Regiment ID

[RCN]

Any chance of identifying what Reg't???

Thanks in advance,

Bryan

[wright241]

Originally Posted by RCN

Any chance of identifying what Reg't???

Thanks in advance,

Bryan

Looks a little like the Somerset Light Infantry badge with an extra scroll for
a volunteer battn?

[RCN]

Thanks wright, here is more, may help ID:

I had a good close look with glass at the two drums:

On the upper one(the Tenor drum) I am able to make out THE PRINCE .... SOMERSETSHIRE... rest being obscured by the ropes.

Below is JELLALABAD, the mural crown, the sphinx with EGYPT below, & the bugle horn, much more visible on the Bass drum below

Then the various battle honours of the Reg't: what I can make out:
...INGEN, AVA, MAR...., ...ANISTAN (Afghanistan?), CABUL, GHUZNEE, SEVASTOPOL, JUMNA(?) & two below that I am unable to make out.

On the Tenor drum I can make out RELIEF OF LADYSMITH below the bugle horn.

Reg't saw service in Boer war as five of the men are wearing QSA/ KSA medals.

Bryan

[wright241]

Originally Posted by RCN

Thanks wright, here is more, may help ID:

I had a good close look with glass at the two drums:

On the upper one(the Tenor drum) I am able to make out THE PRINCE .... SOMERSETSHIRE... rest being obscured by the ropes.

Below is JELLALABAD, the mural crown, the sphinx with EGYPT below, & the bugle horn, much more visible on the Bass drum below

Then the various battle honours of the Reg't: what I can make out:
...INGEN, AVA, MAR...., ...ANISTAN (Afghanistan?), CABUL, GHUZNEE, SEVASTOPOL, JUMNA(?) & two below that I am unable to make out.

On the Tenor drum I can make out RELIEF OF LADYSMITH below the bugle horn.

Reg't saw service in Boer war as five of the men are wearing QSA/ KSA medals.

Bryan

Bryan,
That will be "The Prince Albert's (Somersetshire Light Infantry)". They apparently dropped the 'shire' in 1912. To my eyes there still seems to be an additional scroll at the bottom of the cap badge - which could be an additional "Volunteer" scroll. I don't have any pukka SLI cap badges, but I am sure that there are some West Country lads amongst the forum who will know.
Good luck.
david

[RCN]

David, I had a look at their cap badge & it is only the bugle below the mural crown logo.

Perhaps a member will post a photo of the SLI badge & then I can compare it to the cap badge in the photo,

Bryan

[davec2]

Hi Bryan,

I tend to agree with David, this photo is from K.& K. I hope it gives you a start ??

Dave.

[RCN]

Thaks Dave,

there is a scroll above the mural crown as in the K&K photo, but unable to make out any lettering, & I am unable to see if the PA is below the crown.

But I'm certain David & you have ID'd the Reg't.

Thanks very much, I appreciate your time & effort!

Bryan

[peter4447]

Hi Bryan
What a cracking photograph.
Looking at the number of Bandsmen and the type of instruments in use I am tempted to think that this could have been a regular Battalion.
The only SLI Band photo I have in my own collection shows much simpler art work on the Bass drum - just a series of scrolls bearing the words:
2nd Vol Batt. P.A.Somerset L.I. H Company.
Regards
Peter

[RCN]

Yes Peter I agree, the size of this band & its instrumentation would mark it out as a Regular force Band. I have other Band photos of Canadian Bands & they can be pretty large. I love the pre Great war Band photos. This one I picked up last wk in a small shop not far from me here in southern Ontario(Canada).

I am estimating the photo sometime between Boer & Great war period.
I would love to go back in time & hear this Band, the very late Victorian & Edwardian periods was certainly the golden era of Military bands.

There are 38 musicians & the Bandmaster in the photo, plus the Colonel (on the right of the Bass drum) & the Adjutant -- I think the Captain would be the Adjutant, on the left of the Bass drum.

The lettering & artwork on the drums is superb. I have an old Instrument catalogue, I think form the interwar period, & it gives illustrations of some of the artwork this company produced & prices.

Bryan

[Alan O]

The absence of 'squeak' and 'wilfred' medal ribbons would suggest pre 1919. I am not sure but could the Sgt have a 1914-15 star ribbon?

[RCN]

No great war ribbons Alan. The ribbons are very clear & with one exception easy to ID:

Third row from rear - the Piccolo player (he has three good conduct chevrons on lower left sleeve) has QSA/KSA; the Clarinet player second from right in that row he also has QSA/KSA

Front row seated: L to R:: The Euphonium Sergt has QSA/KSA also; beside him the Adjutant has QSA; the Colonel to right of Bass drum, has Egypt & Khed star & what I think might be a Medjedie, I dont think a Coronation as no stripes visible; The Bandmaster beside him has QSA; & the Bassoon player (with 4 good conduct badges) on right has QSA/KSA.

many are also wearing the Band Lyre on their right sleeves & the Bandmaster's badge is also visible on the Bandmaster left sleeve
---- but why left? I thought the Bandmaster insignia went on the right sleeve????

Photo is definitely in that interwar period,

Bryan

[peter4447]

Interesting point about the left sleeve badge Bryan.
I've gone through my photos and all the Regular Battalion Bandmasters are wearing the badge on the right arm with one exception, a Green Howard Bandmaster who was on attachment to a Leicestershire Young Soldier Bn in 1918 and he has it on both. The Territorials are somewhat different and all seemed to take great pride in wearing the lyre badge on both arms but again there is one exception - an Army Chaplain (Captain) who was doing duty as the Bandmaster of a Welsh Regiment and wears none at all!
I am sure the SLI should officially have worn the badge on the right the arm the same as the rest of the Regular Regiments - although is this not the same Regiment whose sergeants traditionally wore their sashes over the left and not the right shoulder!
Regards
Peter

[RCN]

Peter here are two small photos of Bandmasters from the same time frame {Edwardian period} & both are wearing the Bandmaster Lyre on right sleeve.

Photos are not all that great unfortunately but best I have.

I have another much better studio portrait of a CEF Bandmaster & he is wearing the Bandmaster Lyre on both sleeves.

Bryan