King & Country · First World War · FW068
FW068 shows a French drum major holding his mace across his body. The dark tunic, bright red trousers and kepi echo the early-war French infantry, but his white gloves and directing baton distinguish his job. Despite the title, the figure does not carry a drum.
Leading the French Band
A drum major directed the musicians and helped maintain their timing and movement. Military music accompanied marching, ceremonies and the daily organization of army life. That role explains the figure’s supervisory pose: his instrument is effectively the mace used to guide the band, while the actual drummers and other musicians are separate men.
Review
This is a compact figure with a clearly defined task. The horizontal mace gives the arms a natural purpose, and the gloves break up the dark upper body. It works especially well as a character study of a military musician whose responsibility was to lead rather than play.
Reference: FW068 release reference. Review observations are based on the product reference photographs.
Related figures: FW061 · General Foch · FW064 · Marching Poilus.
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