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Regimental Marches of the Commonwealth-1


NUMERICAL

The History of Commonwealth Regimental Marches

Contributed by Ian Pearson

This collection of regimental march histories is in several parts and begins with the numerical entries. Ian Pearson is a former member of the Royal Canadian Air Force and  has one of the largest and most complete set of military band recordings in North America. We are indebted to him for his work .

PART 1

1st Dragoon Guards Slow March and 2nd Dragoon Guards Slow March

1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards

In 1959 The 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards were formed and the two slow marches of the former regiments were combined by the first Bandmaster of the new regiment, Bandmaster Robert Spencer. The arrangement includes The 1st Dragoon Guards Slow March played up to the trio then straight into the 2nd Dragoon Guards Slow March.

1st Suffolk Regimental Slow March

1st Battalion, The Suffolk Regiment

Raised during the Monmouth Rebellion (1686) as the 12th Regiment Foot with ‘East Suffolk’ being added in 1782. In 1881 the name changed to the Suffolk Regiment with the regiment’s 1st Battalion using this march until 1959 when they became, along with the Royal Norfolk Regiment, the 1st East Anglian Regiment (Royal Norfolk and Suffolk). During WW2 the First Battalion was sent to France with the 3rd Division of the British Expeditionary Force and fought in France and Belgium. In 1940 it was evacuated from Dunkirk but returned on 6th June 1944 at Sword Beach in Normandy and eventually recovered the Battalion’s drum which had been hidden at Roubaix in 1940 during the retreat. In 1964 they became the 1st Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment and at this time the march was discontinued in favour of The Devonshire Rose as the slow march.

2nd Dragoons and 7th Hussars7th Queen’s Own Hussars / Queen’s Own Hussars

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A Job Well Done


A Short History of British Bandmasters Attached to Canadian Army bands during World War II

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Drummers and Fifers of the Kings Guard


An interesting feature of the French King’s retinue were the Guard Regiments, and the Kings household.

The Troops of the Royal Household (Maison du Roi) were:

the Gardes du Corps (body guards)

the Cent-Suisses (hundred Swiss, dresed similar to the Swiss Guards Vatican)

the Gentilshommes à bec de corbin

the Gardes françaises (regiment created in 1563)

the Chevau-légers (light cavalry) (1593)

the Gendarmes de la garde (1609–1611)

the Gardes suisses (1616)

the Musketeer (two compagnies, 1622 and 1660)

the Gendarmerie d’ordonnance (1660, suppressed in 1788)

the Grenadiers à cheval (1676)

This article is concerned with the music of the Guard. For information on uniforms of the French during the ancien Regime see, here. … Continue Reading »



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