The band of the Cameron Highlanders, as in other regiments, was not financed by the government, they had to be paid for by the officers. The sketches on this page are copies by Cecil Lawson of Raffet’s drawings made in 1847 when the 79th were stationed at Gibraltar. The drawings on the left show details of a band corporal’s white uniform with green collar and cuffs. The lace on the collar appears to be silver and the epaulettes are certainly silver. The jacket is double-breasted and fastened with domed brass buttons bearing 79 and a crown. The slash flaps on the cuffs and coat tails are not laced but have buttons in pairs.
The drawings on the right are details of the drum-major’s uniform. There was a distinction between drummers and band musicians so that the drum-major, being the NCO in charge of the corps of drums, had a red uniform, with green facings and silver lace. The embroidered sash is red with silver and green edging and a Sphinx, thistle and LXXIX, with inscribed scrolls above. Two drumsticks were fixed to the lower part of the sash. The mace is shown on the extreme right, having a slightly domed top and fringes near the top and bottom, and tassels just above the silver ferrule.
