The Royal Dragoons (1st Dragoons)

The 1st, or Royal Regiment of Dragoons was raised in 1661 by the Earl of Peterborough for service in Tangier against the Moors, hence the original title, The Tangier Horse.

It was recorded on 21 October 1661 that The Tangier Horse had three trumpeters, whose duty it was to convey the routine messages and orders used in camp life. There were approximately 86 calls in use, covering every aspect of a soldier's life from Reveille to Last Post, including such calls as Post Call (indicating that the mail had arrived) and Mess Call (indicating that it was time to eat). Partly to help remember the calls, and partly because it amused the troopers, words were written to many of the calls. Typical examples were:

Sick Call - Come the sick, come the lame, All cures for your ills we've got, To free Tommy from pain.
Fire Call - There's a fire! There's a fire! There's a fire! Run and get the engine boys, and put the beggar out.

Returning from fighting the Moors, The Tangier Horse were re-designated as Dragoons, who, unlike orthodox cavalry regiments, used infantry style side drums instead of trumpets for relaying orders. Drummers were therefore introduced, though it was not to the total exclusion of the trumpeters.

The change from Horse to Dragoons brought with it a new establishment and a warrant was issued to the Ordnance to provide four drums. Reports in the official history of the Regiment tell us that in 1684 there were two drummers, and later in the same year, two trumpeters and two Hautbois.

In February 1698 a change was proposed which resulted in an establishment of six drummers and six hautbois. There was an allowance of two shillings per day for man and horse. During the Winter of 1701-02, there was an increase of a further two drummers, two hautboys and two other musicians, and soon after, in 1709-10, there is the first mention of kettledrums.

During the mid 18th century, the dress of the drummers and hautboys was scarlet coats lined with blue and ornamented with Royal lace with a blue stripe down the centre; their waistcoats and breeches were of blue cloth.

An order was issued in 1766 that the drummers were to be converted into trumpeters. Three drummers at a time, plus a Corporal, were despatched to London from various villages outside the city. The object was for them to 'learn their duty as trumpeters in obedience with HM's command'.

We have a record that in 1777 the whole Regiment was re-clothed. The year's bill from a firm of lacemakers in the Strand, London was £111 (a not inconsiderable amount in those days), with much of the lace being accounted for by 'The Musik', who had an elaborate uniform including much gold lace. Corporals and Privates had red coats, while the trumpeters wore scarlet, lined with white shalloon.

Three more trumpeters were added to the regimental establishment in 1793, but the most significant step forward came in 1802 when Herr Friedrich Wiele was appointed Master of the Band. Herr Wiele had been in charge of the Royal Artillery Woolwich Band for 25 years and had a fine reputation as a conductor and band trainer. It is not known how long he stayed with the Royals.

In 1833 the Trumpet Major and the Master of the Band were granted the rank of Sergeants. The Trumpet Major was responsible for the conduct and appearance of the members of the band, and the Master of the Band for the musical standards. (Evidently, however, these tasks were not considered sufficiently full-time, for it was also the duty of the Trumpet Major to carry the regimental mail to and from the Post Office, receiving one penny extra for every non-military letter delivered.)

The years of succession for these first few Masters of the Band are unclear; there is mention of Bandmaster Heidlemann in 1869, but it appears he was already serving in that post, albeit informally. Somewhere around this time, the officers were relieved of the burden of paying subscriptions to maintain the Band, and in 1879, Mr Frank Oakley, a member of The Royals band for twenty years, returned from a training course at Kneller Hall, to become the first official Bandmaster.

In 1871/72 a new pattern helmet was adopted and long boots and pantaloons replaced the Wellington boots and overalls.

Very little is documented about the size of the Band in the late 19th century, but in August 1914 there is mention of 15 bandboys serving with the Regiment.

In January 1924 the Regiment was re-organised and the Band became known as the Band Troop. During the late '20s and early '30s, they served in Egypt and India. They arrived home in 1936, and every effort was made to bring the Band up to standard to play at the seaside resorts, and on 16 June 1938 it broadcast for the first time on the wireless from the BBC's studios at Broadcasting House, London.

With the threat of war looming, most of the members of the Band were ordered to Palestine with the Regiment, leaving just twelve boys as the nucleus of a new band. It was in Palestine on Waterloo Day, 1940 that the Regiment held its last mounted parade.

Back in England, sheer determination on the part of both the bandmaster, Alfred Singer, and his young musicians brought the Band once more up to the required standard, and in January 1940 it was passed fit for broadcasting, subsequently becoming regularly featured on the wartime wireless. Possibly the musical highlight of this period was when, on 19 January 1942, the Royals became the first band ever to broadcast Bach's 'Toccata and Fugue in D minor'.

In 1942 and 1944 the Band was inspected by the Director of Music, Kneller Hall, and on both occasions was awarded the highest possible grade: Outstanding.

Soon after VE Day, the Band began a tour of the troops of the British Liberation Army. The first six weeks were in Denmark where the Regiment were stationed, playing in Copenhagen and other large towns in the area, and broadcasting on Danish Radio. Two weeks in the Kiel area completed the tour.

In 1963 the Band visited the Far East, becoming the first British Band to play in the Philippines.

The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons)

A new Regiment was formed in 1969 in Detmold by the amalgamation of The Royal Horse Guards (The Blues) and the Royal Dragoons (1st Dragoons).

The requirement that all members of the new Band should be able to ride meant that only 13 bandsmen transferred from The Royals, of whom just three successfully passed the riding course at Knightsbridge.

The full dress uniform of the new Regiment on amalgamation remained that of the Royal Horse Guards with the addition of an embroidered eagle which is worn on the sleeve. Equine accoutrements for officers' chargers were further embellished with a 'beard', the historical purpose of which had been to protect the jugular vein from cuts.

Major Jeanes, then serving as Director of Music of The Blues, took over the new Band. He was succeeded in 1973 by George Evans, who had previously served as Bandmaster with the Royal Dragoons and had spent the intervening five years with the Royal Artillery Mounted Band at Aldershot, before finally finding himself on horseback with the Blues and Royals in 1973.

The mounted band usually consists of the Director of Music riding an officer's charger, the drummer riding Hercules (a skewbald), the six trumpeters riding greys and the musicians on blacks.

When members of the Royal Family are present, the uniform for the mounted band is state dress, comprising gold frock coat, velvet jockey cap, white pantaloons, jack boots and spurs. On all other occasions they wear blue tunic, helmet and plume, crossbelt, white waist belt and slings, overalls, Wellington boots and spurs.