Regimental March

[MikeCarey]

Just watching the Grenadier Guards tonight and it made me think, is the British Grenadier still the Regimental March of the first Battalion?

[benney]

Im not to sure i think it may be Men of Harlec now, as we only used Brit GRENS as it was the Regimental March for all FUSILIER Regts and if you remember on parade Brit Grens was always followed by Men of Harlec, hope that may be of use to you mate

[MikeCarey]

Thanks Benney, but seeing as we still have the Hackle and the Pte's with the 1st Bn are still Fusiliers, does that not still give us Fusilier status?

[Admin]

I'm not sure if this applies to the individual battalions, but the regimental march appears to be:

March Quick - Men of Harlech
Slow - Forth to the Battle

[Antony McCarten]

to all,
as the drum major we still play our normal regi marches, Brittish Grens,Men of harlech and forth to battle(men of glamorgan) I have not been told as of yet to change any of the marches,so they still stand as when we were RWF

thanks,hope it has cleared up some questions!!

[MikeCarey]

Cheers Mac, glad to know they can't change everything, we are loosing to many old traditions as it is, and apart from that it will only confuse the Sgt's mess at a mess dinner lol!

[jungle1810]

Hello Mike,
I have explained the fact that the hackle has absolutely nothing to do with our title of Fusiliers.I quote from a friend of mine after having written about 5 e mails on this subject I quote the following.
"According to Major L L Gordon,in his book Military Origins, Fusiliers were raised to guard the artillery train, marching with a lighter weapon (FUSIL) slung, and therefore the broad brimmed normal hat got in the way and was replaced with a fur-trimmed cap.

Regarding Fusilier as the title of a rank, with the exception of the R.A.(Gunner) R.E.(Sapper) and Rifles (Rifleman), the use of" Fusilier" " Kingsman" "Ranger" etcetera is comparatively modern, as is "Grenadier" "Trooper"etc These have crept in since the Great War. For all the "Lowest of the Low"the rank and pay grade is private, with a modern job title ! However the use of the plural "FUSILIERS" is of great antiquity I quote this reply to the origin of the title FUSILIER is due to FUSILIER REGIMENTS carrying the FUSIL nothing at all to do with the HACKLE.
Regards "Don"
This explanation was given to me by Mr David Langley.After I explained this weird belief that the HACKLE was instumental in our title FUSILIER.

[MikeCarey]

Cheers Don, but it is still hard to let go of the old believes, little things like Regimental Marches, Hackles and the title Fusilier still go a long way in keeping traditions, and long may they stay.

[jungle1810]

Hello Mike,
Glad to see you are a "Diehard" like me. I would have liked things to stay as they were but as Mallory said in "The Death of Arthur" that is to say King Arthur not Major Ellingham, "The old order changeth yielding place to new" Cheers for now.
Regards RBD

[jungle1810]

Hello Mike,
Re bands and customs. The Jamaica Battalion are doing a guard at Buck House tomorrow. If the news pick it up then you will see some old traditions. The Band wear the uniforms of the old Zouave regiment. Now that is some thing to see.Hope I am on the right thread.
Regards to all.
RBD

[MikeCarey]

Cheers Don, I will look out for that on the news tomorrow. I know change is sometimes good, but we still need tradition, it is a big part of why the British Army is so good and Proud in all that it does. My biggest fear is that we are heading to much towards (dare I say it) "The American Way", how many years before we only have Brigades and no individual Regiments?

[John Turner]

I may be wrong and I used to know this stuff inside out - too much in my hard drive these days.

Surely The British Grenadier was (is?) our Regimental March PAST - not Regimental March???

Everyone uses it for the advance in review order (Thirteeen Fourteen ONE-TWO) So don't get confused with that one.

[MikeCarey]

John Turner, is that as in ***** ex sigs det? any way John I think that is one for the Drum Major to answer,so over to you Mac!

[John Turner]

Yes it is indeed me - ha - you tried to use the 'D' word there didn't you - God how that 'D' word followed me around - if it makes it to W Sussex I'm gonna get a few nips and tucks and move to a cave somewhere - well - a different cave.

I can't put a face to your name - but I remember your name for sure - fill in the blanks for me.

[MikeCarey]

Sorry John, won't use the D word again,when you were Deltas det commander I would have been there, I know you were there in Falklands poss Balykinnler? if you check my photos on the photo forum, i'm sure you will remember me, I remember you well.

[BennytheBall]

John
I didn't realise that you were a bit of a "Drill pig" Oh! those Bn Muster Parades on a Monday morning.
BennytheBall 1

[BennytheBall]

Mike
I have just spoken to an ex 1st Bn Drum Major, who informed me that on the Merger parade the regiment "stepped" off to the Men of Harlech, not even a note of the British Grenadier, that might be telling us something about the "New" Regiment's Regimental March.

However, on the Ist Bn's St David's Day Celebrations, the "Leek Eating Party" march in to the tune of the British Grenadier and march out to the tune of the Men of Harlech, so hopefully some tradition hasn't been lost there.
BennytheBall

[scorch]

MIKE
on the Alma day function men of harlech was played hope this sheds some light

[MikeCarey]

Sounds like nothing is written in stone, I suppose it is up to people like Mac the Drum Major to keep that tradition going on the music side.

[benney]

Its like i said brit gren is the regt march for all fus regts, i think its a case that the ROYAL WELCH (OPPS) WELSH have not got round to confirming it all

[Bob Bacon]

As has been stated previously, the regimental marches of the new regiment are

March Quick - Men of Harlech
Slow March - Forth to the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Battle</st1:place></st1:City> <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Regimental Records Volume II 1816-1914 states “The following are the airs used by the Royal Welch Fusiliers:"<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
March Past (in column) … British Grenadiers<o:p></o:p>
March Past (in quarter column) … Men of Harlech<o:p></o:p>
On entering or leaving barracks or camp … Men of Harlech<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
There is also reference to the official regimental march being ‘Men of Harlech’. The following memorandum was issued on 19.8.1835. “All Grenadier and Fusilier Regiments (including the 5<SUP>th</SUP> Foot now dressed as Grenadiers) are, when marching in quick time upon occasions of Guard Mounting Parade, or Review, to march by to the Grenadiers March, and no regiment whatever is on any of these occasions to march to a foreign tune”<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Further research shows that the British Grenadiers was a marching song for the grenadier units of the British military from the 17th Century to the 19th Century. It is the now the Regimental Quick March of the Grenadier Guards, one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the Queen's Household Division, as well as the Honourable Artillery Company and the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. It is also an authorized march of The Royal Gibraltar Regiment, The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, The Canadian Grenadier Guards, The Royal Regiment of Canada, The Princess Louise Fusiliers, and The 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles.
<o:p></o:p>
I believe the original question has also been answered by <o:p></o:p>

to all, as the Drum Major we still play our normal regimental marches, British Grenadiers, Men of Harlech and Forth to Battle(Men of Glamorgan) I have not been told as of yet to change any of the marches, so they still stand as when we were RWF. Thanks, hope it has cleared up some questions!!<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
With his in mind, I am closing this thread<o:p></o:p>