Whose Goat?

[Postwarden]

Possibly an RAF Apprentice establishment?

Jon

[Hawthorn]

Believe RAF Station Halton had a Goat as a Mascot, could be there.

Simon.

[mike_vee]

Originally Posted by Hawthorn

Believe RAF Station Halton had a Goat as a Mascot, could be there.

Simon.

That was my thoughts as well , they had numerous goats all named Lewis.

LEWIS the Goat Mascot

The Apprentices at RAF Halton had a goat mascot up until the final graduation in 1993. The tradition started when the Royal Welch Fusiliers were sent to the front line during WWII and needed someone to take care of their goat ‘Billy’. He was adopted by the Halton Brats and renamed ‘LEWIS’, or Flight Sergeant LEWIS – his name deriving from the acronym London, England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland. The graduation of 155 Entry was held on the 24th June 1993, when Flt Sgt Lewis and his twin brother SAC Lewis (AKA Lewis VI and Lewis VII) both retired from the Royal Air Force.

[mike_vee]

Could the No.1 on the coat be a reference to :

No. 1 School of Technical Training the Royal Air Force's aircraft engineering school, based at RAF Halton from 1919 to 1993, as the Home of the Aircraft Apprentice scheme.

[mike_vee]

One "Flight Sgt.Lewis" going though "white noise" training !

[Hawthorn]

Mike,

Well done, that's the one I was thinking of and the link to Number 1 School of Technical Training makes perfect sense.

Simon.

[cavalryman]

Hi, Wow now that is rare! both a Pipe Major and a Piper being left handed. regards John

[manchesters]

Originally Posted by cavalryman

Hi, Wow now that is rare! both a Pipe Major and a Piper being left handed. regards John

Both appear to be Pipe Majors, and the left hoofed goat also is wearing a different coat with no L in wreath at the corners and what looks like a large Kings Crown set of Pilots wings on the side?

regards

[cavalryman]

Originally Posted by manchesters

Both appear to be Pipe Majors, and the left hoofed goat also is wearing a different coat with no L in wreath at the corners and what looks like a large Kings Crown set of Pilots wings on the side?

regards

Hi Simon, Well spotted, That's even rarer then 2x left handed Pipe Majors. a trip to Specsavers for me when lockdown is over! regards John

[leigh kitchen]

The two Drum Majors - are they Drum Majors rather than Pipe Majors? They're armed with bagpipes and at least one of them is wearing a bagpipe badge above his chevrons.

Looking at the tunic buttons itt appears that the photo negative is reversed rather than that they are left handed

[cavalryman]

Originally Posted by leigh kitchen

The two Drum Majors - are they Drum Majors rather than Pipe Majors? They're armed with bagpipes and at least one of them is wearing a bagpipe badge above his chevrons.

Looking at the tunic buttons itt appears that the photo negative is reversed rather than that they are left handed

Hi Leigh, The Bagpipe qualification badge is always worn on the right arm. regards John

[mike_vee]

Originally Posted by manchesters

Both appear to be Pipe Majors, and the left hoofed goat also is wearing a different coat with no L in wreath at the corners and what looks like a large Kings Crown set of Pilots wings on the side?

regards

Regarding the goat/coat , the picture may be of a later date (or goat !) and initially the goat was the mascot of No.1 Training School but was then 'adopted' by the base.

Regarding the pipers , I had another look at the photo and it appears to have been reversed . Checked out which side the jackets button up !

Edit : Leigh spotted the buttons.

[leigh kitchen]

Originally Posted by cavalryman

Hi Leigh, The Bagpipe qualification badge is always worn on the right arm. regards John

Yes, but are they wearing the pipes and chevrons on both arms?
The clincher for reversed negative is that the tunics fasten the wrong way with the right side overlapping the left if what's shown as the right arm is the right arm.
At least, that's how I'm seeing the image.

[mike_vee]

I have 'flipped' the photo.

[leigh kitchen]

Now you've flipped the image I can make out that the unicorn on the royal crest on the bass drum is now where it should be, on the viewers right - I couldn't work out which supporter was lion and which was unicorn on the original image.
The drum is laying on its right side (the left as viewed from the front).