War of 1812 Introduces John Terence, Chief Warrant Officer (Ret'd) MMM, CD Producer

Photo by Gary McWilliams, Ontario Visited

"The Battle" at the Canadian International Military Tattoo & Festival
Interview with Mr. John, Producer, Canadian International Military Tattoo & Festival

 

WAR OF 1812 & the Canadian International Military Tattoo & Festival

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?

I understand there is a difference between a “Military Tattoo” compared to a “Scottish/Irish Tattoo”? During our interview, Chief Warrant Officer (Ret'd) John Terence explains… “Actually the Tattoo was started by the British army some 300 years ago. Fighting battles in the Low Countries in Belgium was a lot like a chess game, moving around, back and forth. Sometimes a move was made out of annoyance of the behaviors or minuet actions of the other side. The soldiers would go into the small towns and drink the local pubs. In order to get the soldiers back to camp, a tradition began called “Doe den tap toe”. A song was sung by a soldier who walked down the main street of the local town. This was the instruction for the German innkeepers to turn off the taps. The bugle and band would then put on a show as the soldiers returned to camp. Over the years, the term “Doe den tap toe” was anglicized to the word TATOO. This has always been a Military thing!”

I did some further research, in this context, to understand what John told us.  The original meaning of military tattoo was a military drum performance, but subsequently it came to mean army displays more generally. It dates from the 17th century when the British Army was fighting, just as John told me. Here's what the article said... “in the Low Countries (Belgium/Netherlands). Drummers from the garrison were sent out into the towns at 21:30 hrs (9:30PM) each evening to inform the soldiers that it was time to return to barracks. The process was known as doe den tap toe (Dutch for "turn off the tap"), an instruction to innkeepers to stop serving beer and send the soldiers home for the night. The drummers continued to play until the curfew at 22:00 hrs (10:00PM). Tattoo, earlier tap-too and taptoo, are alterations of the Dutch words tap toe which have the same meaning.”

Over the years, the process became more of a show and often included the playing of the first post at 21:30 hrs and the last post at 22:00. Bands and displays were included and shows were often conducted by floodlight or searchlight. Tattoos were commonplace in the late 19th century with most military and garrison towns putting on some kind of show or entertainment during the summer months. Between the First and Second World War and the elaborate tattoos were held in many towns, with the largest in Aldershot.
(To Be Continued)