Gentlemen,
As I have recently discovered this forum, I thought I would introduce myself and post an initial contribution. My name is Mike D., and I live in Stratham, New Hampshire, USA. Dating back 20 years, my interest has been in the history of the Highland regiments 1881-1939 and collecting artifacts associated with that period. My particular concentration is on the Black Watch and the Cameron Highlanders.
One of the centerpieces of my collection is the uniform of a Black Watch officer in Levee Dress circa 1910; a picture is attached. The uniform and kit is a composite from three officers. Most of the uniform (excepting feather bonnet and dirk) belonged to Lt. Colonel Arthur H.C. Sutherland DSO, MC, Chevalier Legion d’Honneur. The feather bonnet came from Major General Tom Gordon Rennie CBE, DSO, MBE. The dirk was passed down through three generations of Black Watch officers with the family name of Pitcairn.
A brief biography on Arthur Sutherland: born Calcutta 3 April 1891; educated at Eton and Sandhurst; 2Lt 5 Oct 1910; posted to 2BW in India; appointed ADC to C-in-C South Africa 18 Apr 1914; Lt 27 Apr 1914; rejoined 2nd Bn in France October 1914; wounded by machine gun bullet to ankle at Aubers Ridge 9 May 1915 but wound was untreated for 3 days after which gangrene had set in necessitating amputation of leg; Capt 19 May 1915; after recuperation returned to France as Deputy Asst Military secretary GHQ Jan 1917 with temp rank of Major; Asst Military Secretary 1st Army June 1917 with temp rank of Lt Col; Deputy Asst Mil Sec War Office Jan 1919; Staff Officer for Musketry Eastern Command Jan 1920; retired as Lt Col on account of wounds 3 Dec 1921; joined father’s firm of Begg, Roberts & Co 1921; died at Cringlettie, Peebles-shire 19 Feb 1962. Much was written about Arthur Suthlerland by his son, David Sutherland who also was a BW officer, in his book "He Who Dares."
Some biographical details on Maj Gen Rennie are: 2Lt 16 July 1919; Lt 16 July 1921; Adjt 11 April 1926 [2nd Battalion, UK]; Capt 22 September 1933; Bde Major, Shanghai 30 May 1936; GSO3 14 April 1938; Bt Major 1 July 1938; Major 1 August 1938; GSO2 51st (Highland) Division; 23 April 1940; escaped from Germans after fall of St Valery riding through French and German lines on a bicycle [along with Ronnie McIntosh-Walker, Seaforths], see Red Hackle 1946); GSO2 Western Command 19 August 1940; T/Lt Col commanding 5th Battalion, 20 January 1942; T/Brig commanding 154th Infantry Brigade8 December 1942; wounded in North Africa; Major-General commanding 3rd Division10 December 1943; wounded in Normandy 14 June 1944; Commander 51st (Highland) Division25 July 1944; killed in action in command of 51st (Highland) Division at the Crossing of the Rhine 24 March 1945. The foregoing is courtesy of Tommy Smyth of the BW Museum.
The provenance of the dirk: Originally made for Andrew Pitcairn commissioned Ensign 15 May 1840, retired 21 Aug 1871, and died 10 Feb 1892; dirk inherited by Robert Henry Pitcairn, 2 Lt 9 Jan 1889, Lt 27 Aug 1890, rejoined for 1914-18 War serving as RTO; died 1934; dirk then inherited by Andrew Alexander Pitcairn, 2 Lt 16 July 1920, Lt 16 July 1922, Capt 14 March 1936, Major 1 Aug 1938, T/Lt Col commanding 2nd Bn in Crete May 1941, and killed in action during breakout from Tobruk 21 Nov 1941 whilst 2IC of 2nd Bn.
Interestingly, the shoulder belt plate and the waist belt plate both contain QVCs. I suspect that these were inherited by Sutherland from his uncle who also served in the BW. The SBP, WBP, and sporran cantle contain the maker’s mark “R & HB Kirkwood, 66-68 Thistle St, Edinburgh.” R & HB Kirkwood appears to have ceased doing business as a firm by the 1920s; a daughter may have continued doing contract work for other firms beyond that date. The bonnet, as expected, holds a die-cast gilted Sphinx badge mounted on a rosette.
Would anyone have a more definitive date on when Kirkwood went out-of-business and the reason they folded?
I hope this posting may prove to be of of interest to some of you.
Regards,
Mike
BW Officer Levee Dress c1910.jpg
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Originally Posted by ronmarsden
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