Whistles during the Zulu/Sudan era?

[Mingans Marauders]

A friend and I had a debate the other day on whistles in the British military during the conflicts and if so, what the purpose of the officer or NCO to have carried them. Would they have? Army, Marines or Navy? And if so, what was the reasons?

Thanks!

[joroas]

Bugles were used in the Colonial era, drummers usually carried both, look at Royal Marine Bands today.  Petty officers had a pipe to welcome visiting officers to ships.  They were used a lot in WWI as a signal.

[Cubs]

In theory, all officers of infantry battalions were to carry whistles for the purpose of sounding signals (presumably in the event of the bugler being a casualty, unavailable or otherwise absent). They looked a bit like the traditional policeman's whistle but with two holes, which can be stopped up to make different tones.

I expect this is the shiny thing you can sometimes see hanging from the chain on the crossbelt of officers of the period. A lot of officers took a relaxed approach to uniform on campaign however, so I don't know if it was only a part of some regiments' uniform - the rifles, I think, had them - or if all regiments should have had them, but the officers didn't bother with them outside of a parade. Maybe they kept them in their pocket?

The calls that could be made were - attention (as in, look over here, not 'come to attention'), advance, halt, retire and assemble/rally.

Given that the bugler, if present and fit (and also, if he had followed the advice of "Spit boy, spit,") could sound these orders and plenty more (given the superior range of notes and volume), one would assume it would be fairly uncommon, but not unheard of.

[joroas]

Sometimes, in Rifle Regiments, but usually it was the vestigial remains of the picker used to clear musket pans.

[Cubs]

Yeah, I think you're right. Doubt sent me scuttling to my books and I can't see the whistle being displayed on the outside of any officer's uniform. It was there fifty years earlier, but I guess was taken off as uniforms began evolving towards something a little more practical.

[joroas]

Armies always seem to have drummers, but, on a battlefield, something shrill would be heard easier.