A gallery of photos was produced to celebrate the 1st Battalion band of the Norfolk Regiment who took part in the Capetown Exhibition of 1904-05. Bandmaster G Dean has pride of place between two Union flags top centre. The Band Sergeant is placed lower centre. The rest of the musicians pose in their frock tunics, identifiable because of the five buttons down the front (dress tunics had seven buttons). The collars are white which indicates that they are wearing the pre-1905 uniform.
The History of the Norfolk Regiment by Loraine Petre has an account written by Colonel Godfrey Massy, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion from 1905 to 1909:
‘When the 1st Battalion was at Bloemfontein (1905-06), the band, under Bandmaster Dean, was engaged to play for a fortnight at an exhibition at Capetown. During their stay there, they were accommodated in the [Army Service Corps] Barracks.
‘They were visited there by Colonel the Chevalier O’Reilly. who formerly had commanded the local Volunteers and who had been Mayor of Cape town. Previous to this, the Chevalier O’Reilly had served in the 9th Regiment, and as a boy had been in the band. He left the regiment when it was at the Cape. He recognised several of the bandsmen and knew their names — owing to their likenesses to their fathers, who had served in the band in his time.
‘He entertained the band at dinner in the Town Hall, and expressed a hope that when the 1st Battalion left South Africa for England they would be sent via Cape Town so that he might have the opportunity of giving the whole battalion a dinner in the Town Hall.
‘When I heard of this I wrote and thanked the old chap for his hospitality to the band, and invited him to come to stay with me in Bloemfontein so that he could see his old regiment again, but he said he was too old for such a long journey, and again expressed a hope of being able to entertain the whole battalion at Cape Town.
‘I had to go to Cape Town later on for a few days, and paid him a visit. He told me that during the South African War the Boers had a price (of I think 500 pounds) on his head.
‘The band’s engagement at Cape Town was extended for another fortnight, and at the end of this period the management presented a silver cup to the band and a baton to the bandmaster. They earned great credit there for their exemplary behaviour and general smartness, as well as for the excellence of their playing.’
Colonel Thomas O’Reilly was Mayor of Capetown twice; his second term of office was from 1900 to 1901. He came to Capetown originally in 1855 according to the Limerick Archives website.
Regimental Details | Band and Drummers
