Polaris (Military) Tartan: the US Navy Submariners’ Tartan

The Polaris (Military) tartan (ITI #222) is worn today by the Pipes and Drums of the US Naval Academy. The navy blue represents the naval uniform, the dark green the depths of the oceans and the Royal Blue and gold overchecks represent the ‘Blue’ and ‘Gold’ crews who alternate.

Designed in 1964 by Alexander MacIntyre of Strone, Strone House, Argyll for the officers and men of the American Submarine base at the Holy Loch in Scotland. Polaris was the name of the nuclear missile carried by the U.S. Navy’s ballistic missile submarines in the 1960s and not, as mistakenly thought, the name of a specific submarine. The idea came from Capt. Walter F Schlech of the USS Proteus AS19 who was Commander of the submarine squadron at Holy Loch.

The Polaris (Military) tartan (ITI #222) is worn today by the Pipes and Drums of the US Naval Academy. The navy blue represents the naval uniform, the dark green the depths of the oceans and the Royal Blue and gold overchecks represent the ‘Blue’ and ‘Gold’ crews who alternate.