London, Ont., Aug.23--The first military band to play in the historic city of Rome after the liberation was the "Drums" of the famous Royal Canadian Regiment, according to an article in "The Red Patch", the newspaper of the British Eighth Army in Italy.

Composed chiefly of boys from Western Ontario, the band thrilled the citizens of the Eternal City as they paraded throughout the ancient thoroughfares that have resounded to the martial music bands down through the centuries.

The article was sent to Staff Sergeant Clarke Atkinson of Headquarters, Military District No. 1, London, Ont., by his brother-in-law, H.E. Anderson of Chatham , a drummer in this band. It states that the band was reorganized under the direction of Sgt. G.H. Mason of Toronto and Sgt. E.W. Farmer of Woodstock. Although the "Drums" were not on the war establishment of an assault battery in the invasion of Sicily the instruments were brought along anyway.

Under Sgt. T.W. Beales of St. Thomas as the Drum-Major they put on a 45-minute display of stationary playing and countermarching for the hundreds of Italians who surged around them with shouts of "Bravo!" and "Viva Il Canadese!"