Have just registered here, and thought I should introduce myself.

Regretfully, I have never served, but have had a lifelong interest in the military and military history, particularly Canadian, so I am hopeful that my participation here will not be unwelcome. In addition to ongoing membership in the ONCO Mess of our local unit (the SALH) and United Services Institute, my interest manifests itself in the collecting of Canadian militaria and military firearms (regularly shooting the latter) and in historical military re-enactment.

In recent years, I have primarily concentrated on the Victorian era and, because of a strong Scottish element in my ancestry, I had developed the persona of a late 19th Century officer of the Royal Highland Regiment. Actually, I would have much preferred the 5th Royal Scots of Canada, but suitable insignia was unavailable to me then. Last year, however, i located a source for reproductions of the 5th Royal Scots glengarry badge, which also served as the regimental sporran badge, and which I decided could form the basis for other suitable (albeit by no means exact) insignia .... such as the Pattern 1881 helmet plate, waistbelt buckle and crossbelt plate. I have accordingly acquired suitable pattern hose, glengarry, hair sporran and so on, to convert my kit to represent an officer of the 5th Royal Scots of Canada, circa 1885-1890. I still have a few details to complete, but here is a recent photograph showing my progress so far -