The Royal Marines Band Service On-line Community

DanielLockhart · Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2006 9:27 pm Post subject: Starting in the RMBS

Greetings all,
We finally have located my grandfather’s records in the National Archives. In that we found he began as a drummer boy in June 1905, but later played the violin and the clarinet. This raises a question: Does everyone begin as a drummer (and bugler) until they get the musical theory and basics completed and then move on to mastering another instrument. I could see some people satisfied with just playing that position.

General Melchett · Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2006 9:41 pm Post subject:

Daniel,
I feel like I am following your case now some what. Your Grandfather, joined up a long time ago, and things have, inevitably moved on. A quick perusal of the site will tell you how Musicians / Buglers join these days. No, Musicians do not join as Buglers. Similarly, thankfully we do not join a Royal Naval Brigade anymore. The Corps is separate from the RN as much as 3 CDO Brigade is separate from the Band Service.
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Co-admin · Site Admin Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 1810

Daniel,
in 1905 being a boy bugler would have meant he could have got in earlier (aged 14). Boy buglers got an education from a school officer which was free and part of their training. Many of them went on to become 'Soldiers' in the Artillery or Light Infantry by transfering away from the buglers branch although at that time the buglers were part of the corps and not part of the band.
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DanielLockhart · Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2006 11:32 pm Post subject:

It will be interesting when I get the full documentation from the N.A. It will be interesting to see when he served in the Artillery or Light Infantry before he joined with the RMBS. I'm working on trying to establish the link between my grandfather and great grandfather. The story I got was that when my grandfather was in port at Bermuda, my great grandfather would invite RM bandmember to the house to play and have dinner. My great grandfather was also a RM and a musician. I was told that he was also a bandmaster but this was before the time of the RMBS, so I'm suspecting he was a musician while serving in the Artillery. Thanks for the responses.