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Remembered Today:

Sergeant Trumpeter, which regiment please?


ardyer

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https://www.herefordshirehistory.org.uk/archive/bustin-image-collection/military-portraits/166557-g36-373-16jpg#prettyPhoto

 

Please can I have some help with this photo, see link above. I guess he is a Sergeant Major Trumpeter and this is an undress frock c. 1898 but I cant see anything to suggest regiment, except colour I suppose. One clue I have is that I have another photo of this building in the Bustin collection with notice "4th KSLI Officer's Mess". I understand that the 4th KSLI were Herefordshire Militia in the Boer War..

Please correct any of these assumptions if they are incorrect.

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As his pillbox cap is not quartered and he appears to have a single line stripe to his breeches I suspect that he is a Hussar.  There is no regimental arm badge so that would suggest 4th, 13th, or 20th Hussars, who did not have such badges until after WW1.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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I think I am correct in saying he is a Trumpet Major, which is an appointment rather than a rank. He would appear to hold the rank of Sgt Major. Trumpet Major indicates a mounted Regiment or a Corps eg RA, ASC etc. His buttons look like they have a "Star" with a crown at the top, something similar to the ASC Cap Badge, on them.

 

Charlie

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I suspect no-longer regular given his very slack turnout and rather portly demeanour. Zooming in on the details and his rather battered trumpet might suggest non-regular. If he is a Hussar there is a long list of Yeomanry candidate regiments.

 

The overalls look a lighter hue than his tunic. Not sure if that helps. 

 

No medal ribbons in sight. 

 

Incidentally the claims on copyright on the image are spurious.

Edited by Guest
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34 minutes ago, QGE said:

I suspect no-longer regular given his very slack turnout and rather portly demeanour. Zooming in on the details and his rather battered trumpet might suggest non-regular. If he is a Hussar there is a long list of Yeomanry candidate regiments.

 

The overalls look a lighter hue than his tunic. Not sure if that helps. 

 

No medal ribbons in sight. 

 

Incidentally the claims on copyright on the image are spurious.

 

Yes, I agree with all your comments.  His turnout is poor and looking at his age he might well be Yeomanry.  He is wearing a blue frock nicknamed by the cavalry a 'jumper' according to Winston Churchill.  It officially replaced the stable jacket (except in household cavalry) from the mid 1890s.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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Frogsmile, QCE and Charlie 2

Thank you very much for your comments. It's strange how the answer to my questions more than once has been Hussars or Yeomanry. Clearly I need to spend more time on that excellent website uniformology.com.

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3 minutes ago, ardyer said:

Charlie

Well spotted, unfortunately I have not identified that one eeither

 

I'm sure Frogsmile can.

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13 minutes ago, ardyer said:

Charlie

Well spotted, unfortunately I have not identified that one eeither

 

The very smartly turned out officer shown is wearing the pre-WW1 full dress of the Army Service Corps.

The ASC did indeed have trumpet majors and wear a pill box forage cap and 'jumper' type frock in undress, so if the buttons are the same then it would seem that you have your ID.  Well spotted charlie2.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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Frogsmile

Thank you so much , two IDs for the price of one. Thanks again to Charlie2 for your observation and I hope you found something of interest when you trawled through the Bustin photos.

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6 minutes ago, ardyer said:

 I hope you found something of interest when you trawled through the Bustin photos.

 

The pre WW1 photos are always of interest. It a wonderful collection. 

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