Talk:Drum major

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[edit] Request

I am not the originator of this page, nor is the main body of the text mine. My contributions, at this point, are the pictures and links. I may make suggestions or additions in the future (with great thought and care).

I should certainly hope that factions or representatives from the various camps, academies, and workshops will retain objectivity and even-handedness with any drum major philosophy they wish to add.

I look forward to any help or additions to this entry!

--Mford123 19:58:09, 2005-08-24 (UTC)

[edit] British Army

In relations to the British Army section The Drum Major can hold an rank between Corporal and Warrant Officer Class 2. The badge is 4 inverted chevrons surmonted by a drum badge. If the Drum Major has the rank of colour/staff sergeant a small crown is placed between the chevrons and drum badge. If the Drum Major is a WOII then the large crown goes in its place.

It is also my understanding that the Drum Major is ranked as second in the Sergeants mess, no matter what his rank, under the RSM.

When I can dig out my copy of the Drummers Handbook there is a good section on the history of the Drum Major. SGoat 16:12, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

A Drum Major is always an SNCO or WO as far as I know. I have never seen an instance of a Corporal holding the appointment and I have seen a number of publications specifying it as an SNCO appointment. Can you provide a reference for this? Are you also sure that WO2s don't wear a crown in a wreath? I'm sure I've seen drum majors wearing this and it would be more logical. I also have a suspicion that the Senior Drum Major of the Household Division may be a WO1, but I may be wrong there. -- Necrothesp 21:20, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

As I said I will dig out my copy of The Drummers Handbook (which is the Army publication relating to Bands and Corps of Drums). It is unusual for Drum Majors to be Corporals (as the position is also that of platoon commander for the drums platoon) but it is possible, therefore it tends to be thought of as a SNCO appointment. If the Drum Major is a corporal then they are given honary membership to the Sergeants and WOs mess by virtue of their appointment.

WOIIs can have one of two badges of rank. A plain large crown or a crown surmounted in a laurel wreath. The laurel wreath version is only worn by regimental quatermaster sergeants (RQMS), who hold the rank of WOII. All other WOII appointments (e.g. CSM) use the plain large crown. With regard to the senior Drum Major of the Household Division I do not think you are correct but cannot provide any evidence that your wrong.

In British Army Battalion (there are no regimental corps) Corps of Drums the DM does not have to a side drummer either, he could be from the percussion rank or a flautist. The Royal Marines Band Service is the only British armed forces which stipulates that the DM must be from the side drummers, as can be seen by the thin strip he wears on his trousers instead of the broad strip used by the band.

In modern British Army rank badges all chevrons are worn point down, therefore inverted refers to point up, which nowadays is only used by Drum Majors and Pipe Majors.SGoat 17:05, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Yes, I'm aware of the difference between WO2 rank badges. The crown in wreath is not just worn by the RQMS, incidentally; in actual fact, the crown alone is only usually worn by WO2s holding Sgt Maj appointments (CSM/SSM/BSM), so the crown in wreath is probably the commoner of the two, since it's worn by all WO2s in QMS appointments (not just RQMS), of which there are many (and by all WO2s in the Royal Marines, including CSMs, and Royal Navy). The crown in wreath would therefore make more sense in this case, since it would be difficult to distinguish the two types of crown by size alone. And as I said, I have seen it worn, although I'm not saying for definite that it does indicate a WO2. I also think there are regimental/corps variations in the pattern of the Drum Major badge - no two seem to be the same.

Re inverted chevrons, we would indeed call point-up chevrons "inverted" in Britain, but Wikipedia is not just written for British readers and to an American, for instance, "inverted" means point down, which is why it's best to be explicit when writing on Wikipedia. Plus, a chevron in its original form (e.g. in heraldry) is actually point-up, so there is a good argument that normal British chevrons are in actual fact inverted. Incidentally, Staff Corporals of the Household Cavalry also wear four point-up chevrons. -- Necrothesp 20:49, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Sorry I had forgotton about Staff Corporals. It is not difficult on uniform to disguish between C/Sgt crowns and WOII crowns, especially when used in No 1 dress. What I was always told as a cadet Drum Major affiliated to the RRF was that as a DM is not in a QMS role then they use the plain crown, but I do agree with you that each regiment and corps will have traditions that go towards the badge or rank. Maybe this is something to point out in the article? SGoat 07:49, 6 March 2007 (UTC)