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The Musicians of the ‘Sea Soldiers of Portsmouth’ Whilst talking to Matthew Little, the Archivist at the Royal Marines Museum, he told me of a new book that he and John Ambler had written and produced. Titled ‘The Sea Soldiers of Portsmouth’ it tells the story of the Royal Marine Artillery, and later the Royal Marines, during the period that they occupied Eastney Barracks, Fort Cumberland and all of the land in between, not forgetting their use of the Southsea sea-front and Common, Langstone Harbour and parts of Hayling Island, the mud-flats and the ‘Glory Hole’. Little surprise that their strong influence has left a local landscape dotted not only with physical evidence of their presence but also a plethora of streets, roads and public houses that bear the names of Royal Marine Victoria Cross winners, officers and battles. During the research for this book they unearthed many new pieces of information and were also able to build a comprehensive picture of more than a hundred years of Royal Marine occupancy. Of particular interest to the Blue Band reader is the additional information gained, and the subsequent conclusions drawn, in regard to the Band of the Royal Marine Artillery. In 1861 Colonel John Fraser, RMA, applied for, and was granted, permission to form a Divisional Band of the same strength as those at the Royal Marine Light Infantry Divisions; forty-six Musicians and eight Boy Musicians. The Band, actually the second RMA Band since the first was disestablished in 1832 after a life of about nine years, was formed at the isolated Fort Cumberland, the large star-fort standing at the south-east tip of Portsmouth and guarding the approaches to Langstone Harbour. Incidentally, it was in 1859 that the sixteen separate Companies of the Royal Marines Artillery were formed into a new, composite, Division. On the 21st March 1862 the Royal Marines Artillery became the Royal Marine Artillery whilst the Divisions of Royal Marines Light Infantry also lost the ‘s’ in ‘Marines’. Upon the formation of the Band in 1861 the RMA march past was chosen as Gounod’s ‘The Soldiers Chorus’ from Faust; and so it remained until 1882 when ‘A Life on the Ocean Wave’ was adopted. Thomas Smyth, who had previously served as the Bandmaster of the Royal Marines Woolwich Division during 1856 and 1857, was appointed its first Bandmaster. He was the brother of James Smyth, who had been the Bandmaster of the Royal Artillery since 1854. The Band remained at the fort until 1868 when Eastney Barracks was built and occupied. Eastney Village stood midway between the Fort and the site of the barracks; the village is marked on maps and sketches of the period. Some seven cottages shared the narrow neck of land between the Glory Hole to the north and the sea to the south with two ponds, musketry ranges, huts and a bandstand. This must have been where Thomas Smyth conducted the Royal Marine Artillery Band and entertained civilians and military men alike. Sadly nothing now remains of the bandstand or the cottages. All were overtaken by the increasing size of the military estate.
Similarly, nothing now seems to remain to give an indication of what the Band's founding bandmaster, Thomas Smythe looked like. However, in May 1868, at a time when the Band could have moved into the new barracks, or might still have been at Fort Cumberland, the Division was inspected by General Travis on Southsea Common. They were drawn up in marching order at Eastney Barracks, alongside what became known as Gunner’s Walk, before marching from the barracks to the common. In what must have been one of the first, if not the very first, photographs taken at Eastney Barracks, the RMA can be seen fronted by their Divisional Band. The Drum Major is wearing a bearskin whilst the Musicians wear the busby, but why? Quite probably this was due to the fact that the RMA did tend to model its uniform upon that of the Royal Artillery and, in 1855, the Royal Artillery Band had changed from wearing the shako to wearing a busby as part of their ‘Engagement Dress’. Of special interest is the figure standing to the left. He is slightly isolated and appears to be carrying a euphonium or a similar instrument. He wears a pouche-belt and a plain tunic without the famous ‘lion-tamers’ cording and lace. He also has a rank badge on his sleeve and has medals. Could this be Thomas Smyth? Alternatively, at the opposite end of the front rank stands another slightly isolated figure but this chap is wearing both a pouche-belt and the RMA Band tunic. However he does not appear to be carrying a musical instrument. Could this fellow be Thomas Smyth? Perhaps we do now have an image of the original RMA Bandmaster - but which is he? It is believed that he is the figure on the right because it is likely that the figure on the left in the plain tunic is the Bugle Major since the Buglers, to the rear of the Band, are also in plain tunics - possibly a practice also copied from the Royal Artillery. Other points of commonality with the Royal Artillery are that the RA Bandmaster also wore a pouche-belt, whilst Musicians did not, and the Drum Major retained the bearskin.
Two years later Smyth left the Band and was succeeded by John Winterbottom, one of the large family of Royal Marine Bandmasters. Thomas Winterbottom (1818-1869) served at Plymouth as did his younger brother William (1820-1889) who had previously been with the Woolwich Division. William’s nephew, Frank Midwinter King, (1861-1929) was also a Plymouth Division Bandmaster. Henry Winterbottom (18-- -1856) also served at Woolwich. An Order-in-Council of 1881 introduced the Warrant rank into the Corps and John Winterbottom, like Kappey, Freyer and Froenhert at Chatham, Portsmouth and Plymouth respectively, was given a seniority as a Warrant Officer of that date. The picture of the Royal Marine Artillery Band of 1884 shows John Winterbottom standing on the right whilst on the left, and just like the May 1868 image, the Bugle Major is seen wearing the plain tunic. Can we assume that the heavily ornate tunic seen in the portrait picture of John Winterbottom, unlike anything worn in the RMA, was again copied from the Royal Artillery? On this occasion, nothing comparable has been found. The blue cloth helmet, with the officer’s pattern helmet plate, has the ball-top, not the spike, dating the photograph at 1882 or later. The lace-work on the tunic front and on the cuffs is very heavy, and the double knot to each side of each horizontal cord is an unusual extravagance. (As one expert on Royal Marine uniform observed when I asked him for his view on this tunic - ‘Typical Bandy -makes up the design himself and wears whatever he fancies wearing when he wakes up!’)
In 1892 John Winterbottom left to take charge of the Band of the Artists Rifles and was replaced by a Warrant Officer Bandmaster travelling in the opposite direction - from the Band of the 10th Hussars (Prince of Wales’s Own) to the Royal Marine Artillery. Albert Williams was to remain at Eastney until 1897 at which time he became the Bandmaster of the Grenadier Guards and, later, the Senior Director of Music of the Brigade of Guards. By this time approximately thirty years had elapsed since Smyth’s Band had made the move from Fort Cumberland to Eastney Barracks. So, apart from entertaining Officers in the Mess and civilians at concerts and on the bandstand, what else did the Band do during that period?
Military Bands have been likened to ‘the first military transport department’ since their primary role was to move groups of men around at a constant, standard pace with rousing heartening music. With the very large area occupied by the RMA, with the amount of varied training that was conducted in that area and also the number of men, the Band would have been kept very busy. In addition there were RMA Detachments to be marched to the dockyard or to Southsea Common or to the local station, not forgetting their own training and rehearsals. On Sundays there was Church parade and there would also have been a great number of inspections and VIP visitors to entertain and/or to impress. It was little wonder that frequently another group of men shared these tasks - the Buglers, but more of them later. The photograph of the RMA Band leading a company of men is a very interesting one. They are marching westwards along the sea-road adjacent to Eastney Lake. Fort Cumberland would be to the right and Eastney Barracks would be behind the photographer. The building at the very top of the picture and left of centre would be in the area of the Eastney to Hayling ferry landing-stage. To the right of this building (behind the closest telegraph pole) can be seen a trackway. The hummock between this trackway and the building is the site of the old Point Battery where 32 pounder cannons were sited to cover the entrance to Langstone Harbour. Previous to the Point Battery being built the Officer Instructor’s office was used as a mortuary for convicts who died whilst re-building Fort Cumberland. The Battery was demolished about 1876, some 20-30 years before this photograph was taken. The men in the photograph could be marching back from Hayling Island, or from exercises or training in Fort Cumberland. A third option could be that they are marching back from somewhere like Bedhampton; marches such as this were regularly carried out at weekends. The men are certainly in marching order, their officers are mounted. The Buglers are wearing the Broderick cap whilst the Musicians wear the cap. The Drum Major’s cap badge appears to be larger than the grenade badge would be, suggesting that he could be wearing the special badge presented to the RMA Band by King George V for their services during his visit to the Delhi Durbar in 1911.
Apart from R P O’Donnell, who was the last Director of Music of the RMA and then the first Director of Music of the Portsmouth Division following the 1923 amalgamation, there is still one more Bandmaster to describe. Bernard Steven Green was Albert William’s predecessor as Bandmaster of the 10th Hussars and also Albert William’s successor at the Royal Marine Artillery! In between, from 1888 until 1897, B S Green was Bandmaster at the Duke of York’s Royal Military School for Boys. Under B S Green the RMA Band undertook numerous visits to Osborne House as well as the Royal Yacht Victoria & Albert in attendance upon both Queen Victoria and King Edward VII. In November 1903 the King gazetted the RMA Band as the permanent Royal Yacht Band but, a few months later, the Lords of the Admiralty made it clear, in General Orders, Royal Marines No 64, that Musicians embarked in HM Yachts would not necessarily be members of the RMA Band. Mention has already been made of the special cap badge awarded in 1911 for service on board the Royal Yacht and at the Delhi Durbar. During this huge event the Band of the RMA was massed with the RM Bands of HM Ships Defence, Cochrane and Argyle to play the National Anthem during the one hundred and one gun salute. During the First World War, in 1917, Captain Green took the Band of the RMA to France to entertain the troops.
The picture of Green as a Warrant Officer is in contrast to that of John Winterbottom since he wears the standard pattern tunic with normal cord and lace. Green retired shortly after the First World War as a Captain having been appointed, in 1914, one of the first two Musical Directors, Royal Marines, the other being George Miller of the Portsmouth Division RMLI, and having been made a Member of the Royal Victorian Order. The term ‘Musical Director’ was short-lived; Green was signing himself ‘Director of Music’ shortly after and the Admiralty Order of 1921 expanding the number from two to five specifically stated ‘now known as ‘Directors of Music’’. The photograph of him as a Captain at about the time of his retirement once again shows him dressed both immaculately and correctly. During 1910 and 1911 Green and the RMA Band made a series of musical recordings for the Pathe Company, the music played included Queen Alexandra by Green, Voices of the Past, Musical Inexactitude and The Jolly Coppersmith - the latter tune probably being the only one that is still known. Whilst these recordings might have looked like usual 78rpm recordings they were unusual in that the needle began its journey across the disc from the centre - not the outside edge. Article © John Ambler. |
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