Bandsmen 1913

These bandsmen wear dress uniform, shortly before the First World War when colourful uniforms were consigned to the store, to be replaced by khaki service dress. The scarlet tunic had white piping up the back seams and down the back seam of the sleeves. Red shoulder wings had plain white tape in stripes, but the shoulder straps were blue like the collar and cuffs. On the right sleeve, above the elbow, should be a band badge, an embroidered lyre and trumpets, but this illustration doesn’t show it.
A white leather pouch-belt was worn on the left shoulder to support a large white pouch which held sheet music. The brass badge on the pouch was a special regimental band badge. The white waist-belt supported a band sword in a frog. This was a short ornamental sword, worn in place of the bayonet carried by the rank-and-file. The blue home service helmet was worn since c1892 when the experimental white helmet was replaced. Bandsmen in most regiments adopted the style of wearing the chin-chain above the front peak and hooked up at the top of the helmet at the back.
The image is a composite enlargement of two details from a contemporary painting of the King’s Liverpool Regiment by Edgar Holloway.

Regimental Details | Drummers & Musicians