"British marines, reverse coat and facings for drummers?" Topic
9 Posts
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| Baranovich | 02 Oct 2024 3:23 p.m. PST |
Hello folks, I've painted up a regiment of AWI British marines, and I am about to finally get around to painting the command stand. I'm wondering if anyone has any knowledge about the drummers of a marine regiment with regards to the coat and facings. Would the red coat with white facings be reversed as it so often was so that the drummer's coat would be white and the facings would be red? Or did they do the sometimes used practice of keeping the coat and facings the same as the rest of the rank and file? Thanks in advance! PS note: I found a link to a reenactment group that portrays British Marines, but darned if I could find a single photo of a drummer, if they happen to have one: link |
| Baranovich | 02 Oct 2024 3:36 p.m. PST |
Finally found a photo with drummers in it. This appears to show two drummers with the Marines. One does indeed have the reversed coat and facings colors, but the other one retains a red coat with yellow and a bear skin cap. No way to know if the fellow with the bear skin cap is from another unit and is just falling in with these guys at this particular event, etc. link |
Frederick  | 02 Oct 2024 7:20 p.m. PST |
I think for SYW and earlier reversed colours, but this appears to have changed during the Napoleonic Wars link |
| Virginia Tory | 02 Oct 2024 7:27 p.m. PST |
Our Marine reenacting group doesn't have any drummers at present. But it would be reversed facings. White coat, red facings. Same as the army. And red small clothes. |
| Virginia Tory | 02 Oct 2024 7:30 p.m. PST |
By the Napoleonic Wars, they were Royal Marines. So red coats, heavy white added lacing and blue facings. Prior to 1802 they were simply His Majesty's Marines with white facings (hence the reversed facings). Again, they followed army practice. |
| 0ldYeller | 03 Oct 2024 7:51 a.m. PST |
Check the Kronoskaf website on uniforms for the SYW. There is a article on British Marine Uniforms. |
 piper909 | 04 Oct 2024 11:26 a.m. PST |
I vote with Virginia Tory. |
| Baranovich | 04 Oct 2024 12:52 p.m. PST |
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| Baron von Wreckedoften II | 21 Dec 2024 5:20 a.m. PST |
Yes, just to confirm – pre-1802 Marines would have drummers in reversed colours. However, post-1802, as a "Royal" regiment, the drummers would wear the royal livery which was a laced red jacket. From about 1811, all regiments were advised to move their "musik" (ie fifes and drums, but not band or pipers) into red jackets to avoid them being targetted by the enemy. And because it was cheaper! |
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