Regimental Music

Bands, Drums and Music of The Queen’s Royal Surrey Regiment
its Forebears and Successors

Dover Castle, Kent

INTRODUCTION

It would appear that prior to 1881 there were no real Regimental Marches, as we know them today. Regiments marched past to a tune, which was popular with the Commanding Officer; written by the Music Master or Band Sergeant of the day, or popular with the men. In 1883, Regiments were ordered to select a Regimental March and told that it would be promulgated in Army Orders. Regiments had marched to a popular tune for a number of years and this in many cases was the march selected for the Regiment. Certain of our marches fall into this category, but still many mysteries remain as to why some of our former Regiments chose the particular march they did, and why other marches remain in use.

The following pages concentrate on the regular bands and drums, this in no way reflects on our Territorial battalions as most units had a Band and Corps of Drums. Sadly we do not have a complete record of territorial bands. The 1/6th Surreys for example had a first class band during the First World War.

Since 1945 there has been considerable changes in the Infantry. Regiments lost their second battalions in the late forties and, there was a change in the Brigade System. At the latter end of the fifties The Queen’s Royal Regiment and The East Surrey Regiment amalgamated to form The Queen’s Royal Surrey Regiment.

In the early sixties, The Buffs and The Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment, amalgamated to form The Queen’s Own Buffs (The Royal Kent Regiment). The Royal Sussex and The Middlesex Regiment (DCO) were also part of The Home Counties Brigade. Then on 31st December 1966 these regiments were amalgamated to form The Queen’s Regiment. At that time the officers’ and men looked forward to a long future with the same name. This was not to be, and as part of The Options for Change in 1992, The Queen’s Regiment amalgamated with The Royal Hampshire Regiment to form The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment. (Queen’s and Royal Hampshires).

Further changes in the Strategic Defence Review of 1997 affected the Territorial battalions.