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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

WWI Bugle


Pennyjane

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In need of further information on a bugle I have from WW1. On the bugle it states Presented by Captain PD Ionides Hawkes & Sons Piccadilly Circus London 1915 16 MX 3. Can anyone help with some history on this please or value. Cannot find anything similar elsewhere. Thank you

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Hawkes and Sons Ltd Piccadily Gardens London is the name and address of the manufacturer.

Could be presented 1915 to 16 Bn Middlesex Regt, instrument number 3 of the set.

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Thank you that's been helpful wondered what MX3 meant. Do you know why it could of been presented..would it of been normal for it to be presented by the regiments own Captain ? Hence PD Ionides.

What's number 3 of the set?

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The Battalion would have liked to have a Corps of Drums as is normal in the Infantry. I do not think the War Office would have seen the need for the Battalion at this time to have a Corps of Drums and therefore the instruments were supplied at private expense. Officers presenting bugles and silverware to a Battalion is not unusual. He could have presented more than one bugle, possibly all of them, the total number is impossible to guess at. Another possibility is that x number of officers clubbed together to purchase x number bugles and the bugles would all have the name of an officer engraved them. They would all be numbered so that the Drummer knew which was "his" bugle and the Drum Major would know who was responsible for which instrument.

Charlie

Edited by charlie2
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The 16th Middlesex were the Public Schools Battalion. Capt. Philip Ionides was an Old Harrovian.

Dave

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Very interesting and there is bound to be a story behind this. It is true that war-raised 'Service' battalions created and advocated by Lord Kitchener as a result of his ambivalence towards the Territorial Army (in particular that they were not obligated to serve overseas but had to volunteer), were not funded for musical instruments of any kind, as this was not seen as militarily essential. Most Commanding Officers sought to raise a corps of drums as a minimum and local newspapers often reported efforts of local people to raise funds to provide these by public subscription, especially for the better known 'Pals' battalions such as the 16th (Public Schools) Battalion Middlesex Regiment. The instrument manufacturer had sales records and it is quite possible that these still exist.

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Boosey & Co. merged with Hawkes & Son. Now Boosey & Hawkes they may be interested/have info.

Yes, it is surprising how often records have been maintained by these old companies. Wartime was often a period of expansion and good business for them.

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There is probably a manufacturer's number stamped elsewhere on the bugle, this would make it a lot easier to trace if the records still exist.

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