New Zealand Pipers in WW1

[Tinto]

Hello All,
The latest "NZ Listener" magazine has a picture of the New Zealand Army Pipe Band.
What badges would they have worn?
Cheers, Tinto

[Drummajor]

Don't really know the answer, but maybe this one?

Phil.

[Tinto]

Hi Phil,
Thanks for your suggestion. There is a certain resemblance in shape to those worn in the picture.
Interestingly, I have the badge you have shown, solid, with 2 long screw posts, presumably a belt badge.
Cheers, Tinto

[atillathenunns]

Hi Tinto,
I too would be interested in knowing what badges are being worn, however, I doubt they are wearing Caledonian Pipe Band badges.

Interestingly during the 1911 to 1920 period there were several New Zealand military pipe bands including one aboard HMS New Zealand.

The NZEF Main Body Pipe band photo below was taken in September 1914. The instruments and equipment for the band was presented by the three Scottish societies of Dunedin—the Caledonian Society, Gaelic Society, Burns Club. The uniforms they are wearing are standard NZ Territorial uniforms.



I also have photos of the NZEF Pipe Band taken in 1917 and 1918, again they are wearing standard territorial uniforms but with lemon squeezer hats.
Your two photos appear to have been taken in 1919, and show proper full Scottish uniforms including tunics and glengarry are being worm.

[Tinto]

Hi Brent,
Interesting picture you have posted, thanks for sharing. What regiment were these men in?
It seems that the bandsmen in the 1919 pictures in the first post are wearing the collar badges of the 14th (South Otago) Regiment.
Regards, John

[atillathenunns]

John, difficult to tell what the badges are, but the photo is from an Otago newspaper, so I am leaning that some of the badges are 10th Otago.

The following picture is from Puks thread. It shows the Auckland Regiment Pipe Band-
http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...t=35971&page=2

[Tinto]

Hi Brent,
Thanks for the picture and link.
Here is another photo of the Auckland Regiment Pipe Band.
John

[atillathenunns]

John I think I have cracked the badge mystery.
When I put all my WW1 Pipe Band photos in a date order I'm starting to see a clear evolution of wartime NZ Scottish uniforms.

The 1914 NZEF Pipe Band, the Auckland Pipe Band and the 1919 "New Zealand" Pipe Band are all using the instruments and equipment that was donated by the three Scottish societies of Dunedin.

The following photo was taken in 1918 by Thomas Frederick Scales, it shows a pipe band standing at attention outside the YMCA building in the New Zealand training camp at Sling.
The exceptionally tall Pipe Major is undoubtedly the same Pipe Major from the 1919 photos.



The 1919 New Zealand Pipe Band is undoubtedly the 14th South Otago Regiment Pipe Band, and the hat badge being worn by them is that of the 14th South Otago Regiment.

[atillathenunns]

A close up pic of the Auckland Pipe Bands badges.
Interestingly the Aucklanders kilts were donated by the Caledonian Societies of NZ.

[Tinto]

Hi Brent,
Thanks for the pictures and confirmation that the 1919 New Zealand Army Pipe Band were 14th (South Otago) Regiment men.
Very interesting to see the progression of the uniforms worn.
Cheers, John

[atillathenunns]

14th (South Otago) Regiment Pipe Band parade past King George V and Queen Mary outside Buckingham Palace on 3rd May 1919.

[pukman]

The companion photo of the other one in my collection ,shows the three drummers that are in the group. All are wearing 16th Waikato company badges. Unfortunately these guys are not identified .The chap on the left appears to be a RSM


(Unknown warriors of the NZEF face book page)

[Tinto]

Thanks Iain and Brent, for the pictures.

To muddy the waters, I have come across this picture in "Chronicles of the NZEF", Vol.III, No.30, dated 31 Oct 1917.

I cannot fit the caption names to the photo, there seems to be some kind of mismatch here and the band is obviously a brass band, not a pipe band.

However, the names may be useful if a matching photo turns up.
Regards,
John

[pukman]

Shame it didn't match my other two unidentified brass band photo's .Thanks for showing John

[atillathenunns]

Originally Posted by Tinto

Thanks Iain and Brent, for the pictures.

To muddy the waters, I have come across this picture in "Chronicles of the NZEF", Vol.III, No.30, dated 31 Oct 1917.

I cannot fit the caption names to the photo, there seems to be some kind of mismatch here and the band is obviously a brass band, not a pipe band.

However, the names may be useful if a matching photo turns up.
Regards,
John

John you right the picture in the "Chronicles of the NZEF" is indeed a “brass band, not a pipe band.”

Fortunately as mentioned in Post #4, I have a picture that was published in the Otago Witness on the 2nd January 1918, suggesting the photo would have been taken circa late 1917, so this one definitely shows the correct Sept/Oct 1917 Sling Camp Pipe band.

The photo I suspect is an early shot of the Otago pipe band prior to receiving their Scottish uniforms, and is helpful for identifying band members in the photo in Post #8, but not helpful for identifying Puks Aucklanders.




I have managed to identify the NZEF Main Body Pipe band in Post #4, the following photo was published in the Auckland Weekly News on the 10th June 1915.
It appears that Otago Regiment had a Pipe Band from the beginning to the end of the war.

The Otago Pipe Bands instruments became the property of the NZ Defence Department after the war and were kept so that Otago would always have a Regimental Pipe Band.