The Kettle Drums are replicas of those captured from the French at the Battle of Dettingen on the 27th of June 1743.
The original drums were sadly destroyed in a fire in 1855.
The Drums bear the Battle honours of the 3rd Hussars in three groups. The first group up to and including the South African War, the second group covering The Great War and the third group only recently added, covering those Battle honours gained in the 1939-45 war.
The fact that the Battle Honours are carried on the drums themselves is unique and means these are the only drums of Regiments of the Household Cavalry and Line Cavalry where the honours are not carried on the drum banners and where the drums are carried uncovered.
As a result of the capture of the French drums at Dettingen King George II accorded The 3rd Hussars the right of an additional Kettle Drummer to be borne on the rolls.
Up to the presentation of the Guidon to The Queen’s Own Hussars in 1959, The Silver Drums were accorded the compliments of Regimental Colours.
