48th Highlander WWI era Pipe Banner

Offered is a rare pipe banner to the 48th Highlanders with the Regimental crest on a blue ground and the crest of the clan Fraser on a red ground of silk, the hole being bordered in bullion fringe. Highland Regimental tradition has it that when an officer is promoted to the rank of Captain or Major they buy a pipe banner for one of the pipers to carry with the officer's family crest. The crest of the regiment is an early pattern and I date it pre WWI. Whether or not it was taken overseas is not known. The Pipe Major was named Fraser and he filled this roll for several decades. It is possible that this is his personal banner. I cannot confirm this either, but I was unable to find an officer named Fraser on the unit lists.

The banner is much like a regimental colour being made in fragile silk. The silk has split in several locations and frayed in others. It has been in my collection for 20 years and has been kept in a dark room under glass. It is well preserved and I have always enjoyed it on the wall. However, it is time to move it on to a new home. If you are local I will give you the glass cabinet free, if you are out of province I will not be able to ship it with glass. That said, shipping it outside of the glass puts it at risk of further deterioration. A wonderful piece that says so much about the Canadian Army Scottish tradition with a famous unit that has seen so much action in both world wars.

Code: 51589