82cm (32.5in) x 50cm (19.7in)
Royal Welch Fusiliers 5th Battalion Bass Drum with painted ash hoops, rope tension system, wood cylinder, and hand painted regimental emblazon comprising title scroll, cypher, Royal arms and motto, and Battle Honours from Namur 1695 to Baghdad. The cylinder with maker’s name of
‘Henry Potter & Co. Only Address 36 38 Charing X Rd, London’.
5th (Flintshire) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers was at summer camp in 1914 when war broke out. In 1915 it was ordered to the Mediterranean as part of the 158th Brigade, 53rd (Welsh) Division The Division made a landing at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli on 9 August 1915 and suffered heavy losses. 5th RWF subsequently took part in the Palestine campaign culminating in the Third Battle of Gaza and the capture of Beersheba, Tell Khuweilfe, and Jerusalem. Converted to the anti-tank role in the 1930s, it fought in the Battle of France, the Western Desert and Italy in the Second World War. It continued in the postwar Territorial Army until amalgamated in 1956.
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Henry Potter & Co of Charing Cross was established by Samuel Potter (1772-1836) in 1810. Samuel, a drum-major in the Coldstream Guards, named his business for his new born son Henry and worked in the business at 20 King Street, Westminster, after leaving the Army on 1817. Henry (1810-1876) carried on his father’s business at 37 Marsham Street, and later a 2 Bridge Street, before moving to 30 Charing Cross in 1858. In 1868 Henry’s brother George established George Potter & Co., at Bank Street, Aldershot. In 1918 George Potter of Aldershot opened the well know shop at the intersection of Aldershot’s Queen’s Road and Grosvenor Road, aka Potter’s Corner, which continued drum making in the traditional manner until the introduction of rod tensioned and transfer decorated drums in the 1960s.