The Drums Platoon

On a sad week for the drums it make me realize how important and unique being a drummer is, loathed by the band for being squadies , not held in high esteem by the company boys for working with the band
But i am sure all concerned new we were good , from playing a drum display in front of 30,000 + in berlin, to winning the match 83 Sf competition in Germany
The drum dispay will be rememberd by all [even though the flute players worked harder] in all its formats from the scottie blair / fred green style and onto the rick o'shea swagger style.
I personly think the berlin one nailed it [ hugo/mac/stan/oaksy/winnie][Dai as D/M] evan though this was a mix of all the others with a bit of our own it kicked some ****. Lots of time tappin away on a bog seat often with a beer , we crafted it to a great sight with strobe light and anything else we could do [during the boxing we moved once ,to turn our backs on the officers mess to face the sgt mess , all rehearsd with nobody else knowing it would happen.]
For any one that has seen it it must be great but being a part of it is somthing better ,
when the sound of the drums kick in you cant help but have shiver down your spine. but under the busby and scarlet jacket is heart of gold held by some of the biggest bunch of nutters i have ever worked with.

Rest in peace Hugo and Big John you were both part of somthing very special, The Drums

Couldnt have said it better Led!
dai

spot on led.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by led9750

On a sad week for the drums it make me realize how important and unique being a drummer is, loathed by the band for being squadies , not held in high esteem by the company boys for working with the band
But i am sure all concerned new we were good , from playing a drum display in front of 30,000 + in berlin, to winning the match 83 Sf competition in Germany
The drum dispay will be rememberd by all [even though the flute players worked harder] in all its formats from the scottie blair / fred green style and onto the rick o'shea swagger style.
I personly think the berlin one nailed it [ hugo/mac/stan/oaksy/winnie][Dai as D/M] evan though this was a mix of all the others with a bit of our own it kicked some ****. Lots of time tappin away on a bog seat often with a beer , we crafted it to a great sight with strobe light and anything else we could do [during the boxing we moved once ,to turn our backs on the officers mess to face the sgt mess , all rehearsd with nobody else knowing it would happen.]
For any one that has seen it it must be great but being a part of it is somthing better ,
when the sound of the drums kick in you cant help but have shiver down your spine. but under the busby and scarlet jacket is heart of gold held by some of the biggest bunch of nutters i have ever worked with.

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Rest in peace Hugo and Big John you were both part of somthing very special, The Drums

well put led. i will always be proud to have been a part of it.

nice one led sticks +flutes up boys keep on beating humph52 1rwf

i have to agrea with you on that one Led it was a sight to behold watching my first ever drums display before a boxing match and it was always spot on. Does anyone have any videos of such thing would be nice to let everyone who wasnt able to witness it see how good it really was

U Not Wrong Led

Spot on Led , i was privileged enough to be part of that Drums display in Berlin, I remember being told i had 2 weeks to learn it before we had a job in RAF Gatow so i spent the next two weeks in the basement trying to learn it with the help of Stan & Oaksey.

I was sh###ng myself when we did the job and to make matters worse Hugo was trying to knock the sticks out of my hand, as the penalty for doing so was to get the beers in thankfully i never dropped a stick but i did make a couple of mistakes so i had to get the beers in anyway (well it was my first Drums display).

Come on the Drums

Well Said Led, I am very proud to have served with you, and to still have you as a very dear friend and hope this goes on for many years. I find it very sad when on the 11th of May fellow Royal Welchmen and Guest should be remembering to former drummers Curt & Squeegy in a memorial golf match. That I hear that two more drummers have passed away this week. Both very Tragic in deed. Next year in honour of big John & Hugo the longest drive will be named after big john and the best endevour trophy named after Hugo. This is the least I can do to honour two more well liked Drummers. because the curt & Squeegy cup is the drummers memorial trophy after all.

Big John & Hugo Rest in Peace and keep tapping on the pearly gates lads.

Rik 3850.

Don't knock yourselves boys I'm sure all members on this forum would agree with what I'm about to say.

I have always held the drums in high esteem and admired you not only for your skills as musicians especially playing without the music in front of you, your turnout & demeanor is always of the highest order, The Regiment would not be the same without you.

Your soldiering skills have never been in question either I never served with a bad drummer.
Your "Esp-ere De Corps" has always been great & the Platoon has always had great characters.
And you only have to look at your reunions to see that the spirit continues, you should be proud of yourselves. :notworthy:


"The sound of the drum drives out thought, for that reason it is the most military of all instruments" Joseph Joubert 1884

nice words led and all of them true

rest in peace hugo. one of the best

I was in the RWF cadet corps of drums in Wrexham - b flat flute.

Also the IJLB corps of drums in Oswestry, b flat flute and glockenspiel!!

The first Royal Welchman I knew was a certain Drum Major Frank Harry.

Dunno why I didn't become a drummer in the Bn!!!

Married my wife just before I left the army in 93, she only got to attend one Sgts' Mess function - Dai's day 93, garrison theatre, Tidwuff.

She's a musician - grade 8 violin age 12, scholarship to the Royal School of Music, plays piano too.

She was awestruck at the drums display, really moved her and she never shut up all night about how wonderful Dai Beer was!!!

My platoon (sigs) and drums pl joined forces in 86 for a tour of Derry and I think they were more disciplined and loyal to each other than any platoon I ever served with, maybe because they were more used to performing as a team.

led nice words!!as one of the last berlin crew left in the drums and reached the dizzy heights of D/Maj! alot must be from watching others and learning my trade!from riks drumming to hugos drinking it learnt me alot!hugo was one person who made us laugh and enjoy life to the full,it is sad but i think that he would want us all to sink a few beers in his honour!!here are a few words that sum up this sad week from my wifes RWF drummers poem;


A simple beat with hands like lighting
the way they play you can delight in
with backs so straight and heads held high
whenever you here it, you'll get goose bumps and sigh

This love for a pleasure they get from a fife and a drum
is the same as a sailor, swallowing his rum
not many can throw sticks, like the RWF do
but its their life and dreams and was hugos too

their not only drummers but soliders too
and to keep them in beat,a drum major who
flourishes his mace ahead of the pack
their proud ROYAL WELCH FUSILIER drummers and thats a fact


Rest in peace hugo!!the beat will never fade

Er, sorry folks, it's me, John Turner, on me wife's laptop, stepson staying over, hogging the PC.

Forgot to logout and back in as me - ah well!

Led & Mac
What lovely words, I always get a lump in my throat whenever I see the "drum tappings" display that the Corps does and your professionalism is out of this world you should all be proud of being or served in the Corps of Drums and John and 79 have departed us with honour and pride I'm sure.
BennytheBall 1

Well said Led,I know that you was probably Hugo's closest friend.I will always remember the "performance palace" episode that you,Hugo and Mike Cornish got a 5 job drinking ban for in Berlin.They were the best days as i am sure you will agree. Just a terrible shame.

Well said Led good on you..

Nice to see you guys sticking together after all this time. I would just like to say that from a Bandsman's perspective whenever we marched without " The Corp of Drums" out in front it just felt like something was missing, plus, you all did your kit a lot better than us lot! keep on drummin boys!
Tom
1 RWF Band
1972- 1987

The band certainly didn’t loathe you! We found you hard work from time to time, when you pinched our beer form the utility room when you were supposed to be rehearsing. Or you used all of the photocopier paper copying your arses (amongst other things). But we (well most of us) never loathed you.

I spent my last night as a member of the RWF having a beer with the drums, not the band and probably spent more of my time on the beer in Berlin with the drums than I did band members. When we worked together we did it properly and produced a professional show and I look back on those times with some pride. So should you.

I raise my glass to you Gentlemen of the Drums Platoon, thanks for the memories I enjoyed my time working alongside you and hope you can say the same.

John Lorenz 1 RWF Band 1988 - 1992