Corps of Drums c1873

The 2nd Battalion, King’s Regiment was stationed in Preston, Lancs in 1873 and went to Ireland the following year. The 1st Battalion was in India. This group of 25 drummers shows adults as well as boys. The traditional 12 drummers per battalion to provide each company with a drummer/bugler, by this time, appears to have changed. Two drummers per company became the norm, and perhaps the man standing on the extreme right of the photo is not a drummer, maybe a craftsman who maintained and repaired the drums.
There are fifes in evidence, and there is a base drummer, on the left, wearing a leopard-skin apron, employed in regimental bands as a time-beater. From this photo it would seem that the band was not necessary, that all that was needed was the Corps of Drums. Some of the Corps were more expert at the fife than others, and would have enlivened the marching troops with rhythmic tunes. The drums piled up in front have a large bass drum and side drums that look like snare drums.
The drum-major wears a dress tunic and an undress forage cap with a peak. His shoulder wings are gold-laced, and he has a crimson sergeant’s sash on his right shoulder and a drum-major’s sash on his left shoulder. Two small drum sticks can be seen, attached to the front, and a Sphinx badge below. The drummers wear the 1868 pattern tunic which has pointed cuffs. In 1872 the lace was changed for drummers of the Infantry of the Line, to a red crown repeated pattern. This may account for the fact that some of the tunics do not have shoulder wings and lace on the sleeves and collar. Perhaps the change of lace took place over a two or three year period. The glengarry cap was introduced around this time, so this accounts for the two types of undress cap. One fife-player, third from the left in the middle row, has a dress shako. He also has a lance-corporal stripe and two good-conduct stripes on his right sleeve.

Regimental Details | Drummers & Musicians