GUNS AND DRUMS 2005

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"Guns and Drums" is an annual event held at Aldershot Military Museum in Hampshire, England. Aldershot Military Town has long featured barracks for the British Army, and with the aviation town of Farnborough just a few miles away, the entire area is steeped in military history.

With my trusty camera, I attended this years "Guns and Drums" display and found an incredible mix of military paraphernalia from the last few centuries.

This article covers the following topics:

Aldershot Military Museum

Parades and music

Displays and re-enactments

Vehicles and guns

The Screaming Eagles Living History Group

Click on the thumbnail images for larger versions and take a trip back in time…

ALDERSHOT ARMY MUSEUM

The Aldershot Military Museum was founded in 1984 by Brigadier John Reed. Featuring a diverse mix of military vehicles and equipment, a nearby parade ground is used for the annual "Guns and Drums" displays. Here are just a few snapshots from within the museum itself. These first two pictures were taken within the Cody Gallery. As readers of my previous ACG piece on the Farnborough Air Show might recall, in 1908, Farnborough was the site of Britain’s first powered flight by the American, Samuel Franklin Cody. This gallery is dedicated to his memory.

Here are some displays of WWII vintage, including civilian gasmasks, which, fortunately, never had to be used.

Nearby, an Air Raid Warden’s hat and coat hang as if ready for immediate use.

These pictures are merely a flavour of what one can expect to find in the museum. The vehicular displays are covered later in this article.

PARADES AND MUSIC

One of the main features of Guns and Drums, as you might guess from the name, are the musical parades by marching bands, as well as accompanying music from the local Bisley Brass Band when there are no displays on the parade ground itself.

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