The 2nd Battalion the Norfolk Regiment was stationed in India from 1874 but in October 1888 it was sent to Burma where they stayed until January 1890. This photo comes from the Norfolk Museums Collections and is titled ‘Band 2nd Batt The Norfolk Regt Burma 1861’. The date is clearly wrong because the musicians are wearing the tunics issued after 1881; scarlet with white collars and white round cuffs in place of the previous yellow facings.
The bass drummer, named as Carway, stands behind his large drum, wearing a leopard-skin apron. Seated near the drum is Bandmaster George Gage who wears a special pattern tunc that is not quite the same as the officers. It does not have wings like the bandsmen, but there are gold cords on his shoulders and gold lace on the cuffs and collar.
An array of wind instruments are on show and the musicians all wear a white leather belt on their left shoulder to support a pouch to hold sheet music. Three men seated on the left of the photo do not have this pouch-belt. The one nearest the drum has medals and a badge on his forearm which suggest that he is a Warrant Officer, the senior NCO in charge of the band. Next to him is the band sergeant with a crimson sash on his shoulder. Both men probably have gold laced tunics. The man seated on the extreme left is a percussionist who has a white drum-carriage on his left shoulder to play either the side drum or the snare drum.
The rest of the musicians wear dress tunics either with or without shoulder wings. They have a band badge on their right upper arm. Two small boys sit on the ground near the drums, wearing civilian dress.
Regimental Details | Band and Drummers
