Bass Drum 15th Bn – Fragment from St Julien

This portion of a bass drum shell was picked up on the battlefield near St. Julien in April 1915 by Lt. R.D. Pank of the Royal Engineers. This battle featured the first German gas attack of the war and decimated the ranks of the 15th Bn. during which this drum must have been lost. No record of this incident was made at the time.

The drum shell bears the British Coat of Arms and below it the badge of the 48th Highlanders of Canada.

In 1933 this remnant found its way back to the Regiment in Canada with Lt. Pank’s mother who came across it in her house in London, England.

A copy of letter from Mrs. Durrell Pank is in the Museum archives.

Classification
Equipment
Era
1914 – 1919 (WW 1)
Location of artifact
West Wall North
Associated place
Ypres, Belgium
Associated event
Battle of 2nd Ypres, Chlorine gas attack
Associated name(s)
Lt. R. D. Pank

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