"Spanish Drum Colours" Topic

Hello All,
I seem to be doing okay finding info on the uniforms worn by the Spanish Army in 1808/09 but I'm struggling a bit with the colours of the drums. About the only reference I can find is from page 8 of MAA321 "Spanish Army Of The Napoleonic Wars" – "Brass drums with blue hoops were issued at the time of the Napoleonic Wars, but the older style wooden drums painted blue with the royal arms in front were still in use."

Is this a general rule – I seem to recall seeing drums painted white with red hoops and cords, hoops painted in the facing colours of the unit, all kinds of variations…

And are their any general rules re drummers uniforms?

Thanks
Malc

Hi Malc,

Wish I could help more, but my source is pretty much the same as yours. The pics I've seen of drummers have them in basically the same uniform as the soldiers.

There is a uniform plate (modern) at link that shows the blue drum.

Personally I wouldn't stress too much about the colours. Check out link for a list of uniform patterns worn by line, and I've only recently seen a list of the state of the uniforms worn by the Provincial Militias in May 1808. As there is a fairly good distribution between 1790s, 1802 and 1805 patterns, and quite a few brown and "useless" thrown in, it seems that whatever you go with is fine as long as you are pleased with it.

Cheers,
Aksu

Additional modern uniform plates with brass and blue drums from a good Spanish blog Miniaturas Militares by Alfons Cánovas:

Irish regiments:

Cheers,
Aksu

Aksu,
Thanks for that – looks simple enough!

I will press on then.

Malc

However – some caution as the same series shows the drummer for the Guadaljara Regiment with a red drum with red & white stripes on the rims, with the coat of arms on the drum barrel. (Regiment's facinmgs were red); also in same series substitute green for the red for the Regiment Asturias (green facings; for Regiment Jaen (purple facings) substitute purple; Regiment Murcia (light blue facings) – substitute light blue, but hoops are shown white & dark blue;

I have done all my Spanish drummers in the "Royal Livery", which is undoubtedly unrealistic.

Darkish blue coats, red facings, and the button colours and cockade ribbon in accordance with the regiment.

Most of them would have well and truly worn out by 1808, and probably (given the supply situation) at best been replaced by regimental jackets.

The main reason I went with the "Royal Livery" was to provide a bit of contrast and, in the case of my 28mm army, to offset the Front Rank piper (in red) on the other end of the command stand.

I went with Dark blue hoops and a yellow body for the drum. I considered Red hoops and a white body but decided I wanted the contrast. The drummer himself has the same uniform as the rest of the unit.

And here are the blocked in first batch: link

They are coming along nicely.

I'm not sure I would get any figures done with a job like yours, so your rate of progress looks pretty good to me.

A print from the NYPL with drum for 1806.

Druzhina
Illustrations of Soldiers

Spain was a nightmare of different uniforms . I cannot find many sources that agree on specific uniforms and when I do There is always another that contradicts it. It seems many of the uniforms for the Spanish armies were done by the local province and what they choose. I would just paint the drummers drums and uniforms however you like. Who knows … maybe some local ladies sewing club wanted to spiff up the boys!. Have fun.