I am looking for information and guidance as to where to find drum scores and beatings that would have been used by Scottish regiments in WW2. Even archival recordings of army pipes and drums of the era would help. I am a reenactor whose group portrays the 7th Bn Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders as they fought in WW2. The group website is here: http://home.roadrunner.com/~argyllsutherland/index.html.

We have a strong contingent of pipers, but no drums--and we feel the lack of them sorely, especially when marching to the pipes. I have acquired a period original rope tension snare drum, and am having a reproduction made for purposes of taking into the field and playing it while the company marches.

I can find books about British army drum techniques and beatings [and duty calls] for the early 19th century, the 17th & 18th centuries, the American Revolution and Civil War, but I have not been able to find materials that describe the drum beatings and techniques used in the British Army in the 1930's and 1940's. I am told by a veteran of that era that the drum beatings were quite different from modern, post Alex Duthart style beatings--simple open rolls, and not all this rat a tat tat, paradiddle flam flam.

What say you good sirs--have you any WW2 era drum manuals, score books, or other musical instruction type references that might allow me to learn how to play in the style of the 1930's to 1940's?

Oh, BTW, on the principle that photos are necessary to give any discussion on X-Marks corporeal existence, here are some photos of the original drum:









Thanks for any info you can provide. Cheers, BYU