Distinctive Cap Badges of the Royal Marines Band Service Part 2

By Marcher

THE SECOND PRINCE OF WALES’ PLUMES

Despite the fact that the RMA Band had been appointed as the permanent Royal Yacht Band, the Plymouth Division RMLI Band was acknowledged for its musicianship and dedication to duty whilst on active service in 1918 and 1919. The Band had been chosen to accompany the Prince of Wales (later to be King Edward VIII and then the Duke of Windsor) on a post -WW1 morale boosting tour. The battle-cruiser HMS Renown was used for this visit to Canada. At that time the band was under Bandmaster P S G O’Donnell. Four months later the Renown returned. The Prince was so impressed with the band that he asked for them to accompany him once again on HMS Renown, on his visit to Australia. The ship left Portsmouth on March 16 1920 and amongst the personal staff was a Sub Lieutenant who was later to become the first Life Colonel-Commandant of the Royal Marines, Earl Mountbatten of Burma. The two successful tours and the band’s hard work were acknowledged by King George V when, in October 1920, he authorised the wearing of the Prince of Wales’ plumes in their caps. It is interesting to note that General Order RM 206/1920 only refers to caps. Helmet plates are not mentioned. This award was inherited by its successors up to, and including, the current wearers - the Band of Commando Training Centre Royal Marines.

THE FIRST PRINCE OF WALES’ PLUMES (CONTINUED)

Throughout the period when Kreyer’s successor, Major George Miller, was bandmaster, and into the time when Bandmaster B W O’Donnell was leading them, the Forton based Portsmouth Division RMLI Band continued to wear the Prince of Wales’ plumes above the RMLI cap badge and on the helmet plate. As part of the amalgamation of the RMLI and the RMA in 1923, Forton Barracks at Gosport ceased to be a Royal Marines establishment and the former RMA Band, under Bandmaster R P O’Donnell, became the new RM Portsmouth Divisional Band. Members of the RMLI Band at Forton were transferred to Deal and amalgamated with the existing band to form a larger Depot Band under Bandmaster B W O’Donnell. The privilege of wearing the Prince of Wales’ plumes, granted to the Portsmouth RMLI Band in 1876, was transferred to the Depot Band at Deal. Perhaps a transfer of the badge to the newly formed RM Portsmouth Divisional Band had been considered but it is doubtful, since this would have meant an ‘RMA Band’ wearing an ‘RMLI Band’ honour. If the transfer to the RM Portsmouth Divisional Band was considered then the fact that the RMA Band Royal Cypher was already being worn might well have rendered this impractical. So, to prevent the loss of the badge and the honour, sideways lineage between the band was utilised and it was transferred to the Depot Band. A reason given for this has been the fact that many of the Forton bandsmen had transferred to Deal. However, if those bandsmen had transferred to the Guards or the RAF would the badge still have gone with the men? No, it was the connection between bands that was important.

A round of defence cuts resulted in the disbandment, in 1930, of the band at Deal. At this time it was under Lieutenant F J Ricketts. During the period 1920 to 1930 two bands had worn the Prince of Wales’ plumes for different reasons. The only way to tell the difference between men from Plymouth Divisional Band and the Depot Band was to look at the position of the plumes on the helmet plate. Plymouth wore theirs immediately below the crown whilst the Depot had theirs below the anchor.

At this time Portsmouth had the Royal Cypher, Plymouth had their own Prince of Wales’ Plumes and Chatham had the White Rose of York. Tragically there was no Divisional Band available to become the holder of the original Prince of Wales’ Plumes, the oldest badge awarded by the Royal Family to a Royal Marines Band, and so, with what must have been a great deal of regret, the badge could not be passed on.

THE WHITE ROSE OF YORK (CONTINUED)

In August 1950 the Chatham Group Band found itself a sacrificial lamb as the Corps began fighting for survival during post-war Government cutbacks. The Royal Navy insisted upon the continuance of the Royal Marines but had to accept savage cuts. The Chatham Group had to go, and with it, the Band. At that time it was wearing the oldest surviving ‘Royal’ head-dress badge - the White Rose of York, which it had worn since 1902. Portsmouth and Plymouth group Bands retained their distinctive badges when the Divisions were changed to Groups in 1949. Whether by design or default the White Rose of York was lost when, by following the example of the RMLI Plumes, it could have been passed sideways to the newly created Royal Marines School of Music Staff Band which, geographically, was very close. Now the two oldest Royal awards had been lost although an attempt was made to transfer the badge to the Western Fleet Band in 1969 but, sadly, the attempt foundered.

THE QUEEN ELIZABETH AND PRINCE PHILIP CYPHER

The fifth and final award occurred thirty-three years after the award of the Prince of Wales’ Plumes to the Plymouth Division RMLI Band. A seven month world tour by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh took place during 1953/54. Whilst the TSS Gothic bore the brunt of this tour the Royal Standard was transferred from her to the brand new HMY Britannia when they met in Tobruk. The official Royal Yacht Band from Portsmouth Group Band accompanied Her Majesty on this tour and, upon their return, the Band was rewarded for its outstanding service by an additional device to be worn in conjunction with it’s cap badge and helmet plate. This was, ‘The Royal Cypher of Her Majesty and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, surmounted by St Edward’s Crown above the existing Cap Badge and, in the Helmet Plate, the Royal Cypher only above the Globe and below the Crown, the device in each case to be silver’ (Royal Marines Routine 0rder 369/55). This description is rather misleading, since the silver entwined Royal Cyphers of Elizabeth and Philip surmounted by St Edwards Crown is worn on the cap above the flaming grenade. The same adornment but without the crown is worn on the Helmet Plate mounted between the globe and the crown.

As the Royal Marines Band Service moves through the Millennium then, towards it’s 100th Anniversary in 2003, it is appropriate to reflect upon the awards and decorations so graciously conferred by previous monarchs. They are, after all, part of the inheritance of the Band Service. They are as important a part of the history, ceremonial and custom of the Royal Marines Band Service as the Silver Bugles, the Silver Drums and the Memorial Fanfare Trumpets. For today’s Band Service, they serve as a reminder of our history and as an indication of pride in the service and efforts of our predecessors in bands long gone but not forgotten.