Music in the Museum Pt1

by Marcher

Whilst unlikely to challenge the holdings of the Central Music Library the Archive of the Royal Marines Museum does hold a quantity of interesting, and sometimes historically important, sheet music. Solemn March and The RMLI Polka are two examples. Since the music was only available as piano scores, two Student Bandmasters were recently given the task of arranging them for full military band.

Solemn March

The Alberta carrying the Queen's body across the Solent

BdSgt Martyn Hancock was given George Miller's Solemn March to arrange. When he wrote this march, Miller was the Bandmaster of the Portsmouth Division, Royal Marine Light Infantry and he and the Band were great favourites of Queen Victoria. This march was written for the funeral of Prince Henry of Battenburg, the husband of Victoria's youngest daughter Beatrice, in 1896. Whilst the full military band arrangement was played on that occasion, it would appear that Miller had to be rather crafty to include it in the funeral of Queen Victoria herself since the Guards were in charge of organising the music played during the progress of the funeral cortege from Osborne House on the Isle of Wight via Portsmouth to London, as well as during the funeral itself. Apparently the Queen had left instructions that only the Chopin Marche Funebre and Beethoven's march from Piano Sonata No 12 in Ab should be played. However, it is known that Lt Miller took forty Portsmouth Division Drummers with him and they, in the intervals between the funeral marches, played Solemn March which, when played at Prince Henry's funeral 'tore the heartstrings of all who heard it'. So it would appear that Miller had made an arrangement of his Solemn March for massed drums as his own tribute to the late Queen. Now that BdSgt Hancock has made such a fine job of arranging the piano score for military band perhaps some Bugle Major or Bugler might fancy arranging it for Massed Drums, although finding forty Buglers to play it might be difficult!

The RMLI Polka

The cover to the music of the RMLI Polka, held in the RM Museum

The second item to be arranged for military band was The RMLI Polka written by Claude Coventry. Once again this only existed as a piano score and BdSgt Ashley Williams was given the task of arranging it. Not much was known about the history of this piece, apart from the fact that it was dedicated to 'The Officers of the Portsmouth Division, Royal Marine Light Infantry'. Together with Solemn
March, BdSgt Williams' arrangement of The RMLI Polka has shown that at least two little gems were hidden in the Archives of the Royal Marines Museum. There could be others waiting to be rediscovered.

Globe and Grenade

A quick march in the form of a piano score entitled 'Globe and Grenade' is dedicated to a Sergeant Prescott RMLI and was written in 1964 by Ray Banning. So what did Sergeant Prescott do to merit his own march? Major W Graham Wallace of the Royal Fusiliers provided the answer in a written introduction.
"Nearly half a century ago, 1st January 1915 to be precise, a second-line Territorial Army Battalion, the 2/3rd London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) landed at Malta to relieve their first-line Battalion. The men were the cream of the Volunteer rush to the Colours but militarily non-effective. Their first sight of a rifle was that of the already obsolete long Lee-Enfields left behind by the outgoing unit and they could but look in vain among their Officers, Commissioned, Warrant or Non-Commissioned for any really competent Instructor in their use.

Malta 1915 presumed to be Sgt Prescott (left) and 2nd Lt Wallace

To this sorry problem was, by especial providence posted as Musketry Instructor a Royal Marine; Sergeant Prescott. I remember him so well; cheerful, unassuming and towards me that wonderful blend of politeness and firm authority which only a Non-Commissioned Officer of a really crack Corps can display when dealing with that most difficult of creatures, a half-trained amateur Junior Officer.

The men adored him and rose to his lead as one man, both on and off parade. Marvelling one evening at the phenomenon of an empty wet Canteen, Sergeant Prescott quietly toured the Barrack-rooms to find day-time pupils practising with aiming discs and dummy loading clips. He said that he had never had such material en-masse to work with and certainly never did such willing volunteers have such an inspiring and devoted Instructor.

The result and achievement? Between 1st January and mid-April of the same year that lone Sergeant of Marines put an entire Battalion through a full musketry course with an amazing percentage of first-class shots included in the out-turn, and not a moment too soon for in April the men he had trained became the only white Battalion in the Sudan and by the early autumn were in the line at Suvla Bay [Gallipoli].

I never saw Sergeant Prescott again. Rumour had it that, to our sorrow, he, like so many of his trainees, was killed on the [Gallipoli] Peninsular. Did he gain decoration or mention in his own Corps' despatches? I do not know; what I do know is that this man, alone, away from his own Corps and confronted with a strange new phenomenon, a volunteer Citizen Army, upheld the tradition of that great Corps in a remarkable and unique manner". Records show that no Sgt Prescott RMLI died at Gallipoli. Apart from that, nothing is known of the enigmatic Sgt Prescott.

March - Tom Hunter VC

Tom Hunter VC

On the 27th March 1954 a Memorial Military Band Concert took place in the McEwan Hall Edinburgh. The band was that of the Royal Marines School of Music under Lt J E Talling LRAM, ARCM RM, Director of Music. The item that closed the first half was the 'Andante and Finale from the Trumpet Concerto' by Haydn. The soloist was Bandmaster D R Woods LRAM RM. During the second half, just before the Commando and Regimental Marches, was an item called 'March - Tom Hunter VC' in whose honour the Memorial Concert was being staged. The citation for the award of the Victoria Cross, which was quoted in the programme, is as follows:

"The King has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the Victoria Cross for valour to:
The late Corporal (Temporary) Thomas Peck Hunter, CH/X110296 Royal Marines (attached Special Service Troops) (43rd Royal Marine Commando) (Edinburgh). In Italy, during the advance by the Commando to its final objective, Corporal Hunter, of 'C' Troop, was in charge of a Bren group of the leading sub-section of the Commando. Having advanced to within 400 yards of the canal, he observed the enemy were holding a group of houses South of the canal. Realising that his Troop behind him were in the open, as the country there was completely devoid of cover, and that the enemy would cause heavy casualties as soon as they opened fire, Corporal Hunter seized the Bren gun and charged alone across 200 yards of open ground. Three Spandaus from the houses, and at least six from the north bank of the canal, opened fire and at the same time the enemy mortars started to fire at the Troop. Corporal Hunter attracted most of the fire, and so determined was his charge and his firing from the hip that the enemy in the houses became demoralised. Showing complete disregard for the intense enemy fire, he ran through the houses changing magazines as he ran, and alone cleared the houses. Six Germans surrendered to him and the remainder fled across a footbridge on to the north bank of the canal.

The troop dashing up behind Corporal Hunter now became the target for all the Spandaus on the north bank of the canal. Again offering himself as a target, he lay in full view of the enemy on a heap of rubble and fired at the concrete pill-boxes on the other side. He again drew most of the fire, but by now the greater part of the troop had made for the safety of the houses. During this period he shouted encouragement to the remainder, and called only for more magazines with which he could engage the Spandaus. Firing with great accuracy up to the last, Corporal Hunter was finally hit in the head by a burst of Spandau fire and killed instantly. There can be no doubt that Corporal Hunter offered himself as a target in order to save his Troop, and only the speed of his movement prevented him being hit earlier. The skill and accuracy with which he used his Bren gun is proved by the way he demoralised the enemy, and later did definitely silence many of the Spandaus firing on his Troop as they crossed open ground, so much so that under his covering fire elements of the troop made their final objective before he was killed.

Throughout the operation his magnificent courage, leadership and cheerfulness had been an inspiration to his comrades." This first performance of 'March - Tom Hunter VC' was conducted by its composer, Bandmaster D R Woods LRAM RM. When the new Rehearsal Hall at the School of Music was opened it was given the name 'Hunter Hall' and the Royal Marines Museum presented a framed portrait and citation to the School to mark the occasion.

Space does not allow further description of the collection but in a later issue, perhaps, the story can be continued.

All images in this article are copyright of The Trustees of the Royal Marines Museum.