How it worked
Each command had its own rhythm: advance, retreat, assemble, fire. All the soldiers learned them, and the signal worked faster and more reliably than passing an order down the chain. The drummer stood beside the commander and repeated the command.
The rhythm also set the pace of the march. A formation marching to a drum moves evenly and keeps its shape, which was important for maintaining order during maneuvers, not just for appearance.
- 16th-17th c.With the introduction of orderly formations, the signal drum becomes mandatory.
- 18th c.Teenagers are appointed to the role, often soldiers' sons. Formally, they are noncombatants.
- 19th c.Age restrictions appear because losses among them prove high.
- 20th c.The telephone and radio displace the drum, and children's participation in the military is banned.
The next point explains the main problem. The drummer was on the front line beside the commander - that is, in the most dangerous place - while carrying no weapon and not being considered a participant in the fighting. Losses among them were disproportionately high.
Being formally noncombatant does not mean being protected. Children were at the most dangerous point in the formation precisely because their role was considered auxiliary.
How they ended up there
Most were orphans and soldiers' sons for whom the regiment was their only home. Service provided food, clothing, and a place to stay, while the alternative was an orphanage or the street. Formally, it was a choice; in reality, there were no alternatives.
Age was recorded approximately in documents, and there was no way to verify it. Records are known of children enlisted at nine and ten years old, although the rules assumed an older age.
The practice ended not out of mercy but for technical reasons: communication had changed. Bans on children's participation came later and formalized something that had already lost its meaning on the battlefield.
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Sources
- Drum signals were used to transmit commands in battle and set the pace of a march
- teenagers in these roles were formally not considered combatants, while still being in battle formations. The practice ended with the development of communication technology