Edward Elford was bandmaster of the 2nd Battalion band. He was photographed in 1913 while the battalion was stationed in India at Belgaum. He was later bandmaster at the Royal Military College Sandhurst.
His dress tunic is unusual in that it has six buttons down the front instead of seven. The tunic is in fact unique in that it has elements of an officer’s and a Warrant Officer’s tunic. It’s unfortunate that he is hiding his gold laced and braided cuffs which appear to be similar to the officers’ pattern, having a small Austrian knot formed from gold braid. Above the knot on his right arm is an embroidered band badge with a King’s crown over a wreathed lyre.
The collar has gold lace with black lines on the edges around the top of the collar, and gold braid on the lower part. The collar appears black because of the hundred-year-old photographic process, but it is in fact yellow. The twisted gold shoulder cords differ from those worn by officers because of the trefoil ends. He has four medals; from the left, they are the King George V coronation medal 1911, the Egypt & Sudan medal 1882-89, the Long Service and Good Conduct medal, and the Khedive’s Star also for service in Egypt & Sudan in 1882-89.
