Hackle

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This article is about the headdress feather. For erectile plumage or hair in the neck area, see Hackles. For other uses, see Hackle (disambiguation).

The hackle is a clipped feather plume that is attached to a military headdress.

In the British Army and the armies of some Commonwealth countries, the hackle is worn by some infantry regiments, especially those designated as fusilier regiments and those with Scottish and Northern Irish origins. The colour of the hackle varies from regiment to regiment.

The modern hackle has its origins in a much longer plume, originally referred to by its Scots name, heckle, which was commonly attached to the feather bonnet worn by Highland regiments (now usually only worn by drummers, pipers and bandsmen). The smaller version originated in a regimental emblem adopted by the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment, to be worn in the sun helmet issued in hot-weather postings from the 1870s. [1]

British Army[]

Hackle colours in British fusilier regiments[]

Soldiers of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

Modern fusiliers[]

In the modern British Army, there is a single regiment of fusiliers, plus a battalion of a large regiment. Hackle colours are:

  • Royal Regiment of Fusiliers: Red over white
  • Royal Highland Fusiliers (a battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland): White

Other ranks of the Royal Welsh; the regiment that was formed by the amalgamation of the Royal Welch Fusiliers and Royal Regiment of Wales, continue to wear the white hackle of the Royal Welch Fusiliers.

A Fusilier of the Royal Welch

Historic fusilier regiments[]

There were several other fusilier regiments which have been amalgamated and no longer exist. The hackle colours worn were as follows:

  • Lancashire Fusiliers: Primrose yellow
  • Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment): White
  • Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers: Grey
  • Royal Irish Fusiliers: Green
  • Royal Northumberland Fusiliers: Red over White
  • Royal Scots Fusiliers: White
  • Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers: Blue over Old Gold (Orange)
  • Royal Welch Fusiliers: White
  • Royal Munster Fusiliers: White over Green
  • Royal Dublin Fusiliers: Green over Blue

Non-fusilier regiments[]

Soldiers of the Royal Irish Regiment

Non-fusilier regiments which wear the hackle are:

  • Irish Guards (pipers on caubeen only): St Patrick's blue
  • Liverpool Scottish (now a platoon of A (Ladysmith) Company, 4th Bn Duke of Lancaster's Regiment): Royal blue
  • Liverpool Irish (now A Troop of 208 Battery, 103rd Regiment Royal Artillery): Blue over red
  • London Irish Rifles (now D (London Irish Rifles) Company, London Regiment): Green [Pipers wear St Patrick's blue]
  • Royal Irish Regiment (as the direct descendant of two regiments of fusiliers): Green
  • Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (on pipers' feather bonnet in Full Dress, pipers' / drummers' glengarry /atholl bonnet in No.1 and No.2 dress): White
  • Royal Welsh (Other Ranks only): White
  • Scots Guards (pipers on feather bonnet only): Blue over red
  • The Queen's University Officers' Training Corps: St Patrick's Blue (A Coy Caubeen Only)
  • Royal Air Force (pipe band only): Blue

Royal Regiment of Scotland[]

Following the amalgamation of the regiments of the Scottish Division to form The Royal Regiment of Scotland on 28 March 2006, the following hackles are being worn by the regiment's constituent battalions:

  • Royal Scots Borderers (1 SCOTS): Black
  • Royal Highland Fusiliers (2 SCOTS): White
  • Black Watch (3 SCOTS): Red
  • The Highlanders (4 SCOTS): Blue
  • Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (5 SCOTS): Green
  • 52nd Lowland Volunteers (6 SCOTS): Grey
  • 51st Highland Volunteers (7 SCOTS): Purple

Whilst the white hackle of 2 SCOTS, red hackle of 3 SCOTS and blue hackle of 4 SCOTS have a known ancestry, the origin of 1 SCOTS black hackle and 5 SCOTS green hackle are not clear and have no apparent precedent. It may be that the black hackle of 1 SCOTS simulates the black-cock tail feathers originally worn in the 1904 pattern Kilmarnock Bonnet and latterly in the regimental Glengarry Cap by the Royal Scots and King's Own Scottish Borderers, who merged in August 2006 to form 1 SCOTS. Alternatively, it may be a sympathetic gesture to a former Lowland regiment, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), who went into 'suspended animation' in 1968 (and later disbanded), who wore a black hackle in their rifle green dress Balmoral. The adoption of the green hackle now being worn by the Argylls battalion (5 SCOTS) is no doubt a continuation of that regiment's association with the colour green, most prominent in the hue of their regimental kilts and stripes on their regimental association ties. (It is, however, worthy of note that in the 19th Century, all line regiments of the British Army used to designate their "light company" with a green hackle.)[2] The Regimental Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland does not wear the hackle. However, the Highland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland (Territorial Army) continues to wear the red hackle with the Tam o' Shanter. Tradition holds that the black hackle originated as a Scottish tradition of wearing a black feather in your hat to signify you have an ongoing quarrel with someone.[citation needed]

Other regiments[]

Former non-fusilier regiments, now amalgamated, which also wore the hackle were:

  • : Navy blue, sky blue and green.
  • Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders: (feather bonnet only - Drummers and Drum Major): White
  • Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders: (Pipers only) Black Cock Feather
  • Black Watch: Red
  • The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles): Black
  • Gordon Highlanders: Feather bonnet only - Drummers and Drum Major: White, Bandsmen: Red and White
  • Gordon Highlanders: (Pipers only) Black Cock Feather
  • Highland Light Infantry: White over red
  • The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons): Royal blue
  • The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons): (feather bonnet only - Drummers and Drum Major) White
  • The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons): (Pipers only) Eagle feather
  • Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders: Royal blue
  • Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders: (feather bonnet only - Drummers and Drum Major) White
  • Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders: (Pipers only) Eagle feather
  • Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons): Royal blue
  • Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons): (feather bonnet only - Drummers and Drum Major) White
  • Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons): (Pipers only) Eagle feather
  • Queen's Royal Irish Hussars (pipers on caubeen only): White over red
  • Queen's Royal Hussars (pipers on caubeen only): White over red
  • Royal Irish Rangers: Green
  • Royal Corps of Transport (pipers on feather bonnet only): Red over white over blue
  • Royal Ulster Rifles: Black
  • Seaforth Highlanders (feather bonnet only - Drummers and Drum Major): White
  • Seaforth Highlanders (Pipers only) Black Cock Feather
  • No. 9 Commando and No. 11 (Scottish) Commando: Black

Other armies[]

Australian Army[]

There are five Army Reserve Regiments with Highland Companies in the Australian Army which wear the hackle:

  • 2nd/17th Battalion, The Royal New South Wales Regiment
  • 41st Battalion, The Royal New South Wales Regiment
  • 5th/6th Battalion, The Royal Victoria Regiment
  • 10th/27th Regiment,
  • 16th Battalion, The Royal Western Australia Regiment

Canadian Army[]

There are several fusilier regiments in the Canadian Army which wear the hackle (the French-speaking fusilier regiments do not appear to do so):

Scottish-influenced non-fusilier regiments which wear the hackle include:

Irish-influenced non-fusilier regiments which wear the hackle (on the caubeen):

Dutch Army[]

A few infantry regiments in the Dutch Army wear the hackle:

Indian Army[]

In the Indian Army, a few selected infantry regiments wear the hackle:

  • Brigade of the Guards: Red over yellow
  • The Grenadiers: White
  • Kumaon Regiment: Green
  • Mahar Regiment: Dull cherry
  • Maratha Light Infantry: Red over green
  • Naga Regiment: Orange
  • Rajput Regiment: Maroon over red
  • National Cadet Corps: Red

Malaysian Army[]

  • Royal Military College: Red (to be worn on Annual parade only)
  • Royal Ranger Regiment: Black

New Zealand Army[]

  • Canterbury, and Nelson-Marlborough and West Coast Regiment: Green

Pakistan Army[]

  • The Punjab Regiment: Green
  • : Red
  • Northern Light Infantry: White with ceremonial headgear only
  • Cadets at Pakistan Military Academy: Red over Green
  • 9th Battalion, Azad Kashmir Regiment: Red (commemorates the action in the Leepa Valley, Kashmir in 1972)

Sri Lanka Army[]

  • Sri Lanka Armoured Corps: White and Red
  • Sri Lanka Light Infantry: White
  • Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment: Black, Yellow and Green
  • Gemunu Watch: Red
  • Gajaba Regiment: Yellow
  • Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment: Maroon, Green and Yellow
  • Mechanized Infantry Regiment: Black and Maroon
  • Special Forces Regiment: Black and Red
  • Military Intelligence Corps: Dark Blue, Yellow and Dark Green
  • Sri Lanka Army Service Corps: Blue, White and Yellow
  • Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps: Hackle Yellow, Blue and Dull Cherry Red
  • Sri Lanka Army Ordnance Corps: Red, Yellow and Blue
  • Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers: Oxford Blue, Golden Yellow and Signal Red
  • Sri Lanka Army General Service Corps: Blue and Saffron
  • Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps: Beach Brown
  • Sri Lanka Rifle Corps: Green and Yellow
  • Sri Lanka Army Pioneer Corps: Green and Red
  • Sri Lanka National Guard: Red, White and Blue

South African Army[]

Scottish- and Irish-influenced regiments which wear the hackle include:

  • South African Irish Regiment: Green
  • Transvaal Scottish Regiment: Red
  • Witwatersrand Rifles: Black

United States Army[]

  • United States Military Academy: Cadet Officers wear black hackles in their Shako for parades.

References[]

  1. ^ "Report on Ashantee" (1874), Glasgow Herald, 26 December 1895
  2. ^ This is illustrated in The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders by Osprey Men at Arms (Osprey, 1988). ISBN 0-85045-085-3
  3. ^ Spaan, LCol Warren (editor). Calgary Highlanders Regimental Book, published by the Regiment, 2002.
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