The green jacket worn by the piper in this illustration is waist length, conforming to the pattern worn by the Queen’s Own Highlanders (Seaforths & Camerons) in no.1 dress ceremonial. There are no Inverness skirts below the waist and the only distinction is the addition of shoulder wings which had been a feature of Piper uniform in the QO Cameron Highlanders since the beginning of the century. There is also a yellow embroidered piper’s badge on his upper right arm. The buttons are round stay-bright yellow metal although the button loops and edging are white. The doublet was restored for home service ceremonials at some point in the 1980s.
The tartan is the Cameron of Erracht sett and the bag on his instrument is in the Seaforth tartan, the same as worn by the rank & file, NCOs and officers. He has a shoulder plaid worn under the shoulder belt. This black leather belt had badges added after amalgamation in 1961; the one nearest the shoulder is the Duke of Albany’s Star (Seaforths), and the one below the buckle is the Cameron badge of a crowned oval on a saltire. His collar badges are elephants facing inwards. The plaid brooch is circular with a wreath of oak leaves and acorns. At the top of the brooch is the cipher of the Duke of Albany (Prince Leopold) with his coronet above. At the base of the brooch is the Sphinx (without ‘Egypt’). Across the middle of the brooch is a strap inscribed ALAMEIN. The waist-belt clasp is a large silver rectangle with the regimental badge, having the coronet of the Duke of Albany instead of the Royal Crown. The Motto under the stag’s head is CUIDICH’N RIGH (Help to the King). Pipe majors wore a different pattern brooch, belt badge and waist-belt clasp.
The waist-belt supports a dirk which is sheathed in a black and silver scabbard that has no knife and fork. The sporran is grey goat’s hair with two black tassels, and a black cantle that has an upper semi-circular edge of silver with three silver knobs. His Cameron hose has a skean dhu tucked in the right side and green ribbons on the garter.
The pipe banner shows the obverse side which is buff, the other side is dark blue with the same regimental badge of the Seaforth stag’s head and motto, and the Cameron’s thistle with Elizabethan crown above. The illustration, by Douglas Anderson, is taken from CUIDICH N RIGH, A History of the Queen s Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons) by Lt Col Angus Fairrie (1983). The author writes:
‘It is the custom for an officer appointed to command a company to have his own banner made. It is carried on parade or in mess by his company piper. The banner remains the property of the officer, and he is allowed to have his personal crest embroidered in the top corner of the reverse [blue] side. If he is appointed to command a battalion of the Regiment, or to be Colonel of the Regiment, he is allowed to add the Union flag to his banner, in the top corner of the obverse [buff] side.’
