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The Blue MarinersBy CSgt J Zawada
I have over the last couple of months not only spoken to what I believe to be the last two remaining members of the band but also to two people in particular who have been of enormous help and their names should be mentioned here. The first of these will be former member of the Royal Naval Patrol Service (RNPS) Jimmy Brown who although not a member of the Blue Mariners has written extensively on the band and its personnel and I make no apologies here for using large segments of his material purely on the basis that he is an expert in his own right. The second person is Leo Whisstock who lives in Lowestoft and is the key holder of the "Sparrows' Nest", the wartime home of the RNPS, and now a museum, who has been invaluable at putting me in touch with so many other contacts. During the Second World War the military authorities recognised the popularity of jazz, swing and dance music by forming Service dance bands to entertain Servicemen during their off duty hours and retain positive moral. The most obvious of these would be the Glenn Miller Band. Although the Royal Air Force had the Squadronaires and the Royal Army Ordnance Corps had the Blue Rockets, strangely the Royal Navy although having Royal Marines Bands on board ships only realised 'ad hoc' bands depending on when musicians were thrown together on a particular draft. The only band to become really well known belonged to the Royal Naval Patrol Service known as 'Harry Tate's Navy'. The Sparrows' Nest home of the RNPS was formerly a pleasure ground taken over by the Admiralty and as it already had a theatre it quickly became a centre for entertainment not only by musicians but also theatre types such as Eric Barker, who was already well known to his radio listeners before the war had started. In his autobiography he recalls how the musicians were recruited, '.Billy Farrell, trumpet player and accordionist from Ambrose's band, two more players from Henry Hall's orchestra, a double bass player from the West Indies, a saxophone player from Sydney Lipton's band, the best of all saxophonists at that time, Freddy Gardner. The leader was George Crow, pianist, who called his orchestra the Blue Mariners.' The first Blue Mariners band to consist only of Servicemen was set up by George Crow in December 1940 after Commodore De Passe the Commanding Officer of HMS EUROPA had authorised an official dance band for the Royal Naval Patrol Service with the blessing of Rear Admiral Somerville of Eastern Command. Semi-Official records of the time state the following professional musicians as admissions during 1940:
The Royal Marines Band from the Depot at Deal regularly supplied musicians for the orchestra pit and in an XMAS XPRESS at the Sparrows' Nest the following appears under the heading "Marines in the Limelight". Another innovation, which was highly popular was an instrumental trio by The Three Bills in Strings - in other words three members of the Depot Royal Marine Band; Bill Ogley (violin), Bill Larnder (piano), and Bill Bennett (cello). Their debut in the concert party was a big success; one of the most popular items in the programme.' The BBC set up a show called Merry Go Round with each of the three Services featured in turn and of course the Navy was represented by Eric Barker and the men and women of the RNPS at the Sparrows' Nest complete with the Blue Mariners under the direction of George Crow. The band also featured every fourth week at the Criterion Theatre in London. During some of these days they recorded radio shows for forces broadcasting and featured in the Decca Records series Music While You Work. The personnel of the band varied quite
often according to the 'exigencies of the Service' (nothing changes
there then!) but George Crow listed the main players of the band
in 1942 as: - Freddie Gardner, Reg Pink, Hugh Radcliffe, Ronnie
Clitheroe, Al Jennings and Fred Latham with himself leading on piano. Recently I have spoken to trombonist Ron Clitheroe who now lives up in Manchester and on the day we talked he was on his way out to play a round of golf! Former vocalist Ivor Pye now lives in Guernsey and I can only say that they both sound in fine fettle. In closing, the late great pianist Russ Conway who incidentally featured in a concert at the Depot Royal Marines Deal in the 1970's was also in the Royal Naval Patrol Service as a signalman at Lowestoft and although he never joined the Blue Mariners his real name was Trevor Stanford and he was awarded the DSM. JZ
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