A drum ran a soldier's entire day, not just his battles. Reveille turned the camp out at dawn; through the day the drum beat the calls to assembly, to meals, to fatigue duty, and to church, and the tattoo sent the men to their tents at night. On the march and in action the same instrument carried the orders — the advance, the halt, the retreat, the rally — that a voice could never reach across a regiment. A drummer had to know dozens of these calls and their rudiments by heart and beat them cleanly under any conditions, which took years to learn. Most began the training young, and a good drummer was a valued man in any army, the Mexican forces at the Alamo included.

W. Britain's figure shows the drummer in the musician's "reverse colours" — a red tunic where the line wore blue, faced at collar and cuffs in blue, with white crossbelts and a brass drum-carriage plate, white trousers, and a black shako plated in brass and topped with a red plume. He beats a deep-shelled snare drum, sticks caught mid-stroke, the shell painted with red hoops. A drummer stood near his officer and the colours, which made him a rallying point in the noise — and a target. Post him with Mexican Infantry No. 1 under the eye of General Santa Anna, or set him beside King & Country's S.A.I. Drummer Advancing to field two drummers in one Alamo diorama.

Model: 10123 / W. Britain / 1/30 (60mm) scale / matte finish / 1 piece set