Drummers and Pipers of the Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands Navy

 DRUMMERS AND PIPERS OF THE MARINE CORPS, ROYAL NETHERLANDS NAVY

Official blazon

Doorsneden door een streep van zilver; I in azuur een omgewende signaalhoorn van goud; II in keel een horizontaal kapmes van zilver met een gevest van sabel. Embleemspreuk: 'pulsatio cordis militum' in Latijnse letters van goud op een lint van azuur. De spreuk betekent ‘hartslag van de troepen’

Origin/meaning

The emblem contains 2 pieces: a signal horn and a machete.

The signal horn The unit includes tambours, who play the drum, and pipers, who play the piper flute (from the German 'Pfeife', in English 'fife'). The signal horn is, to this day, still played by both the tambour and the piper. It is therefore something that connects both specialisms. In both daily and ceremonial dress, the horn is worn on the back when not played. In this way the horn is an essential part of the image of the Tamboers and Pijpers. Within Dutch military music they are the only unit that still act in this way. Partly because of this, they are recognizable from a great distance and visually distinguishable from the Marine Chapel of the Royal Netherlands Navy.

The image of the signal horn is based on one of the 1st models that were used by the Tamboers and Pijpers. This concerns the red copper horn of the so-called "Belgian model". This was introduced around 1880.

The machete This is an image of the 'machete Marine M 1898'. The use of the weapon was intended for sergeant majors, non-commissioned officers of the staff and the Drummers and Pipers of the Marine Corps. It served as a weapon for Tambours and Pipers to participate in the fight. A long and heavy saber or klewang was difficult to combine with their musical equipment. The machete was also used for clearing obstacles and vegetation, for example.

To this day, the Tamboers and Pijpers carry the machete to the couple when they are dressed in the gala outfit. In this way they distinguish themselves visually from the musicians of all orchestras within Dutch military music. By wearing the machete one is visible as a 'war man' and not as a musician in uniform. Partly for this reason, the group of drummers and pipers attaches great importance to wearing the machete during major ceremonies.

These 2 pieces are depicted on fields of azure and gules respectively. The azure refers to the maritime history of the unit, and the gule is in the military context the tribal color of the infantry, to which the Marine Corps can count itself.

Iron Discipline A cross-sectional emblem has been chosen for the layout. A narrow bar of silver is included on the border of the intersection. This symbolizes the 'iron discipline'. Discipline that the drummers and pipers need to continue to perform their many tasks perfectly.

Literature: Image and Information from Defensie.nl

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