bandsmen wings

[tom compton]

Hello. Can someone tell me why bandsmen have wings on there shoulders. Thanks Tom

[John Milner]

Tom

The British Army bandsman insignia is a Lyre.

John

[Tony Barton]

Wings on musicians uniforms go back a long way : drummers and trumpeters were wearing them as far back as the mid-1600s , and they were well established by the time this painting was made in the 1750s : a Drummer and Fifer of the Footguards, by David Morier :~

In this case they also have the old hanging sleeves , which went out shortly after.

Wings have continued in use by Drums and Fifes ever since, and by extension , when Regimental bands were formed in the late 18century , wings were often added to their uniforms as well.

[tom compton]

Thanks lads. So am i right in saying that the wings served no purpose and are just a piece of fashion left over from another age. Tom

[FROGSMILE]

Thanks lads. So am i right in saying that the wings served no purpose and are just a piece of fashion left over from another age. Tom

Yes, but it is not quite so simple as that. The wings were a mark of distinction and that is key, as the drummers were the commanders signallers of their day, issuing deployment instructions by beat of drum (and later sound of bugle). For that reason (so that he could be easily seen) the silhouetted appearance of the drummer was instantantly recognisable.

The drummers dress was also associated with the two 'flank companies' of British infantry battalions of the 17th and 18th Centuries. These companies marked the extremities of a battalion when in line and so were in effect the shoulders of the extended line that was formed in the tactics of those times.

On the left flank was the Light Company of agile and more lightly equipped men who acted as a screen of skirmishers. On the right flank were the Grenadier Company comprised of tall men with greater stature, who originally hurled hand grenades, but later became assault troops. Both these companies were marked by wings, until their abolition around 1860.

Another feature of the Grenadiers was a mitred cap and later a fur cap and the drummers were dressed deliberately very similarly to the Grenadiers and for many years wore both the wings and the caps (although the latter were slighly shorter), retaining until modern times though, only the wings.

Much later military bands began to be formed and these too adopted the wings of the drummers, but in a slightly less elaborate form.

After the demise of the flank companies around 1860, the drummers and bands were the only bodies of troops left with the wings.

The greatest detail on the origin of uniform wings can be found on page 2-4 of this link: http://www.drummajor...andbook0001.pdf

If you are interested to learn more there is a great deal of excellent information here:

1. http://brtdesignport...rsBRITindex.htm

2. http://www.fifedrum.org/crfd/DWar.htm

[tom compton]

Well Frogsmile you gave me a stiff neck reading all that on a pc but it was very very interesting. My granddad was a drummer boy (14) in 1884 with the 1st Dorsets up to 1896 and with the 6th dorsets in the great war. I have yet to find a photo of the two bands but i live in hope. I think its good that someone has put all that information together before its lost. Thanks for a great post, Tom

[FROGSMILE]

Well Frogsmile you gave me a stiff neck reading all that on a pc but it was very very interesting. My granddad was a drummer boy (14) in 1884 with the 1st Dorsets up to 1896 and with the 6th dorsets in the great war. I have yet to find a photo of the two bands but i live in hope. I think its good that someone has put all that information together before its lost. Thanks for a great post, Tom

I am glad that you found it of interest Tom. You might find this link of interest, it shows images of the 1st Dorsets at Ferozepore, India, in 1906: http://myferozepur.com/regiment.html

The two B&W photos show the sergeant drummer (aka drum major) circa 1900 and bandmaster of the Dorsets in around 1906, and who your GF would almost certainly have known.