ONCE WORE KILTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 71, 21 September 1939, Page 16

ONCE WORE KILTS

DRESS IN THE ROYAL NAVY

In the eighteenth century dress in the Royal Navy depended a great deal ton the individual, as there was no regular uniform, though some captains tried to get the men to dress more or less alike in clothes from the slop chest on board, states an exchange. The men in the captain's gig, that is, the captain's own special boat, were generally dressed alike according to his fancy. Some of the gigs' crews ■wore wonderful uniforms, thus the gigs' crew of H.M.S. Harlequin wore harlequins' dresses, much to the delight of the rest of the ship's company. .Others were dressed as Highlanders, with kilts, Highland bonnets, and a ■worsted thistle embroidered on their jackets. "When King George the' Third was married in 1761 he sent his Royal yacht to Germany to fetch his fiancee to England. The yacht was named the Charlotte after the Princess, and the King designed a special dress for the crew. They wore red coals and breeches, * black hats which with the coats were laced with gold, light grey stockings with silver buckles at the knees, and buckles on their black pumps. Anything less seamanlike could not be imagined, and it is to be hoped that the poor fellows encountered no rough weather during the .voyage. The Charlotte carried the flag of Admiral Lord Anson, who had been gent by the King to escort the Princess of Mecklinburg-Strelitz to England. The following song became the rage:— All aboard o 5 the Royal yacht. They christened her the "Lobster Pot." We looked like lobsters, more or less, On account of our ruddy dress. But still we sailed her 'cross the sea, For tHe Princess from Germany.