# What is this metal plate on a British soldier's Revolutionary War uniform? {Ghosts-US} **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [December 15, 2024, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-plate-on-a-british-soldiers-revolutionary-war-uniform-ghosts-us/1011673 "2024-12-15T16:08:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2024, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-plate-on-a-british-soldiers-revolutionary-war-uniform-ghosts-us/1011673/1 "2024-12-15T16:08:51Z")
DISCLAIMER: There may, of course, be multiple historical inacurracies in the Costume Department of a network sitcom, so let’s not quibble about that. Assuming that British soldiers really did dress like this, then what’s with [the metal plate this guy is wearing](https://ghosts-bbc.fandom.com/wiki/Nigel_Chessum), and what purpose did it serve? What’s it called? Was this an officer-only thing or did enlisted men wear them too? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2024, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-plate-on-a-british-soldiers-revolutionary-war-uniform-ghosts-us/1011673/2 "2024-12-15T16:13:01Z")
The name would appear to be “gorget”: > **[Gorget](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorget)** > > A gorget (/ˈɡɔːrdʒɪt/ GOR-jit; from the French gorge meaning 'throat') was a band of linen wrapped around a woman's neck and head in the medieval period or the lower part of a simple chaperon hood. The term later described a steel or leather collar to protect the throat, a set of pieces of plate armour, or a single piece of plate armour hanging from the neck and covering the throat and chest. Later, particularly from the 18th century, the gorget became primarily ornamental, serving as a sym The t... It looks to signal that the wearer is an officer and seems to have developed from the neck piece of plate armor. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2024, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-plate-on-a-british-soldiers-revolutionary-war-uniform-ghosts-us/1011673/3 "2024-12-15T16:13:18Z")
Gorget; originally to protect the throat, then more symbolic. Note that the illustration in the Wikipedia article is George Washington. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2024, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-plate-on-a-british-soldiers-revolutionary-war-uniform-ghosts-us/1011673/4 "2024-12-15T20:53:33Z")
The British Lieutenant in Ghosts wears one. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2024, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-plate-on-a-british-soldiers-revolutionary-war-uniform-ghosts-us/1011673/5 "2024-12-15T21:34:16Z")
He’s what inspired the question and he’s in the link that I posted. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-plate-on-a-british-soldiers-revolutionary-war-uniform-ghosts-us/1011673/6 "2024-12-17T22:27:03Z")
Cool little thing I noticed: the character of Loki is almost always depicted wearing a gorget-like element in the various costumes he wears in the Marvel movies: [here](https://ew.com/thmb/_v4nHRmkxWSZXktCkpHExXSukIA=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Loki-def5fdb86d9d44bf917c3eff004dc3e3.jpg), for instance, [here](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ac/44/4a/ac444a41195a5205d8d43fc81295151c.jpg) and [here](https://dev.slugmag.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/loki.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Onthefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9de053/32.png) [@Onthefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onthefly)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2024, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-plate-on-a-british-soldiers-revolutionary-war-uniform-ghosts-us/1011673/7 "2024-12-18T18:13:58Z")
As a side note, there is a gorget in the upper left corner of the SC state flag. Most people call it a crescent, but the gorget was the symbol of the colonial militia and on their flag. A palmetto tree was added to create the SC flag. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2024, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-plate-on-a-british-soldiers-revolutionary-war-uniform-ghosts-us/1011673/8 "2024-12-19T14:01:06Z")
Gorgets were also worn by military police in the German army in WWII. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2024, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-plate-on-a-british-soldiers-revolutionary-war-uniform-ghosts-us/1011673/9 "2024-12-19T19:01:37Z")
For anyone still watching _Outlander_, I think one character threw one down in a recent episode to pay a debt owed. (I can’t remember if he was gambling or what.) ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2024, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-plate-on-a-british-soldiers-revolutionary-war-uniform-ghosts-us/1011673/10 "2024-12-19T19:37:11Z")
[That scene in Band of Brothers at the postwar checkpoint](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-K397NmwGxg) always seemed off to me, because the German MP has his gorget, but the American isn’t even wearing the equivalent armband, much less the white helmet and leggings that they were issued even back when they were managing traffic during combat [![](https://www.5ad.org/wj3.gif) ](https://www.5ad.org/wj3.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2024, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-plate-on-a-british-soldiers-revolutionary-war-uniform-ghosts-us/1011673/11 "2024-12-19T21:11:03Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > the American isn’t even wearing the equivalent armband, much less the white helmet and leggings that they were issued even back when they were managing traffic during combat Those aren’t MPs. They’re 101st Airborne. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2024, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-plate-on-a-british-soldiers-revolutionary-war-uniform-ghosts-us/1011673/12 "2024-12-19T21:26:58Z")
I can believe that in your army, regular soldiers may never serve as MPs; it requiring a specific set of qualifications, but in the US army it’s often a soldier who fails to hide when the first sergeant comes looking for a warm body to fill a personnel need. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2024, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-plate-on-a-british-soldiers-revolutionary-war-uniform-ghosts-us/1011673/13 "2024-12-19T22:08:09Z")
The soldiers in the clip are an occupying force manning a roadblock; that isn’t MP work, that’s combat arms work. In my army, MPs are the guys who escort prisoners and pick on honest soldiers who forgot to polish their shoes. They’re the military equivalent of prison snitches, only less respected. Besides, where would Airborne troops get MP armbands? Are they standard issue? ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2024, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-plate-on-a-british-soldiers-revolutionary-war-uniform-ghosts-us/1011673/14 "2024-12-19T22:26:26Z")
If they can unload dentists chairs on the beach only a few days after D-Day (cite: Andy Rooney), they can scare up a few armbands as needed. The Germans in that scene would respect him, but not necessarily any other Americans Again, you must acknowledge the cultural differences between Israel and America. I’ve stood dozens of roadblocks, security watches, etc. Americans are peculiar about this: one one hand they’ll say “fuck you” to anyone trying to tell them what to do; but obey without question anyone with even the most vapid badge of authority. If I’d tried to control a carload of drunken 19 year old sailors with a club, I’d have been beaten to a pulp. But because the club was painted _white,_ I had the power of a 600-ship navy to back me up (as long as I could keep from laughing at the absurdity). ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2024, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-plate-on-a-british-soldiers-revolutionary-war-uniform-ghosts-us/1011673/15 "2024-12-19T22:44:15Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > Again, you must acknowledge the cultural differences between Israel and America. I’ve stood dozens of roadblocks, security watches, etc. Americans are peculiar about this: one one hand they’ll say “fuck you” to anyone trying to tell them what to do; but obey without question anyone with even the most vapid badge of authority. If I’d tried to control a carload of drunken 19 year old sailors with a club, I’d have been beaten to a pulp. But because the club was painted _white,_ I had the power of a 600-ship navy to back me up (as long as I could keep from laughing at the absurdity). I think the main difference is the size of the country. When Israelis go on leave - even for 24 hours - they go home to their mom and dad, change into civvies, and are then no longer the army’s problem (unless they get arrested). You couldn’t send MPs to police clubs and bars with soldiers, because they’d have to police every club and bar in the country. Combat arms troops especially have very little to do with MPs; I think I spoke with them twice in my three years of regular service. I think another main difference is that the IDF has two arms that could be called “military police”. The first are the Military Police, a provost for responsible for disciplinary and criminal matters, but with little combat training and no authority over civilians. The second are the Border Police, a [Gendarmerie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gendarmerie) force, who are taken from the general pool of conscripts but are under command of the national police rather the military. They are highly trained fighters, and they have authority over civilians (as in they can make arrests), but no particular authority over the military. They do security, riot control and SWAT work, among other things. I understand that the U.S. military police fulfil both roles? ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2024, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-plate-on-a-british-soldiers-revolutionary-war-uniform-ghosts-us/1011673/16 "2024-12-19T22:54:04Z")
US Army MP as an MOS are highly trained and professional (although not actually Jack Reacher-level), but are not needed nor in adequate numbers for the mundane stuff. Every few days, soldiers and sailors at their regular duty stations don’t get the night off, but instead report to the office. Some get handed rakes and brooms, other get handed MP brassards. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2024, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-plate-on-a-british-soldiers-revolutionary-war-uniform-ghosts-us/1011673/17 "2024-12-20T09:54:00Z")
So like the hall monitors we had in elementary school? OK, that really is a cultural difference. Sum guy I work with, one day he shows up with a white stick and starts ordering me around, and the next day he’s working by my side again like nothing happened? No chance of that ever working. Soldiers will follow the chain of command, but they’ll laugh in the face of random arbitrary authority. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2024, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-plate-on-a-british-soldiers-revolutionary-war-uniform-ghosts-us/1011673/18 "2024-12-20T09:56:22Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > The Germans in that scene would respect him, but not necessarily any other Americans Also, the Germans would have respected the uniform and the weapon, and not necessarily in that order. An armband would barely have moved the needle. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2024, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-plate-on-a-british-soldiers-revolutionary-war-uniform-ghosts-us/1011673/19 "2024-12-20T16:51:09Z")
Maybe, but then there’s that episode where the Germans really showed themselves. [The Captain from Köpenick](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Voigt)