WW1 ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS PARADE DRUM
HISTORY
The Royal Dublin Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. created in 1881 and disbanded in 1922. It was one of eight Irish Regiments of the army which were raised and garrisoned in Ireland, with the regiment's home depot being located in Naas. The regiment was created via the amalgamation of the Royal Bombay Fusiliers and Royal Madras Fusiliers, two army regiments stationed in India, with militia units from Dublin and Kildare as part of the Childers reforms. Both battalions of the regiment served in the Second Boar War.
During World War 1, a further six battalions were raised and the regiment saw action on the Western Front, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, during which its members won three Victoria Cross (VC) medals. Following the establishment of the Irish Gree State in 1922, five army regiments whose traditional recruiting grounds were located in the new state, including the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, were disbanded.
British regimental military drums are deeply rooted in centuries of ceremonial tradition and battlefield signaling. Today, infantry battalions maintain a specialized Corps of Drums or a Pipes & Drums band, featuring traditional snare, bass, and tenor drums utilized to elevate morale and drive cadence during formal parades.
The Corps of Drums consists of soldiers—all officially designated as "drummers" regardless of the instrument they play—who are commanded by a senior non-commissioned officer, the Drum Major. Historically used to relay battlefield commands and maintain the colors, these units now function primarily as the unofficial custodians of regimental customs and support battalion headquarters.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
This marching drum for the Royal Dublin Fusiliers dates from the WW1 era as the last battle honours on the drum are all from the second Boer War. The drum which bears the King George Crown is in good condition for its age but obviously is showing its age of 125 years. Regimental drums are hard to find especially ones that are older with significant battle honours as this one has, most that are on the market today date after WW2 bearing the Queen Elizabeth Crown a lot of which are reproduced. They make great decorative pieces which are converted into side or coffee tables.