Belleville Black Knights

[Dave Scott]

Correct me if Im wrong. Pre 1973 the Belleville uniform was a traditional cadet uniform with shako. It wasnt until 73 I think that they added the very distinctive helmets.

That's correct Dan, the helmets were first worn in 1973 along with a new uniform; both designed by the corps director Roger Kaiser. Roger was the Black Knights drum major in '58 & '58 and also responsible for designing the Millstadt Crusaders classy West Point uniforms in 1966 when he was their corps director.

[Jim Anello]

One of my earliest memories of Belleville was the 1970 corps. The rifles had a line toss during their closer that was pretty spectacular.

That 1973 uniform change was brilliant. The whole corps looked like giants on the field. With the helmet extending down past the bridge of the nose, each member looked so bad a@s!! They looked like a corps that meant business and wasn't too be trifled with.

[onceuponatime]

Oops! And another one of my perfect memories get shattered. Guess I must have been thinking of the Kilties. Their uniforms could be easily confused. You know, I would have bet my house on the information I gave. Do you think too many cookies destroy brain cells? Anyway, as I think I already told you, I did love the corps. Thanks for correcting me on my fuzzy details. I double checked and I do have a helmet. I know they traveled to Garfield to compete, and I know the Cadets competed out there several times. I also know I'm probably going to be wrong on that stuff too. Hope all is well with you. Did you move yet?

Dave

Wonderful story Dave! Thanks so much for sharing it with us. You are just a bit off on the year however as Forrest Creson started the corps in the fall of 1953 and their first year of competition was 1954. In those first couple years the Knights were AmVets National Champions but did not attend VFW or AL Nationals until 1956. Their highest placement at American Legion Nationals was 4th in 1958 and 2nd at VFW Nationals in 1959. Like you I was also very impressed with their uniform the first time I saw them at the Springfield, IL State Fair contest in 1960 and was proud to wear the black & white in 1966.

[Dave Scott]

Oops! And another one of my perfect memories get shattered. Guess I must have been thinking of the Kilties. Their uniforms could be easily confused. You know, I would have bet my house on the information I gave. Do you think too many cookies destroy brain cells? Anyway, as I think I already told you, I did love the corps. Thanks for correcting me on my fuzzy details. I double checked and I do have a helmet. I know they traveled to Garfield to compete, and I know the Cadets competed out there several times. I also know I'm probably going to be wrong on that stuff too. Hope all is well with you. Did you move yet?

Dave

Mr Shaw,

Yes, we moved in August of 2008 and really enjoy Kentucky Lake. Check out the pictures on facebook. See you down the drum corps trail this summer my friend.

[Dave Scott]

Way, way back I used to listen to the Black Knights at the 1961 VFW held in Miami on the old Fleetwood VFW volume II. I had a buddy who had participated marching with the Cambridge Caballeros who finished 4th that night. I can remember him telling me how great Bellville was that night and how they came from nowhere to beat St. Kevin’s and the upcoming Royal Airs. From their routine that year I can remember they had a tremendous soprano soloist playing solo in the out of concert march “on the square” and a pre-exit production number of “it had to be you”. It’s hard to believe that whoever he was and if he was 21 that humid night in August he would be 69 years young now.

There was actually two sop soloists in '61. John Albert played the solo in "It Had To Be You" and Gary Peterson & John played the duet in "On The Square". Both aged out that season.

[Dave Scott]

And prior to 1963, they wore black satins with a white left sleeve to accentuate their distinctive armswing.

They switched from satins to the cadet style uniforms in 1957. In 1965 they went back to the satins which were black and white with gold trim and included a gold plume, but returned to the cadet uniform the next year when I was a member. We wore the satins as a parade uniform that season.

[SoundmanG]

I wanna helmet!!! heh. Even tho thier kinda replicas of dragoon helmets, I'd still love one for my collection. Orange high school in SoCal also had similiar ones.

Philbert

Hey Phil,

Just for the record here is a picture of me in my senior year at Orange High School wearing one of those helmets. I know this is a "band" picture but we did have that drum corps look going on. While not exactly the same style plume as Belleville we still did our best to intimidate those around us.

Greg

[HornsUp]

They switched from satins to the cadet style uniforms in 1957.

Wow. I remember the satins from 3 years before I ever saw a corps show !!!

(but it WAS prior to 1963)

And the 1957 cadet tops were different than the later ones, they did not have the chest embroidery.

[Dave Scott]

Wow. I remember the satins from 3 years before I ever saw a corps show !!!

(but it WAS prior to 1963)

And the 1957 cadet tops were different than the later ones, they did not have the chest embroidery.

The chest plate was reversable on the mid sixties cadet jackets, white stripe on one side Black Knight crest on the other. The first cadet jackets included a white baldric and were worn until 1964.

Edited January 29, 2010 by Dave Scott

[BarryM]

To this day, one of my most enduring memories of any drum corps was of Belleville at the 1974 US Open pre-lims. I was 14 and it was our young corps' first trip to the US. I remember seeing SCV, Madison, Devils and Blue Rock, amongst many others and was totally in awe.

But when Belleville went on, the skies opened up in the middle of their show and it just seemed to put them in overdrive. No one left for cover and it was absolutely pouring!! The memories of the ovation they got at the end of that performance still gives me goose-bumps!!