Richard Delingpole

3. Drummer Boy  1810

9th East Norfolk regiment, Napoleonic Wars.

The drummer was a respected and well-paid role in the British army. The drummer boy was a junior role and acted like an apprenticeship.
If he survived this dangerous role, he could rise through the ranks. However, his bright coat made him a target for French snipers who would take out the drummers to disrupt communications, as the drummers would beat out the commands in the heat and noise of battle.

As a county regiment, the 9th wore red with yellow facings. The drummer therefore wears yellow with red facings. This drummer is dressed for service in the Peninsular War.

Richard Delingpole