Pipers in Scottish regiments wear long plaids over their shoulders. A plaid is a sash of tartan cloth, 50″ wide and usually about 4 yards long. It is worn as a sash over the uniform and secured at the left shoulder with a large circular metal brooch. In British military service these brooches have the regimental cap badge on them allowing the regiment who wore them to be easily identified. Today we are looking at an example from the King’s Own Scottish Borderers:

In this photograph a group of KOSB pipers can be seen, each wearing the plaid brooch:

Although this image dates from the 1970s, the design had remained unchanged for many years, excepting the move from King’s crown to Queen’s crown in 1952. This plaid brooch has the earlier pattern of badge on it so dates from before the ascension of the Queen Elizabeth to the throne:

The rear of the brooch should have a large pin to secure it through the thick woollen plaid, although this is missing from this example. Note how the badge is secured with four bent wire hooks:

This badge came as part of a wider grouping all from the same man, with his identity discs and pipers sleeve badge.