Cavalry bugle : Sergeant H Gaitley, 12 Light Horse Regiment, AIF

French manufactured cavalry bugle made in 'pacotille' brass. The bell is stamped 'EXPOSITION UNIVERSELLE DE PARIS'/ '1900' within the outline of a medal/' HORS CONCORS MEMBRE DU JURY'/ 'Gautrot Brevete'/ 'S.G.D.G.'/ 'PARIS'. Beneath is an anchor flanked by the letters G and A, all within an oval.

This cavalry trumpet, or bugle, was carried by Sergeant Harry Gaitley, of 12 Light Horse Regiment, AIF. Gaitley was born at Oxford, England, and was working as a professional musician in Newcastle, NSW, when he travelled to Sydney to enlist, on 19 July 1915. He was then aged 33. Gaitley trained initially as a sergeant trumpeter with 6 Light Horse Regiment at Menangle Park. He transferred to 12 Light Horse Regiment in August 1916 but sailed to Egypt aboard RMS Karmala, on 3 February 1917, as a reinforcement to 2 Camel Regiment. Once on Egypt he rejoined 12 Regiment and was appointed acting sergeant trumpeter of C Squadron, without receiving sergeant's pay, although he received additional extra duty allowance in recognition of his skill as a musician. Gaitley is said to have used this trumpet to sound the order for C Squadron to charge at Beersheba, on 31 October 1917. His personal record, however, suggests that in fact he was not present, having been sent to the Brigade Dump to supervise the stockpiling of supplies on 28 October, only returning on 15 December. The regiment's war diary confirms that two men were sent to the Dump on 28 October, without naming them. Gaitley spent a further period working at the Dump between April and July 1918. He contracted malaria late in July and saw no further active service, returning to Australia in July 1919. Each light horse regiment was divided into four squadrons. Each squadron had a trumpeter sergeant, equipped with a cavalry trumpet, and a bugler of lower rank equipped with a bugle. Technically called a cavalry trumpet, this instrument was in effect a longer version of the bugle, as it did not have the valves of a true band or orchestral trumpet. The trumpet and bugle sounded in different keys. Both were carried slung over the player's body by means of green tasselled cords.