Trooping the Colour, Changing of the Guard, etc: Public Duties

Always a superb spectacle. :ukflag[1]:

 

In the post-War as a Territorial Officer serving in the 7th/9th (Highlanders) Battalion The Royal Scots I took part in the intricate but honoured ceremony of Trooping The Colour. On each occasion I commanded No.4 Guard.

The first occasion was at TA Camp when HRH The Princess Royal the late Princess Mary, our Colonel-in-Chief, had arranged to present new Colours to the Battalion. Unfortunately on the morning of the Parade, HRH Princess Mary had become unwell overnight and obliged to follow her doctor's advice and stay in bed. When it was suggested that perhaps the Lord-Lieutenant as The Queen's Representative where she was staying as his guest, could carry out the duty and present us with the new Colours, she expressly forbade it reminding us that Her Majesty The Queen had deputised her and no one else could undertake that duty. Faced with the dilemma of having guests coming from all parts of Scotland to attend the ceremony, we decided to Troop our Old Colours as we had practised the ceremonial drill in the rough field we had hoped to Troop the New Colours.

Weeks later, when we received our New Colours we carried out the ceremony of Trooping The Colours in the Grounds of The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, an occasion which proved to be both enjoyable and eminently successful as we had become quite expert in the complex drill.

I would have preferred to have commanded the Escort to the Colours but as a Field Officer that task fell to the No 1 Guard's Second-in-Command.

Joe Brown

 

Joe

I am suitably impressed !

Thanks for sharing

Ron
Who never rose to be higher than Corporal.

 

Just finished watching it with Jacob just in case he decides to become a Guardsman in 17 years rather than a Royal Marine Commando.

 

Well unfortunately for the Guards his swimming is better than his drill

 

Last years one recorded before he was born and played back to him

 

Well, you did ask.

Pipers of the Irish Guards in 1974 - can it really have been forty years ago ?



A view towards the Guard's Memorial :-



Photos taken by me on a Kodak Instamatic, hence the quality...

The RSM, Tommy Corcoran was a friend of my Grandfather. Tickets were hard to come by, even then.

 

I managed to watch some of the Trooping of the Colour this morning on German TV as it is always well covered by Channel 1 (ARD) in Germany.

Regards
Tom

 

1979 2nd battalion Scots Guards - because of the troop that year and the battalion due to have the colours renewed the decision was made to receive our new colours in 1978 - we were in Munster - the presentation took place in the grounds of Schloss Nordkirchen Coesfeld Germany in No2 dress not home service clothing. Back in London from mechanized in BAOR to public duties (with BAOR allowance stopped) - oh joy! The sergeant major for the troop was RSM J Bunton who had come to the end of his appointment in Germany he had somehow managed get an extension of appointment so he could move on (captain day after troop)with a troop on his CV. After being awarded an extension - two weeks before the troop his heel gave out - who would do the troop? We talked in the mess - would it be the superintending clerk (senior WO1) of the regiment or the 1st Bn RSM. The rehearsals carried on with drill sergeant (WO2) MacKenzie standing in - probably the first time a drill bloke drew his sword on horse guards. Come the day the MO gave big Jim Bunton an injection to numb his heel and the big fella - a very smart and very loud man carried it off. My avatar is the third colour that the regiment carry on state occasions - when President Dooflik of the republic of Obscurity visits - the state colour was awarded by Queen Victoria. Queens Colour, Regimental Colour and the State Colour.

 

good day wills,very senior member,20th jan,2014.03:32.pm.re:the mick's st patrick's day march,thank you for posting a great link.brilliant marching,regards bernard85

 

Wills, being a man in the know can you tell me if I espied a mistaken order yesterday?
It's a long while since I passed my JMQC but I'm sure that after the Ensign was given the colours the Escort were ordered to march off before changing arms. The officer commanding the Escort realised his mistake and ordered them to change arms before ordering them again to advance.
Lionboxer

 

Confession time - did not get to see it! However, over the years there have been changes, some to shorten the ceremony - if he did make a mistake (will have to watch the troop and the rehearsals on youtube to see if the order varies) there will be an invitation to the garrison sergeant majors office and a wee chat with the major general commanding. We sat in a play back of a rehearsal with the GSM (Dumon Coldstream Guards) and major general - pointing at the screen the very model of a modern major general red faced and hollering who is that 'effing fool' (half a dozen Jock senior NCOs 'bubbled' him - he was not one of ours) as some poor young officer was making a pigs ear of the sergeant majors choreography.

The above mentioned #31 - sergeant major J Bunton MBE became the QM of 1st Bn SG. A man taken to writing poetry he penned one when the assembled QMs dined out one of their ilk on retirement here is part of:

The Cavalry , the Grenadiers.
'Nulli Secundus'
These are our peers,
the Taffs the Mick
and of course the Jock
these are the Guards
No man can mock.

The insults flew thick and fast
a result of friendships old and past
We heard of Salerno and Medenine
Monte Camino and 'Pirbright Green'.

Old fights were fought and stories told
but the men who spoke will ne'er grow old
you are our regiments strong and true
our history written by such as you.

 

If you go on the BBC iplayer you will see it. I'll bet his bar bill came to a lot last night. Bollicking on Monday morning methinks as he parades in front of the CO with his trousers neatly folded over his arm!!
Never mind, he got away with it on the day.....he who has never made a mistake has never done f=ck all!!

Lionboxer

 

The Duke of Edinburgh, being a naval man, salutes in the naval style. It is the same as taught in the Fire Service( although we dont salute much these da ys).

We are taught (in the ceremonial team, the only ones who do foot drill) in the naval pattern, which as most of us are ex-army is difficult to master. I prefer stamping my heels in!!!

 

A

Thanks for that !

Ron