Item details: A bronze bugle, dimensions 13 x 4.5 x 27 cm, of the type typically issued and used in World War I. Marked “Hawkes & Son Denman Street Piccadilly Circus London 1915”, and “9RB” is stamped on the flare. The bugle has some dents and tears, and the bronze has been discoloured and marked.
About the Item
This bugle belonged to the 9th Battalion, Rifle Brigade, and was picked up at Monchy le Preux in 1936 and gifted to the Museum by the Imperial War Graves Commission (now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission).
Hawkes & Son (initially Hawkes & Company then Rivière & Hawkes), was founded in 1865 by William Henry Hawkes selling orchestral sheet music, with a particular focus on brass and military band music. Towards the end of the 1800s as the company began to prosper, it expanded its operations to produce musical instruments, including military bugles such as this one.
Left: detail of stamped text on bugle.
About Monchy Le Preux
The 13th Bn Rifle Brigade suffered heavy losses capturing the village of Monchy le Preux during the Battle of Arras. The 9th Battalion, which was part of the 42nd Infantry Brigade, was further west trying to clear ground and occupy an outpost line north-east of the Tilloy-Wancourt road. It’s not clear how the bugle made it to Monchy le Preux to be found by the Imperial War Graves Commission in 1936.
