Photograph and Uniform Details:

Photograph and Uniform Details:[1]

The first carte de visite photograph of Drum Sergeant Drinkwater was taken at the studio of John Penny, Donald's Court, 20 Schoolhill, Aberdeen according to the backmark. This photograph was probably taken about 1882 after the Gordon's had returned from South Africa.

Drum Sergeant Drinkwater's doublet is a full dress drummer's scarlet doublet with yellow facings on the collar and sleeves. There were several principle differences between this doublet and the regular other rank's doublet. The main difference lay in the addition of drummer's "crown and inch" lace (crown lace) to the doublet. Crown lace was white worsted tape, 3/4's of an inch wide, with scarlet imperial crowns woven in at every 1 1/8 inches. This crown lace was applied to the doublet along the top edge of the rounded collar, along the front and back seams of the sleeves, and along all of the back seams above the waist. The second difference was the addition of musician's wings to the shoulders of the doublet. The wings shown here are fringed and edged around the outside edge and crossed diagonally with five rows with crown lace on each wing. The last difference in the doublet was that the braid cord used in the button loops on the sleeves and Inverness flaps was made of red and white worsted braid.

The doublet sleeves have the customary three gold lace chevrons applied to both sleeves in the Highland Regiments and he has the addition of a brass or a gold woven drum above the chevrons. He is also wearing the customary red sergeant's sash over his left shoulder and he is carrying a walking out stick. On his collar he is wearing the sphinx collar badges which are worn facing inward. Drum Sergeant Drinkwater is also wearing his medals for the 2^nd Afghan War. Clearly seen are his 2^nd Afghan War Medal with three clasps for Charasia, Kabul, and Kandahar and his Kabul to Kandahar Star.

Drum Sergeant Drinkwater's glengarry bonnet is dark blue with a red, white, and green diced band. The large metal stags head regimental badge was worn on the left side of the glengarry bonnet set on a black silk cocade.

The tartan trews are of the Gordon tartan. This tartan is the Government sett with an additional yellow line. The regiment adopted this tartan pattern at the time of their formation in 1794.

The second carte de visite photograph of Drum Sergeant Drinkwater (Note that his rank can not be detertermined in this photograph) was taken by John Thompson, 109 Commercial Road, Landport. He appears to be in an undress scarlet doublet. Notice that there is no crown lace and no wings on the doublet worn in this photograph. This doublet had yellow facings only on the collar. The sphinx collar badges are clearly seen. The white piping at the base of the collar and down the front of the doublet and around the shoulder straps can also be clearly seen. William Drinkwater is again wearing his medals for the 2^nd Afghan War.