Archive for The Royal Marines Band Service On-line Community Bringing the serving and ex serving communities together          The Royal Marines Band Service On-line Community Forum Index -> Dit book mrbassbone Commando Training Centre I just got through watching an hour special on Commando Training at the CTC Lymphstone in Devon. 53 recruits started in class 771 sometime in 1999 and only 13 finished. Do the Musicians go through this course as well? sticky blue of course we do - 'not' - back in the old days, there were some buglers who did the conversion course before being drafted to a Comando Unit but, I don't think this happens these days, also buglers who went for promotion did the general duties command course's rather than the band command course's, but again, that was a long time ago when the buglers branch was part of the general duties branch - there maybe a few bandies who have done the course but that was because they wanted to do it rather than had to - Military training is still carried out every year for all band ranks so as to be able to carry out the non musical duties. (check out the dairies link) We are All Royal Marines with the same cap badge and history. Some are serving, some are no longer serving - as someone once said - We are like a stick of rock, cut us in half and it says 'Royal Marine' all the way through mrbassbone sticky blue wrote: of course we do - 'not' - back in the old days, there were some buglers who did the conversion course before being drafted to a Comando Unit but, I don't think this happens these days, also buglers who went for promotion did the general duties command course's rather than the band command course's, but again, that was a long time ago when the buglers branch was part of the general duties branch - there maybe a few bandies who have done the course but that was because they wanted to do it rather than had to - We are All Royal Marines with the same cap badge and history. Some are serving, some are no longer serving - as someone once said - we are like a stick of rock, cut us in half and it says 'Royal Marine' all the way through Reading the two brochures that outline a career in the RMBS, I noticed that you do have to attend the Leadership & Command Courses at Lymphstone. Granted, you are not being trained in the 30 week COMMANDO course, but how much of what was shown did you guys & gals have to go through? Granted all services train their recruits differently, but I do know that with the USMC, you are always considered a MArine Rifleman first and then whatever specialty second. Us Navy types...well...even though we went through basic training and then off to the SOM...I always felt like we were musicians first and then sailors second. When on deployment, we were a band on a "floating hotel"...granted it was painted haze-grey. We stayed out of the way of the real crew. Our GQ stations were our racks. Aaron Aardvark yuk...Lymphstone......terrible place. I caught a nasty gland disease there sticky blue mrbassbone wrote: sticky blue wrote: of course we do - 'not' - back in the old days, there were some buglers who did the conversion course before being drafted to a Comando Unit but, I don't think this happens these days, also buglers who went for promotion did the general duties command course's rather than the band command course's, but again, that was a long time ago when the buglers branch was part of the general duties branch - there maybe a few bandies who have done the course but that was because they wanted to do it rather than had to - We are All Royal Marines with the same cap badge and history. Some are serving, some are no longer serving - as someone once said - we are like a stick of rock, cut us in half and it says 'Royal Marine' all the way through Reading the two brochures that outline a career in the RMBS, I noticed that you do have to attend the Leadership & Command Courses at Lymphstone. Granted, you are not being trained in the 30 week COMMANDO course, but how much of what was shown did you guys & gals have to go through? Granted all services train their recruits differently, but I do know that with the USMC, you are always considered a MArine Rifleman first and then whatever specialty second. Us Navy types...well...even though we went through basic training and then off to the SOM...I always felt like we were musicians first and then sailors second. When on deployment, we were a band on a "floating hotel"...granted it was painted haze-grey. We stayed out of the way of the real crew. Our GQ stations were our racks. When drafted to ship all everyone on board has an Action Station, including the band. Back in the old days before automation the bands usual Action Station was the Magazine, sending the shells up to the Guns, a high % of the were killed because they were locked down and if the magazine blew or the ship went down, well say no more - Again back in the old days the rearmost Gun Turret of the ship was manned by Royal Marines as they were considered to be better shots, the Captain would turn the ship - if the band were just embarked for a Jolly trip then the 'rack' it is but, someone would find them something to do - Royal Marines bands have a duel roll Music & Military so it depends on the situation chalkyc I had good times military training in Lympstone. Remember going out one night and meeting a 10 beer darling !! Next morning woke up to see a picture of one of the training team at the bedside. Made it back for breakfast and laughed the whole week.... chalkyc On board Going back to the music / military theme above, I remember on board the Fort Grange in 1986, we were heading for the Malaka Straits and an American ship before us had been boarded by modern day pirates and emptied of their cargo. Us being the only Royal Marines on board were given SLR'S and training 2 weeks before. The only person to get nearly shot was the chinese laundry man who came on deck for a quiet fag at 4am, a gun was cocked and he screamed at us. Paul Brennan (Looney) I believe was the rifle man. Memories.... jock nope it was bammy chalkyc Ah Bammy the pale skinned one. Your memory is obviously less pickled than mine !! jock i know it unusual for a monday, but im not pickled, YET Bronco I transfered across to Lympstone for Commando training along with Bugler Dave Clay back in 1979. It was the toughest 6 months of my life. I transfered back to the Band service for many reasons shortly after completing training, yet never saw the training as a waste of time. It teaches you many things about yourself including your strengths and weakneses. Many aspects of a marine commando's job have been performed by the band service to great effect. This was evident in the Falklands war when Band service personnel were performing many tasks 'above and beyond' on the Uganda and Canberra, and more recently in Iraq. The Band service is very unique ( we have Richie Barriball to prove it!!! ) mrbassbone Bronco wrote: I transfered across to Lympstone for Commando training along with Bugler Dave Clay back in 1979. It was the toughest 6 months of my life. I transfered back to the Band service for many reasons shortly after completing training, yet never saw the training as a waste of time. It teaches you many things about yourself including your strengths and weakneses. Many aspects of a marine commando's job have been performed by the band service to great effect. This was evident in the Falklands war when Band service personnel were performing many tasks 'above and beyond' on the Uganda and Canberra, and more recently in Iraq. The Band service is very unique ( we have Richie Barriball to prove it!!! ) Speaking of that...what did the Bandies do during the Falklands War and in the Gulf? Co-admin mrbassbone wrote: Speaking of that...what did the Bandies do during the Falklands War and in the Gulf? Should cover it: http://www.royalmarinesbands.co.uk/history/Falklands_memories.htm Gulf war is here: http://www.royalmarinesbands.co.uk/argus_diary/Intro.htm here http://www.royalmarinesbands.co.uk/argus_diary/CLR/part1.htm and here http://www.royalmarinesbands.co.uk/argus_diary/CLR/decon2.htm There will be another diary posted shortly... sticky blue anything else you want to no mrbassbone ?? sticky blue I think it's 'wet o'clock - the suns way over the yard arm - in fact it's so far over it's dark RAB sticky blue wrote: I think it's 'wet o'clock - the suns way over the yard arm - in fact it's so far over it's dark We've actually got a wee dusting of snow and a frost setting in here tonight.. Hot toddy for supper methinks... sticky blue RAB(Jock)THOMSON wrote: sticky blue wrote: I think it's 'wet o'clock - the suns way over the yard arm - in fact it's so far over it's dark We've actually got a wee dusting of snow and a frost setting in here tonight.. Hot toddy for supper methinks... Good man - good man - man after my own heart - I take it, it will be the two finger method or pouring? - 'O' by the way don't eat the yellow snow sticky blue It's now 23:13 and everyone 's gone - time for another two fingers and then bed lesbryan Ill have another then im Orrrrfffe too Co-admin Tommo, I think that we take our heritage, history and training for granted far too much. We are shy about blowing our own trumpets (well apart from trumpet players) about our history and to some extent, shy! Our history is one if the richest of any of the services and our (branch) has some rich pickings. The RNSM Boy Bugler who gave his drum to the blue jacket at Zeebrugge so he could float when the ship sank. The boy bugler slipped beneath the waves and the blue jacket lived to tell the story of valour of a boy... The proof of this is in MBT wanting to know and us not really knowing that much off the cuff, there is of course a huge corporate knowledge between the lot of us. One that shows this lack of knowledge is that there are a lot of youngsters, even ones in training at the moment, who don't know about 'Boy Buglers' and 'Boy Musicians' and the fact that they joined up at age 14. Luckily, we have an RNSM guy who used to come in and chat to the youngsters, sadly he is now too old to make the visits. We do have a small handout and of course the RMBS book which is invaluable to them. Part of the idea behind the 'Dits' are to capure them forever. I will be extracting them from time to time and putting them into a word document and archiving them on a CD ROM... just in case! Who knows, in time to come we might even have enough for a charity book for the RMBBF or RNDF. So, get your dits out! mrbassbone sticky blue wrote: anything else you want to no mrbassbone ?? Thanks Tommo.... Co-admin The Royal Marines Band Service by John Ambler wrote: In 1915 Boy Bugler S C Reed drowned when HMS Formidable was torpedoed and sunk by U-24 in the English Channel. Politicians in the House of Commons were told that when Reed was advised to use his drum to keep him afloat he replied that he had thought of that and had given it to a blue-jacket boy who could not swim. Others who died in WW1 include Bugler A E Flory, HMS Castor, at Jutland and Boy Bugler Timmins, age fourteen, who was killed on the bridge of HMS Cardiff shortly after sounding To Quarters at Heligoland. Boy Bugler A Morgan was, at the age of fourteen, the youngest combatant at the defence of Antwerp where he was wounded in the leg. He also saw action, aged eighteen, at Zeebrugge. He died of anaemia in 1927 aged only twenty-seven. A total of fifty-three buglers lost their lives, on land and on sea, during the First World War. Richie B Thanks Bronco wrote: I transfered across to Lympstone for Commando training along with Bugler Dave Clay back in 1979. It was the toughest 6 months of my life. I transfered back to the Band service for many reasons shortly after completing training, yet never saw the training as a waste of time. It teaches you many things about yourself including your strengths and weakneses. Many aspects of a marine commando's job have been performed by the band service to great effect. This was evident in the Falklands war when Band service personnel were performing many tasks 'above and beyond' on the Uganda and Canberra, and more recently in Iraq. The Band service is very unique ( we have Richie Barriball to prove it!!! ) Thank you for the sentiment!!!! sticky blue admin@home wrote: Tommo, I think that we take our heritage, history and training for granted far too much. We are shy about blowing our own trumpets (well apart from trumpet players) about our history and to some extent, shy! Our history is one if the richest of any of the services and our (branch) has some rich pickings. The RNSM Boy Bugler who gave his drum to the blue jacket at Zeebrugge so he could float when the ship sank. The boy bugler slipped beneath the waves and the blue jacket lived to tell the story of valour of a boy... The proof of this is in MBT wanting to know and us not really knowing that much off the cuff, there is of course a huge corporate knowledge between the lot of us. One that shows this lack of knowledge is that there are a lot of youngsters, even ones in training at the moment, who don't know about 'Boy Buglers' and 'Boy Musicians' and the fact that they joined up at age 14. Luckily, we have an RNSM guy who used to come in and chat to the youngsters, sadly he is now too old to make the visits. We do have a small handout and of course the RMBS book which is invaluable to them. Part of the idea behind the 'Dits' are to capure them forever. I will be extracting them from time to time and putting them into a word document and archiving them on a CD ROM... just in case! Who knows, in time to come we might even have enough for a charity book for the RMBBF or RNDF. So, get your dits out! An excellent idea regarding a charity book - I'm sure there is plenty of 'meat' out there to fill the pages lesbryan I think you are all right history and heroism of individuals from within the corps.Indeed detachment regiment or ship and battles should never be forgotton .Because thats what made this country so good to live in sticky blue lesbryan wrote: I think you are all right history and heroism of individuals from within the corps.Indeed detachment regiment or ship and battles should never be forgotton .Because thats what made this country so good to live in Good on you Les & thanks to mrbb for starting the thread with the question mrbassbone sticky blue wrote: lesbryan wrote: I think you are all right history and heroism of individuals from within the corps.Indeed detachment regiment or ship and battles should never be forgotton .Because thats what made this country so good to live in Good on you Les & thanks to mrbb for starting the thread with the question Quite Welcome Guys and I would be in line to purchase such a book if it ever came out. sticky blue mrbassbone wrote: sticky blue wrote: lesbryan wrote: I think you are all right history and heroism of individuals from within the corps.Indeed detachment regiment or ship and battles should never be forgotton .Because thats what made this country so good to live in Good on you Les & thanks to mrbb for starting the thread with the question Quite Welcome Guys and I would be in line to purchase such a book if it ever came out. Deli - you hear that sticky blue mrbb - you must have some dits from your time in the USN BAND admin The book is available to buy online from the RM Museum. Stocks were very limited last time I spoke to the author: http://www.royalmarinesbands.co.uk/catalogue/rmbs_book.htm The extract I posted above is a copy from the book. Contents Acknowledgements. iv Foreword by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. Captain General, Royal Marines. v Author’s General Introduction. vi Introduction and Abbreviations. vii Diagram - ‘The Development of the Royal Marines Band Service’. viii Chapters 1 Ships’ Bands at the Turn of the Twentieth Century 1 2 The Royal Naval School of Music 1903-1950 4 3 Divisional Bands and Corps of Drums at the Turn of the Twentieth Century 101 4 The Development of the Divisional Bands and Corps of Drums 1900 - 1950 110 5 A Leaner Royal Navy 134 6 Reductions and Rationalisation 159 7 The Work of the Bands 1957-1980 178 8 War, Peace and Violence through the Eighties 205 9 Consolidation Through the Nineties 220 10 The Modern Band Service 2000-2003 233 Appendices 1 The Band Service Memorials 242 2 Music of Historical Importance to the Royal Marines, Musical Salutes 247 3 The Mountbatten Festival of Music 252 4 The Royal Tournament and the Edinburgh Tattoo 254 5 Recordings of the Royal Marines 256 6 The Prince’s Badge 262 7 Staffs and Drums 263 Footnotes 266 Bibliography 272 Index 273 mrbassbone sticky blue wrote: mrbb - you must have some dits from your time in the USN BAND There are a few.... Bronco I visited the U.S Navy band back in the eighties with FOP Band. We were in Washington for a combined concert with the' Presidents Own' band at 8th & I. whilst in D.C, we paid a visit to the Navy band in the dockyard and listened to them performing. all i can say is they were extremely professional and produced a great sound. A great mornings visit i wont forget. bootybandy Bronco wrote: I transfered across to Lympstone for Commando training along with Bugler Dave Clay back in 1979. It was the toughest 6 months of my life. I transfered back to the Band service for many reasons shortly after completing training, yet never saw the training as a waste of time. It teaches you many things about yourself including your strengths and weakneses. Many aspects of a marine commando's job have been performed by the band service to great effect. This was evident in the Falklands war when Band service personnel were performing many tasks 'above and beyond' on the Uganda and Canberra, and more recently in Iraq. You were only one of three people that I ever knew that transferred over to the "Dark Side". The others being Clive Allison and Wally Wallace (Squaddie of mine) Unlike Clive and Wally, you saw the light again and transferred back. I'm sure it was the lure of the Cat IV townsergeant bootybandy wrote: You were only one of three people that I ever knew that transferred over to the "Dark Side". The others being Clive Allison and Wally Wallace (Squaddie of mine) Unlike Clive and Wally, you saw the light again and transferred back. I'm sure it was the lure of the Cat IV Don't forget Paul Sykes' brief spell as a RM Officer and the Rev Hitchins bootybandy townsergeant wrote: bootybandy wrote: You were only one of three people that I ever knew that transferred over to the "Dark Side". The others being Clive Allison and Wally Wallace (Squaddie of mine) Unlike Clive and Wally, you saw the light again and transferred back. I'm sure it was the lure of the Cat IV Don't forget Paul Sykes' brief spell as a RM Officer and the Rev Hitchins Ah Yes, Well remembered Bill. Someone made an earlier mention to strapping someone to their bed and placing them on the Dais. That was Sykes. Hornblower Aaron Aardvark wrote: yuk...Lymphstone......terrible place. I caught a nasty gland disease there Was it therminal? Co-admin No Hornblower wrote: Was it therminal? vewy therwious tho Incweathed tempeweture and therwious bod spilling are thimptoms MrJpig admin@home wrote: No Hornblower wrote: Was it therminal? vewy therwious tho Incweathed tempeweture and therwious bod spilling are thimptoms Anyone know what Terry Shiels is up to these days?? Hornblower MrJpig wrote: admin@home wrote: No Hornblower wrote: Was it therminal? vewy therwious tho Incweathed tempeweture and therwious bod spilling are thimptoms Anyone know what Terry Shiels is up to these days?? :smt046        The Royal Marines Band Service On-line Community Forum Index -> Dit book Page 1 of 1