The senior NCO in this photo wears the dress uniform of the Norfolk Regiment, clearly indicated by the Britannia badges on his collar and helmet. He wears a drum-major’s sash on his left shoulder and carries a mace. Prior to 1881 this would have indicated that he was a drum-major, but in that year drum-majors were down-graded to Sergeant Drummer. He was responsible for the drummers, who were also buglers, but led the combined corps of drums and band on ceremonial occasions. In 1881 the Norfolk Regiment dropped the number 9 from its title and was also formed into 4 battalions; the two regular battalions being augmented by the two militia battalions which became the 3rd and 4th Battalions of the regiment.
The battalions had their own corps of drums led by a sergeant drummer. The mace of the 1st Battalion had a silver figure of Britannia on the top. It is unclear if the 2nd Battalion also had this distinction, the mace in this photo is topped with a silver crown. It has the Britannia figure as a badge on one side and a wreathed Victorian cypher (more visible) on the other. The embroidered sash is white with gold-laced edges. The embroidery is confined to a Victorian crown and cypher. There are no battle honours. It would be expected that the badge of the Castle of Norwich would also feature on the sash as this was the badge of both the West and East Norfolk Militias which became the 3rd and 4th Battalions. The red drum-major sash seen on this page has 1st VOL.BATT embroidered on, as well as the Britannia badge, the Castle badge and the Victorian crown and cypher.
Regimental Details | Band and Drummers
