These two photos are details from the same group photo taken in 1891.They have been put together to show the difference in uniform between the Sergeant Piper on the left and the Piper on the right. The title of sergeant piper was adopted in 1881 when pipe majors were down-graded, along with drum majors. However, his uniform did not change. His green doublet has four gold lace chevrons on the right arm and gold lace on his collar and cuffs. Unfortunately the piper’s uniform is partly concealed by a large beard and the pipe banner, but a glimpse of cuff shows that he has white piping instead of gold lace. The other difference is the plaid brooch on the left shoulder. The Sergeant Piper has an officer’s pattern brooch with the Sphinx in the centre while the Piper has a plain circular brooch.
The Sergeant Piper’s sporran cantle appears to be the same as the other pipers, as seen in the Pipers 1887 photo. It is black with a silver upper edge and three small knobs which tops a grey goat-hair sporran with two large white tassels. The blue pipe banner has a central device surrounded by battle honours. It would seem that only the Sergeant Piper’s banner has the honours as the Piper’s banner looks as though there are no honours. The glengarry caps are quite small, but bearing a large eagle feather. The Sergeant Piper has two medals for his service in Egypt in the 1880s.
