piping and "pompom", and the end result - with original Victorian-era cap badge affixed - (hopefully) duplicates  the appearance of an original to an acceptable degree -



Just another little "touch" in the ongoing development of my kit .....    

[Niederlander]

Looks great, Jack!  I, for one (and I suspect many others who frequent this forum), really appreciate your dedication to your Canadian military heritage.  It's really cool to see uniforms we don't often get to see below the "Medicine Line"!

[RattlesnakeJack]

Thanks, Ned!  

One of the challenges of these 'obscure' impressions I seem to choose is the absence of much (if any) 'off the shelf ' kit ... with the result that I have to come up with it on my own ....

Any chance you can make it down to Texas for Muster next fall?

[River City John]

Well done, Jack.

You are a walking history lesson, for sure.

RCJ

[Windy City Joe]

I ditto what Niederlander said. It's always a pleasure to see you in one of your uniforms. I would like to do a Black Watch, any ideas how or were to start?
Windy City Joe

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I ditto what Niederlander said. It's always a pleasure to see you in one of your uniforms. I would like to do a Black Watch, any ideas how or were to start?
Windy City Joe

Here is a link to the Black Watch Living History Group;

http://home.myfairpoint.net/paullev/id2.html

The Regiment was formed in 1862, but didn't see action until the Boer War.  This group concentrates on WWII, but are forming a WWI living history unit.  I'm not sure if they were mobilized for the Fenian Raids of 1867 - 1870, but I don't think they went West for the 1870 or the 1885 Riel Rebellions.

For the ultimate in Highland Regimental re-enactment groups, try the 78th Highlanders.  They commemorate a British regiment during the 7 years War in America, but they are quite active today, mostly as a social club; There are "garrisons" in Georgia and in Vancouver, Washington!

http://www.78thfrasers.org/site/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/

[Niederlander]

Thanks, Ned!   

One of the challenges of these 'obscure' impressions I seem to choose is the absence of much (if any) 'off the shelf ' kit ... with the result that I have to come up with it on my own ....

Any chance you can make it down to Texas for Muster next fall?

Jack,
     I doubt I can make it to Texas, but we should have an excellent Muster here this July.  We should have around sixty reactive targets by then, with crew served enemy weapons to neutralize, and I'm told we may even have some live artillery!  Should be fun!

[RattlesnakeJack]

Howdy Joe .... thanks!

The website Sir Charles has linked to relates to the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada - which did not actually come to be called that until well into the 20th century .... during the latter few decades of the 19th century (i.e. the Victorian era) it was the 5th Battalion, Royal Scots of Canada..  The "original" (i.e. British, often referred to as "Imperial") Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) has existed continuously as a regiment since 1739 .....

Assuming that  you' are interested in an Imperial Black Watch impression, you could actually make a pretty good start acquiring much of the regalia from me!

When I first decided to do a Highland impression for the Victorian era, I'd have preferred to start out with the 5th Battalion, Royal Scots of Canada .... but suitable insignia was not readily available, so instead I chose to do a field grade officer of the Black Watch ..... and had the impression pretty much complete when suitable insignia became available for the 5th Royal Scots ... so over the past couple of years I have been changing the impression over, and have now almost completed the switch.  This was possible because Victorian-era doublets, kilts and such were the same for all Highland Regiments ... the main differences (besides insignia of course) being in the tartan worn for kilts (and trews), the 'facing color (i.e. cuffs and collars), the pattern of diced hose (stockings) and the color and pattern of hair sporran.  Both the BW and RSC were "Royal" regiments and thus both had blue facings on their doublets and tunics, and both wore Government Tartan (commonly called the Black Watch sett) so I didn't have to change those main components - and none of that would likely fit you anyway.  

On the left is my 5th Royal Scots of Canada impression, on the right are two somewhat different variations of my earlier Black Watch impression (.... it is, in fact, the same doublet in all three photos - just variations in lighting, exposure and such) -



This transition required me to change many accessories - i.e. regimental badges and buttons, hair sporran, diced hose .... and even the glengarry cap, since the Black Watch wore one with no dicing on the bottom edge, whereas the Royal Scots glengarry had a red/white diced border.  I accordingly happen to have quite a bit of this kit which is now 'surplus to my immediate needs', as it were.

I got my items from various sources over the years .... but a lot of it came from an outfit located, of all places, in Texas!  It is called The Highland Brigade, and specializes in good quality reproduction regalia for Victorian-era Highland regiments, and here is a Link -  http://www.highlandbrigade.com/  When you get there, click on the "Products" link ... which takes you to a page where you can browse by various themes - e.g. by "Type of Product", by "Regiment", by "Era" and so on.  Select "Black Watch" from the "by Regiment" option and see what they have (.... hold onto your wallet!)   As you will see,  I have quite a bit tied up in my surplus Black Watch regalia, but I'm sure we could work something out whereby I could recoup some of my outlay and you could acquire a lot  for a significant saving!  Let me know, if you are interested, and we can communicate further off the forum.

(By the way, there are other, considerably more economical sources for the main uniform components - doublet and/or tunics, kilt, etc. - and I can help you with a lot of that, as well as general guidance once I have a better idea exactly what you'd like to do, in terms of rank, era, etc.)

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Windy City Joe;  Here is a link to The Black Watch website, a brief history and specifically the lineage chart.

http://www.blackwatchcanada.com/en/heritage-and-history/a-brief-history/68

BTW;  They were on active service on the Vermont frontier during the Fenian raids of 1866 and 1870.  The intention from the beginning of their existance was that they were to be a Scots regiment. The Irish in Montreal met in 1962 to debate volunteering in Canada.  This meeting was disrupted by Fenians from Vermont shouting "Not under the British flag!", but a resolution was eventually passed to raise an Irish battalion.  But the damage was done! The government concluded that it was unwise to raise an Irish unit at that time, as the threat was from Irish American Fenians. To be consistent they had to refuse any unit based on national communities. Thus the Scots had to serve as the 5th Battalion Royal Light Infantry until political sensitivities settled down. Many Irish Canadians did serve individually as volunteers.

Here is a link to an article on dress;

http://www.militaryheritage.com/blackwatchofcanada.htm

[RattlesnakeJack]

Sir Charles:
I fear that you run the risk of confusing our Chicago friend!    

He is interested in the original (i.e. British)  Black Watch, whereas the unit you have referred to, and provided links for, is the Black Watch of Canada.  Indeed (as documented in your most recent link) the Canadian unit did not get "Black Watch" as part of its name until 1930!)

[Trailrider]

This is fascinating! An aside... During WWII, my late father was in the U.S. 42nd Infantry "Rainbow" Division, which was first organized during WWI, and with which Gen. Douglas MacArthur served. During WWII, the Rainbow was commanded by Maj. Gen. Harry Collins. Gen. Collins decided the division "needed" a spectacular band.  Since the division's numerical designation was the same as one of the Black Watch (42nd), the general organized a pipe band! I really don't remember hearing the pipe band, but I must have down to Camp Gruber, OK, at the age of about 1-1/2, because I love the sound of the bagpipes.

Q. Which Black Watch was the 42nd? 

[RattlesnakeJack]

The "original" Black Watch (which was established in 1739 by the "regimentation" of several independent Highland companies to become the first Highland Regiment in the British Army) was the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot. 

Actually, when formed it was called The Earl of Craufurd's Regiment,  in keeping with the standard practice at that time of referring to a Regiment by the name of its Colonel.  It was initially ranked as the 43rd Regiment on the Establishment of the British Army, but in 1749 it moved up to become the 42nd Regiment, upon disbandment of a more senior regiment on the Establishment. 

Further lineage details:
- 1751 -  formally designated as 42nd (Highland) Regiment of Foot
- 1758 -  honoured for its valiant service at the Battle of Ticonderoga (during the French and Indian War) by being elevated to the status of a "Royal" regiment, and redesignated as 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot
- 1861 - formally redesignated as 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot, The Black Watch (The regiment had informally been called "The Black Watch" almost since its founding, but this made that an official part of the name.)
- 1881 - united with 73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of Foot, to form The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)  This was part of a major re-organization of the British Army, in which the many single-battalion regiments were amalgamated into two-battalion regiments, with "Territorial" and "Volunteer" units also being attached to each of these enlarged Regular Army regiments as third and fourth battalions.

Here is a plate depicting the Black Watch from 1742 (top row, left) through 1916 (bottom row, right) -

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Nothing is ever quite simple.  Here are a couple of paragraphs from the 2d link I posted.  The Battalion was formed in 1862 but at least one company was a highland company. Note that in 1863 the black watch tartan was permitted for off duty wear along with the red hackle. These two items are the two particular markers of the Black watch regalia.  In 1876 the two "Flank companies" (Grenadiers and Light companies) wore the watch Tartan, and in 1879 the entire batallion became Black Watch in all but name. The main difference was the wearing of trews rather than the kilt.

"When transferred to The Royal Light Infantry in 1863, the Highland Rifle Company of Montreal adopted the standard light infantry uniform when on parade with the unit. Only a diced band on the forage cap indicated the Highland origin of the company. Off parade, however, the company was permitted to wear trews of Black Watch tartan and a feather bonnet with red hackle.

Upon being reorganized as the 5th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, Montreal in 1876, the regiment adopted fusilier dress: a fusilier busby with white plume, and the standard Canadian-pattern red tunic with dark-blue facings and pointed cuffs trimmed with a white crow's-foot. Both flank companies were designated as Highland, and dressed in Scottish doublets with gauntlet cuffs, trews of Black Watch tartan, and fusilier busbies. Glengarrys with diced bands were adopted as the forage cap of the Highland companies.  In 1879, the entire regiment adopted this dress, and shortly thereafter changed its title to the 5th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers."

While the formal regimental title didn't change until 1930, the association with the Black Watch occured in 1906.  Here is another clip from my 2d link;

"The regiment's approach to full Highland status was reflected in 1904 by a further change in title to 5th Regiment, Royal Scots of Canada, Highlanders. In 1906, the regiment was designated the 5th Regiment, Royal Highlanders of Canada, and became formally associated with the Black Watch of the British Army."

As a further note; Uniforms were not supplied to the militia under the Militia Act of 1855.  Privates pay was $1 per day and Captains received $2.10 per day, and the number of paid days was severly restricted.  In the Montreal area the average cost of militia uniforms was $70!  Serving in the Militia was an act of civic duty and pride, as well as a sacrifice.

[Trailrider]

Much obliged, gentlemen! A fascinating history, and one with which I have been totally unfamiliar!