# Highlander headdress



## orange.paint (22 May 2006)

Recently I have been working with a couple highlanders from 1,2 NSH.While both wear the same capbadge,one is smaller and mounted on a beret.In dress uniform they said they still use the belmoral (sp?) but 1 NSH had gotten rid of the belmoral due to a CO thinking it looked unprofessional.They also told me the highland units would be all moving towards this beret during work,belmoral on parade within the next few years.

Can anyone out there give me information on when this was changed,is it changing in all units and reasons for it.

Just curious


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## Michael Dorosh (22 May 2006)

rcac_011 said:
			
		

> Recently I have been working with a couple highlanders from 1,2 NSH.While both wear the same capbadge,one is smaller and mounted on a beret.In dress uniform they said they still use the belmoral (sp?) but 1 NSH had gotten rid of the belmoral due to a CO thinking it looked unprofessional.They also told me the highland units would be all moving towards this beret during work,belmoral on parade within the next few years.
> 
> Can anyone out there give me information on when this was changed,is it changing in all units and reasons for it.
> 
> Just curious



The Calgary Highlanders have never worn berets and never will. Can't speak for other regiments, but I understand the 2nd Battalion, Irish Regiment also had an "interesting" Reg Force Adjutant (from the Van Doos IIRC) who abolished Irish headdress there for awhile in favour of the beret.

Shame on the CO of 1 NSH for doing something so idiotic.


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## Trinity (22 May 2006)

Yeah..  I'd quit if they ever took away the balmoral.

Safe to say the 48th and Toronto Scottish are NOT giving up their balmorals.


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## Kat Stevens (22 May 2006)

Trinity said:
			
		

> Yeah..  I'd quit if they ever took away the balmoral.
> 
> Safe to say the 48th and Toronto Scottish are NOT giving up their balmorals.



Yeah, I know just how you feel.  I almost quit when I couldn't get my old balaklava replaced... I really loved that hat.


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## The_Falcon (22 May 2006)

Trinity said:
			
		

> Yeah..  I'd quit if they ever took away the balmoral.
> 
> Safe to say the 48th and Toronto Scottish are NOT giving up their balmorals.



I second that.


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## Scott (22 May 2006)

When I was with the 1NSH there was talk of taking away the balmoral, nothing came of it though. I can't believe that this has happened knowing who some of the senior members of the Unit are.

There are a couple of current Highlanders that are members here. Hopefully they'll be able to tell us all that this is just a rumour.


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## orange.paint (22 May 2006)

Scott,I may be mistaken if it was 1nsh or 2nsh but one of them (I believe 1nsh, the one on mainland nova scotia)has shrunk the capbadge and placed it on a beret which I have seen with my own eyes.The cape breton nsh still wears the belmoral.

Any NSH here inform us?


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## COBRA-6 (22 May 2006)

The Irish wear the Caubeen again now. IIRC it was a former CO who who changed to pants and berets, but that happened before my time.


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## the 48th regulator (22 May 2006)

Trinity said:
			
		

> Yeah..  I'd quit if they ever took away the balmoral.
> 
> Safe to say the 48th and Toronto Scottish are NOT giving up their balmorals.



Regulators Mount up.

Damn skippy, any CO thinking of that in THE regiment will be crucified..and he can wear his beret of thorns...

dileas

tess


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## orange.paint (22 May 2006)

Now from the little I was told even though 1 NSH has changed to berets they still wear the kilt.And apparently they were told something about all highland units changing but 2 NSH (former cape breton highlanders?) stuck with the belmoral.The reasons for change is just what I was told by a 2NSH cpl,but yep I saw the NSH cpabadge shrunken and on a beret!

cheers


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## Scott (22 May 2006)

rcac, not disputing what you heard and saw.

I just sent a PM to a member here who is in the 1st BN. He's on here fairly regular so hopefully we'll get an answer.

I cannot believe that anyone who has spent any time with such a unit would pull something like this.

Disgusting.


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## orange.paint (22 May 2006)

I cant find 1NSH website but I got this from 2 NSH and I think this may be a pic of the new headdress,yet I cant tell for sure.Looks bigger than a cornflake so thats my guess.

http://faculty.uccb.ns.ca/highlanders/Mission%20Company%202003.htm


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## noneck (22 May 2006)

I went overseas with a bunch of guys from 1&2 NSH back in the early 90's. 1 NSH didn't wear TOS's back then either, and the 2NSH guy's wore the old CF issued TOS which was a dark rifle green colour.

Like a lot of highland kit, it is up to the individual unit to pay for it out of it's kilt maintenance fund. With the price of military weight tartan these days it's no wonder that there is no money around for things like hair sporrans, spats ect.

Noneck


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## jmackenzie_15 (22 May 2006)

Scott said:
			
		

> rcac, not disputing what you heard and saw.
> 
> I just sent a PM to a member here who is in the 1st BN. He's on here fairly regular so hopefully we'll get an answer.
> 
> ...



Yeah , heres what I know first hand being from 1NSH:

Right when I got in about 4 years agok we switched to berets because our CO at the time apparently felt this was "cooler" or something, as none of us were able to figure out what was the point of this. As far as we know (and many bitter 1NSH'ers will tell you) we are the only Scottish regiment in Canada NOT wearing balmorals... we wear berets with the 1NSH capbadge specialized for the beret, made out of stainless steel like any other capbadge. Our DEUs still consist of the normal kilt with balmoral.... no change there.

But still,evidently, half the unit almost quit over the ditching of the balmoral in favor of the beret.

We are all aware of the treachary of this "headdress alteration" and many of us are still bitter about it. We've been trying to get the Bal back for years, beleive me, its an uphill battle that wont be won anytime soon, although our current CO seems to want them back.

Regardless, its an insult to tradition and the culture of scottish regiments everywhere, and just so everyone knows, this was NOT 1NSH's decision. If we had it our way, we'd still have our balmorals.

Damn politics.


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## jmackenzie_15 (22 May 2006)

rcac_011 said:
			
		

> Recently I have been working with a couple highlanders from 1,2 NSH.While both wear the same capbadge,one is smaller and mounted on a beret.In dress uniform they said they still use the belmoral (sp?) but 1 NSH had gotten rid of the belmoral due to a CO thinking it looked unprofessional.They also told me the highland units would be all moving towards this beret during work,belmoral on parade within the next few years.
> 
> Can anyone out there give me information on when this was changed,is it changing in all units and reasons for it.
> 
> Just curious



We've had our balmorals changed to berets with capbadges several years ago... maybe  5 or 6.


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## Michael Dorosh (22 May 2006)

Weren't the 85th Battalion CEF the only Highland unit that didn't wear the kilt, though? And aren't they direct ancestors of the NSH?  Might be some tradition there...


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## jmackenzie_15 (22 May 2006)

I'm not sure.... regardless, like 90% of the guys in the battallion now are new and werent in when we had the balmoral controversy and don't know otherwise, but it was our old CO (wont say who) that decided this, and many guys were so disgusted they switched units or quit.
It really is a disgrace, especially for me, being almost entirely of scottish heritage.


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## Scott (23 May 2006)

An old CO, eh? Lemme guess, under this "old CO" pay was never an issue either, riiiight?  > One can only hope things will change under the current leadership.

I left early in 2000 and the balmoral was still there then. It had been rumoured, while I was in the unit, that the balmoral's days were numbered but we had one of our own in LFAA HQ fighting for us to keep it. We were always told that it was those "from outside the Bn trying to take it away" never thought someone from the unit would see it disappear.


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## jmackenzie_15 (23 May 2006)

Scott said:
			
		

> An old CO, eh? Lemme guess, under this "old CO" pay was never an issue either, riiiight?  > One can only hope things will change under the current leadership.
> 
> I left early in 2000 and the balmoral was still there then. It had been rumoured, while I was in the unit, that the balmoral's days were numbered but we had one of our own in LFAA HQ fighting for us to keep it. We were always told that it was those "from outside the Bn trying to take it away" never thought someone from the unit would see it disappear.



Thats just what theyd want you to think! 2NSH is the same brigade we are.... nobody made them ditch theirs.
Something like half the company im from supposedly quit as soon as they got rid of them...... I wouldnt blame them either. I got in right after they were taken away.


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## Kat Stevens (24 May 2006)

Ummmm.....Half a unit quit over a hat?


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## Michael Dorosh (24 May 2006)

Kat Stevens said:
			
		

> Ummmm.....Half a unit quit over a hat?



Only a Highlander would understand...


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## mdh (24 May 2006)

> Only a Highlander would understand...



We lowlanders understand all too well  8)


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## Michael Dorosh (24 May 2006)

mdh said:
			
		

> We lowlanders understand all too well  8)



I humbly stand corrected.

You know, I did that in Scotland once as a very young corporal, when some WOs/NCOs of the Scottish Division were talking to us colonials.  They were discussing availability of Highland kit in Canada and at some point I had turned to one of the British soldiers and said "you Highlanders must understand, eh?" or some such.

As the Drum Major of the King's Own Scottish Borderers, he was not impressed and just gave me the dirtiest of looks as he said "I'm a Lowlander."

Being Canadian, though, I don't think I was expected to know any better.


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## Kirkhill (24 May 2006)

Michael ye shoulda kent better.  In Scotland folks north of Highland line divide the world into Scots and Sassenachs.  Folks south of the line see the world as Scots and Teuchters.  Both of them are still trying figure out where the Campbells sit.  ;D No offence Edward - or at least no' much.


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