Scottish Officer
Probably, judging from the somewhat indistinct and partially obscure badges, an officer of the 50th Regiment, unofficial secondary title Gordon Highlanders of Canada, authorized on 15 Aug 1913, and localized at Victoria, British Columbia The 50th contributed one company to the 16th Battalion CEF at Valcartier Camp in Aug 1914. It was amalgamated with the 88th Regiment Victoria Fusiliers on 15 Mar 1920 to form The Canadian Scottish Regiment.
That rather sumptuous Highland uniform worn by the officer in the photograph was part of what almost caused General Arthur Currie's professional demise during the First World War. The officers' association had a very large sum of money donated by serving officers and friends of the Regiment, the purpose of which was to purchase similar uniforms for all serving and incoming officers. Arthur Currie was the CO, and a real estate developer in Victoria in early 1914 when the real estate market slumped rather badly. He accumulated some rather large debts and used the fund to repay them. Before he was able to reimburse the fund, war broke out and he was on his way to Valcartier. It was 1916 or 1917 before his peccadillo was discovered and he was threatened with exposure, by whom I do not remember (I am reciting this tale from memory). In any event some of his CEF friends, including Major-General David Watson, paid off the debt and Currie went on to lead the CEF until the Armistice.
A cautionary tale: never dip your fingers in the regimental fund, even if you are the CO.
Wyn
|
18-05-08, 06:59 PM
Linear Mode
