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OK, this is far from news, but concerns the upcoming centenary of the start of WW1. I recently viewed all 25 episodes of the old excellent BBC series called The Great War. Originally aired in the sixties, I remember being very interested in seeing it as a kid. The centenary prompted me to review it.

There are quite a few short scenes showing Scottish soldiers marching to war in pleated kilts with tartans, though none showing them in battle with kilts. What piqued my interest was a very short screne showing what I assume are Scottish troops marching in Basra, Mesopotamia in the summer wearing unpleated plain kilts. It's around the 9:30 mark here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuXtfLfPCVI
Temperatures were up to 50 deg C, so it obviously made sense, and I suspect the bifurcated troops envied them.

Rod

Hi TheRod
I did read that kilts were worn during WW1 in the trenches but they had problems. The traditional kilt is quite heavy and when lying in the trenches, became very much heavier as they became more and more caked in mud.

I don't know if that prevented their use or whether they were more likely to be shot being a slower moving target.

What appear to be plain kilts are undoubtedly lightweight aprons worn over the kilt to protect it. There is also a scene where it is quite clear that a soldier carrying a stretcher has a normal kilt on under the slightly shorter plain one.

Excelent documentary series, by the way.

Martin

Take a gander at this regarding WWI troops wearing kilts and...egads!!...ladies tights!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnHSAY9AkvU

In the film The Drum 1938 you can see the Scotts wearing plain kilts starts at 19:50 mins
http://youtu.be/SOxPyQ1krLE

Potbelly MacKraken wrote:Take a gander at this regarding WWI troops wearing kilts and...egads!!...ladies tights!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnHSAY9AkvU

I do wear ladies tights on occasions. I wear them more in the winter months under trousers for work or with any one of just-above-the-knee skirts (black 70-80 den tights) for other more casual occasions or when meeting others on this site which I have done occasionally.

The tights I wear are thicker (ie not sheers) to "mask" the hairy legs which I do not wish to shave off (personal preference)

Ross