The War Memorials of the Royal Marines Band Service

by Marcher

One Friday in September 2002, a Band Corporal and a number of Musicians reported to the Assistant Curator at the Royal Marines Museum. It was the Friday before the RM Band Memorial Service at Portsmouth Cathedral and the group were there to collect a set of drums and a set of fanfare trumpets. These were not ordinary drums or trumpets and the Assistant Curator had spent many hours carefully removing them from the showcases in the Museum's Band Service Memorial Room and individually wrapping them.

The drums were 'The War Memorial Silver Drums 1914-1918' and the trumpets were originally styled 'The Memorial Trumpets of the Royal Naval School of Music'. As such they are the official Royal Marines Band Service War Memorials and demand respect in the same way as the Cenotaph or any other Memorial. The Band Corporal and his team understood and treated them carefully and respectfully.

So what do they represent, and why are they treated so reverentially? They represent the memory of the men of the Royal Marine Bands who died in the two World Wars.

The War Memorial Silver Drums 1914-1918 and The Roll of Honour.

Every member of the RNSM donated one day's pay towards a Memorial to comrades who had died in the 1914-1918 War. The Memorial comprised a set of five silver side drums and a wooden bass drum. Each silver drum carries the following inscription:
'In Memory of the one hundred and forty-three WOs, NCOs and men of the RM Band Service who lost their lives in the Great War, 1914-1918, whilst serving in the following ships and theatres of war: HMS Bulwark; HMS Monmouth; HMS Inflexible; HMS Lion; HMS Natal; HMS Invincible; HMS Indefatigable; HMS Queen Mary; HMS Cornwallis; HMS Vanguard; HMS Glory; HMS Monarch; HMS Carnarvon; HMS Caesar; HMS Princess Royal; HMS Britannia; HMS Conqueror; Drake Battn, RND Gallipoli; West African Frontier Force. Presented by voluntary subscriptions from their comrades'.

The bass drum has the name of the one hundred and forty three men upon it.

These drums were dedicated and presented at a parade held on the 5th March 1921 when some four hundred men of the School of Music were present. Following the inspection the RMA Chaplain conducted a short religious dedication. After a brief speech the Adjutant-General handed the drums to the RNSM percussionists and the band marched through the ranks prior to the National Anthem being played.

The Roll of Honour, also paid for by the men of the Royal Naval School of Music, comprises four massive oak panels richly decorated with the Service crest surmounted by the Admiralty coronet with a carved laurel decoration and a scroll with the carved motto 'Sans Peur et Sans Reproche'.

The Memorial Trumpets of the Royal Naval School of Music.

A Memorial Committee, consisting of a representative of every band rank in the Band Service including Band Boys, was appointed to collect the donations and to select what should be purchased as the Second World War Memorial. Fourteen fanfare trumpets were purchased and the 1st of June was the date set for their dedication and presentation. The bells of the trumpets are inscribed with the names of the ships in which the men died. The banners are of Royal blue velvet with gold lace fringes. The rules relating to these trumpets were set down in 'The War Memorial Charter' of 1949 with a Book of Remembrance being the third part of the Memorial.

The Massed Bands were paraded before a dais bearing the Book of Remembrance and the stands bearing the Memorial Trumpets. During the Dedication Service the Commandant General read the Lesson and the Book of Remembrance was blessed. All ranks were called to attention and, in the silence, the School Chaplain handed one of the trumpets to the Chaplain of the Fleet for Dedication. 'In memory of those who gave their lives in the service of their country'. The Commandant received the trumpets and, with the Musical Director, handed each of them to those who had the honour of receiving them on behalf of the Royal Marines Bands. On the command, a moving fanfare was sounded. 'The Spirit of Joy and Thanksgiving for Victory, and Meditation for those who gave their lives in its cause' known simply as 'To Comrades Sleeping' and composed by Leon Young, a wartime survivor of HMS Hermione. The Musical Director then passed responsibility for the 'Act of Memorial' by the Massed Bands of the Royal Naval School of Music to Lt W Lang. What followed was an original marching display, designed by Lt Lang, which became the pattern for Beating Retreat on Horse Guards Parade.

The Book of Remembrance.

The Book of Remembrance is in parchment, bound in blue leather and tooled in gold. It is the permanent Roll of Honour of the two hundred and twenty-five Royal Marine Band Ranks who lost their lives in World War Two. In the centre is placed the Fouled Anchor with the letters RNSM. The whole design was surmounted by a Royal crown. The original War Memorial Charter of 1949, which also covered the 'The War Memorial Silver Drums 1914-1918', was worded as follows:

ROYAL NAVAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC

The War Memorial Charter

1. The Book of Remembrance.
The Book of Remembrance will form the permanent Roll of Honour and will be placed in the Chapel of St Cecilia at the Royal Naval School of Music.

2. The Trumpets and Banners.
These shall be called 'The Memorial Trumpets of the Royal Naval School of Music' and this title shall on no occasion be abbreviated.

3. Custody.
The War Memorials shall be in the custody of the Quartermaster (Music) at the Royal Naval School, who shall keep them in safe storage and issue orders covering their safety when in use.

4. Usage of the Trumpets.
The Trumpets are never to be played by any but RN School of Music personnel and when performing in public will always be conducted by a RN School of Music Officer.

5. Fees.
Fees will normally be charged even if the object of the function is to raise money for charity.

6. Fanfare Trumpeters.
Trained Fanfare Trumpeters will be maintained continuously at the Royal Naval School of Music as far as is possible. If circumstances prevent the maintenance of a team of the highest class, no engagements will be accepted, since the trumpets reflect the reputation of all ranks, past and present.

7. Dress.
The dress for the Fanfare Trumpeters will be Royal Marine Band Ceremonial Dress with the addition of dress cords and white gloves.
Caps will be worn as it is not possible to play the trumpets when wearing Royal Marine uniform helmets.

8. Insurance.
The Memorials are to be covered by a comprehensive Insurance Policy the cost of which will be met by the RN School of Music Band Fund.

9. The War Memorial Silver Drums 1914-1918
It is hereby decreed that all or any charter, rules or regulations drawn up in connection with the Silver Drums shall be cancelled and the provisions of this Charter, in so far as they shall apply, shall also govern the usage of the Silver Memorial Drums 1914-1918.

10. Deciding Authority.
Subject to the provisions of this Charter, the Commandant of the Royal Naval School of Music will be vested with final decision as to the use of the Instruments mentioned herein. In this connection, it is hereby recorded that they belong collectively to the Royal Naval School of Music, as opposed to being public property, and, as a War Memorial, they shall be used only with dignity and pride.

11. Memorial Day.
The War Memorial Committee recommend that the 'Dedication Fanfare' composed by Mr Leon Young shall be sounded with due ceremony by the Fanfare Trumpets on the First of June each year.
The actual Charter ends here but the document continues

THE SILVER DRUMS

These consist of a set of five silver side drums and one silver finished bass drum. They were purchased by voluntary subscription of all ranks to commemorate those Royal Naval School of Music ranks who gave their lives in the War of 1914-1918. The bass drum is emblazoned with their names, whilst the side drums carry the names of the ships in which the men died.

THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE

This beautiful Book, in parchment bound in blue leather tooled in gold, contains the names of the 225 ranks of the Royal Naval School of Music who lost their lives during the War of 1939-1945.

THE FANFARE TRUMPETS

The set comprises 14 silver trumpets as follows:- E flat soprano, 2; B flat treble, 7; B flat tenor, 3; G bass, 2. The names of the ships in which the men died are engraved inside the bells of the trumpets, whilst the following inscription appears on each instrument:-
'These Fanfare Trumpets were purchased by the voluntary subscription of their comrades in memory of the two hundred and twenty-five NCOs and Men of the Royal Marine Band Service who lost their lives in the World War, 1939-1945, whilst serving in His Majesty's Ships and Shore Establishments.

BANNERS

(The only known surviving copy of this original Charter is torn at this point so the original description of the banners cannot be given)

At some point between the writing of this Charter and the 1950 amalgamation Rule 4 was changed by the addition of the following sentence. 'They will normally be played only on important occasions such as National Ceremonies, Royal Naval or Royal Marine Corps occasions'. No further changes appear to have occurred until 1953 when, as a result of the amalgamation, the War Memorial Charter was updated to suit the new organisation and fully approved by the Commandant General.

Although no longer part of the updated Charter, the description of the Memorials and their insurance, were covered in a letter from the Commandant General's Office. The opportunity was also taken to cease the wearing of Bugler's 'Dress Cords Royal'.

It would appear that in 1955 an attempt was made to once again change the wording on the Memorial Charter but ultimately, this did not occur. The 1953 version of the Charter seems to be the final, and therefore current, version. In 1954 the text of this Charter was produced in an illuminated form on vellum. It was signed by the Commandant General and the Commandant of the Royal Marines School of Music and then framed for hanging in North Barracks, Deal.

In 1965 the Memorial Silver Trumpets reached the point where they were neither mechanically nor musically reliable and replacements were obtained. The Memorial Silver Trumpets were dressed with their original 'Royal Naval School of Music' banners and were laid up at the Depot, Royal Marines. In 1973 the Commandant General agreed to the suggestion that both the Memorial Silver Drums and the Memorial Silver Trumpets should be transferred to, and permanently laid up in, the Royal Marines Museum at Eastney.

When they were withdrawn from service, instructions were given that 'The Memorial Silver Trumpets of the Royal Marines School of Music', as they had been officially re-titled, should never be played again and, as a War Memorial, it is inconceivable that anyone would ever do so.

The Royal Marines Silver Memorial Bugles.

Although not Band Service Memorials these Bugles were obviously played by Royal Marines Buglers and therefore have an association with the Royal Marines Band Service.

In 1920 the Officers of the Royal Marines privately subscribed to the purchase of thirty-two Silver Memorial Bugles in memory of their brother Officers killed during the First World War. The bugles are of a standard Service pattern but in sterling silver. They are embossed with the Corps crest and bear an engraved inscription. These Silver Bugles were issued, in groups of eight, to the Royal Marine Light Infantry Divisions at Chatham, Portsmouth and Plymouth as well as to the Depot, Deal. They were not played together until the first Massed Bands Beat Retreat on Horse Guards Parade in 1950. In 1969, after only two further performances en masse, it was decreed, through a Royal Marine Routine Order, that their condition was such that they were not to be used again. They are normally held, again in groups of eight, in the Officers Messes at Plymouth and the Commando Training Centre, the Headquarters of the Royal Marines Band Service and at the Royal Marines Museum.

In late September 2003 the Assistant Curator will, once again, remove the War Memorial Silver Drums 1914-1918 and the Memorial Trumpets of the Royal Naval School of Music and carefully wrap them. Then another Corporal with a team of Musicians will arrive to take them to Portsmouth Cathedral where they will again have pride of place at the annual Band Memorial Service, Lest we forget.