Drums in Indian Mutiny?

[WillieB]

My Google - Fu must be extremely weak as I can't seen to find even one picture of a military drum in India.  None of the books I have have an illustration or even a description 
I have nearly finished my first batch of Indian Mutineers but now I have absolutely no idea on how to paint the drummers. AW Miniatures shows a drum with two red bands and a blue 'body'
Thanks very much for any help!

[joroas]

There are a few pictures on the Iron Duke Site

http://www.irondukeminiatures.co.uk/

[Arthur]

Oops, double post.

[Arthur]

British drums were normally painted wood but that practice does not seem to have been followed by HEIC troops. Several period paintings depicting native infantry show brass drums, either full brass or with coloured bands at the top and bottom (such as the one the officer on the far right is sitting on in the pic below). That may have been due to the fact that brass drums were less affected by humidity and heat than wooden ones in the Indian climate:




Sepoy drummers and buglers kept wearing reversed colours long after the British army abandoned the practice of putting its musicians into distinctive uniforms :



The very large drum depicted in the image above is a regimental band bass drum rather than an ordinary company drum (hence the more ornate uniform worn by the band members).

[WillieB]

Thanks very much Arthur and Joroas,

I think I'm going with a brass body, coloured bands and white cords. Thinking of matching the coloured bands with the respective facings of the regiments.

[Arthur]

Truth be told, I haven't been able to find a single reference to official regulations regarding the appearance of HEIC drums. I looked at Boris Mollo's The Indian Army, John French's The British In India and the recent Osprey MAA on the armies of the East India company along with a couple of other books, and none bother to describe HEIC drums apart from a brief mention of brass drums in the Osprey book. I suppose no one will be able to fault you if you paint yours brass with coloured bands (in the second pic from the top, it's hard to tell whether the drum is full brass or if the bands at the top and bottom are yellow : I'd lean toward the former but I'm not sure).

If you really want expert advice on the question, drop Mike Snook a line via the Iron Duke FB page : if anyone knows for sure, that'll be him.

[sepoy1857]

I'd go with whatever the Queen's troops used at the time.

[Plynkes]

Getting away from drums for a second, that last picture nicely shows how Sepoy battalions under the HEIC had three colours rather than the usual two of the British Army (the third bearing the arms of the East India Company itself, if I'm not mistaken). Something to bear in mind when constructing one's force.

[WillieB]

I'd go with whatever the Queen's troops used at the time.

And what DID the Queens's troops had exactly? I found some blue ones with red bands but not much else. Do you know of a site?

[dadlamassu]

As far as I can make out on campaign the drums would either have the body plain brass or painted in the Regimental facing colour.  The top and bottom bands in a contrasting colour, often red.  Cords were usually white.  The campaign and weather was quite harsh so there would be many variations.  The mutineers seem to have retained their HEIC connection for quite some time before abandoning it.

Parade drums were painted with regimental badges and battle honours.

I have quite a bit of research on my website (though not about drums!)  http://www.morvalearth.co.uk/Indian%20Mutiny/Indian_mutiny_index.htm

[WillieB]

As far as I can make out on campaign the drums would either have the body plain brass or painted in the Regimental facing colour.  The top and bottom bands in a contrasting colour, often red.  Cords were usually white.  The campaign and weather was quite harsh so there would be many variations.  The mutineers seem to have retained their HEIC connection for quite some time before abandoning it.

Parade drums were painted with regimental badges and battle honours.

I have quite a bit of research on my website (though not about drums!)  http://www.morvalearth.co.uk/Indian%20Mutiny/Indian_mutiny_index.htm

Yes, your site is one of my first go- to's !