WW2 1940 British bugle

[Grimebox]

A 1940 dated British military bugle.

I know that it has a Sten gun sling on it, but does anyone know anything else about these? Were they just standard issue?

[Anderson]

Actually it's a Trumpet. I trained as a Bugler with the more familiar British Duty Bugle in Bb, but this is actually the standard Ordnance Trumpet. The Duty Bugle was adopted by British Infantry in the 1850's, but around 1914 there were two instruments in use, the standard Ordnance Bugle and the standard Ordnance Trumpet, sometimes referred to as a Cavalry Trumpet. So Trumpet was for mounted regiments. Trumpeters from a mounted corp were actually issued two instruments, a Trumpet for the dismounted Calls and a Bugle for mounted calls.
So by 1940, presumably the association with Mounted/Mechanised Corp probably remained.

This type of Trumpet was used by British infantry pre 1850, and an example was found in the remains of a British bush camp of 1845 in New Zealand, used by 65th, 96th & 99th Reg of Foot, now in the NZ Army museum. The Trumpet was dated 1839, Paris.

[Grimebox]

Thank you very much for your reply. You learn something new every day !!