These senior NCOs of The Highlanders wear No.1A ceremonial dress which includes a dark green doublet and kilt of Gordon Highlander origin. The glengarry caps are dark blue and have the combined badges and blue hackle of the Seaforth and Cameron Highlanders. The man on the left is WO2 Lance Darling wearing a red sash on his right shoulder. The other man is Sergeant Colin McCart who for some reason does not wear a red sash, as all photos of sergeants prior to this date show sergeants with a sash. The photos are published in British Army Badges by Lt-Col Robin Hodges (2005). The uniform is similar to that worn by Other Ranks in the 1978 photo except that there is no white piping on the collar. These NCOs have silver collar badges of the Elephant of Assaye, earned by the 78th (Seaforth Highlanders), while the white waist-belt has the Cameron Highlanders badge with the addition of a scroll inscribed WATERLOO.
Unfortunately we cannot see the rank badges on the right arm only in this order of dress. The WO2 (Warrant Officer 2nd Class) has an embroidered crown and his title would also be CSM (Company Sergeant Major). The sergeant has three stripes of gold lace on red backing. They are also distinguished by the cantles on their sporrans. Other ranks in the Highlanders have black hair sporrans with two white hair tassels, while officers have reverse colouring, black tassels on a white hair sporran. The WO2 has a brass cantle with the Queen’s Own Highlanders badge. The sergeant wears the same pattern sporran as the rank and file, a black cantle with silver top edge and a silver crowned thistle, the badge conferred by Queen Victoria on the Cameron Highlanders in 1873. Both men have Gordon Highlander hose with white spats that have ten black buttons. a perpetual memorial to Sir John Moore who died at Corunna in 1809.
