These two uniforms show two remarkable parts of the 48th Highlanders of Canada’s ceremonial tradition: mess dress and the pipers’ full dress. Walk around the case and take in both.
Mess dress is the regiment’s formal evening uniform, worn by officers and senior NCOs at regimental dinners, ceremonial banquets, and social functions. Picture the mess on dinner night: good food and drink, the pipes sounding, toasts raised, and comrades sharing stories. It is a gathering of the age-old traditions that Highland regiments have kept alive for generations. The scarlet jacket with dark blue facings is a hallmark of Commonwealth Highland regiments, adapted by the 48th Highlanders after their formation in 1891. The waistcoat and kilt are in Davidson tartan, the regimental tartan worn by all ranks except pipers. This particular example is distinguished by gold shoulder cords, identifying it as the mess dress of either a senior Warrant Officer, such as a Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM), or an officer. The miniature medals belonged to Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1) Frederick Wigmore, MM, CD, who became Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) after WW 2.
It is important to note that RSM is not a rank but an appointment—the senior-most warrant officer of the battalion. The RSM is responsible for regimental discipline, drill standards, and advising the commanding officer on soldier welfare and traditions. It is the pinnacle of a non-commissioned soldier’s career and carries immense respect within the regiment.
The pipers’ full dress is one of the most distinctive uniforms in the Canadian Army. The green doublet with elaborate silver braid and shoulder wings is traditional for pipers. Notably, the kilt here is Stewart of Fingask tartan, unique to the 48th Highlanders’ pipers, which makes them immediately recognizable on parade. Imagine the piper who wore this uniform, marching at the head of the regiment with the pipes skirling, and behind him the troops in scarlet full dress. Picture the spectacle: the sound, the colour, and the pride of a regiment on parade.