Drum Major C Brown RM

Drum Major ‘Buster’ Brown was born and grew up in Chippenham, Wiltshire. He joined the Royal Marines Band Service in September 1992 at the age of 17.

On completion of his training he was initially drafted to the Staff Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines in Deal for the summer of 1994. In September 1994 he joined the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Scotland based in Rosyth, where he was to spend the next three years.

For promotion to Corporal and Sergeant within the Royal Marines Band Service, all ranks must attend both musical and military courses. ‘Buster’ undertook the first step towards this in 1996 by passing the B2 course in the newly opened Royal Marines School of Music in Portsmouth.

January 1998 saw a move to sunny Devon when ‘Buster’ joined The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Dartmouth. It was here he spent the next seven years, enjoying the early morning Divisions Parade at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC).

In 2000 he attended the Junior Command Course (Band) at Commando Training Centre Royal Marines, Lympstone, Devon (CTCRM). He gained a Superior Pass and was now eligible for promotion.

In 2004 ‘Buster’ attended the Drum Major Course in HMS Raleigh, Torpoint. After spending the best part of four weeks marching up and down the parade ground he attained a Superior Pass.

Later in 2004 saw the Band from BRNC deploy for three months to the United States of America. Initially the Band was on board HMS Invincible followed by the RFA Argus with a brief spell for the Corps of Drums on HMS Cornwall. During the deployment, the ship called in on New York, Boston and Mayport.

‘Buster’ was promoted to Corporal Bugler in May 2005 and in August that year the Band from BRNC, along with Plymouth and Scotland Bands, paraded on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle for the Edinburgh Tattoo, celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. On completion of the Tattoo ‘Buster’ rejoined the Band in Scotland this time as assistant Drum Major. It was in Scotland where he was to gain valuable experience as a Corporal Bugler within the Corps of Drums.

September 2006 saw a move to the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Portsmouth (Royal Band) where ‘Buster’ was a Cpl Bug within the Corps of Drums as well as the Assistant Drum Major. He attended the 12 week B1 course in January 2007 and successfully passed.

June 2007 saw him attend the Senior Command Course (Band), with a training period in Portsmouth followed by an assessment phase at CTCRM. On passing the course he packed up and headed north again where on the 10th of July 2007 took the appointment of Drum Major to the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Scotland.