# Jock,What‘s the RAAF march past song.



## Spr.Earl (5 Nov 2002)

Jock I was asked what‘s the march past song for the RAAF.


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## Gordon Angus Mackinlay (6 Nov 2002)

I persume by this you mean the music played on a ceremonial march past (not a song!).

WHilst there are a number of set pieces of music played on RAAF ceremonial parades, a march past in line (which I have never seen carried out at any RAAF Base) is according to the Manual of Drill and Ceremonial accompanied by the music of  "The March Past of the Royal Australian Air Force".  Having searched my memory I have never heard it at all.

A very common piece of music played by the two Bands of the RAAF on ceremonial occassions is ‘617 Squadron‘ (or what the punters call The Dambusters March), traditional Australian airs such as ‘Click go the shears boys, click click click‘ are also played.

Every RAAF parade that I have ever seen over the past twenty odd years the body of troops have only ever marched past the saluting dias in column of route.  March past in line would I would say be beyond the co-ordination skills of the average Raffie Chappie! be they male or female.

Yours,
Jock in Sydney


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## Spr.Earl (9 Nov 2002)

Thank‘s Jock,
The reason I asked was a friend was in Ottawa and met some one from RAAF and they stated that the March Past was Those Magnificent Men In Thier Flying Machine‘s and thought it might be some thing from the dunny    

Knowing the Aussie sense of homour I could believe it


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## Gordon Angus Mackinlay (9 Nov 2002)

Actually "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines" is the regimental march of the :
Australian Army Aviation Corps, and the British Army‘s Army Air Corps (and until it‘s disbandment the New Zealand Army AIr Corps).

Due in both cases to their armies forming the Australian Flying Corps and the Royal Flying Corps (from the original Royal Engineers Balloon Section).

The music coming from the still very funny British movie of the same name (1967) which was a huge commercial success at the time.

Much formal military music has a humerous connection, such as the 
ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS - Drink Puppy Drink & A Hunting We Will Go; two drinking songs of the 19th century.
Or the Small Arms School Corps - March of the Bowmen, taken from a comic opera.
The Rhodesian Light Infantry‘s "O‘when the Saint‘s Go Marching In.

My personal favourite being that of a certain infantry regiment of the Indian Army, it‘s last stanza finishing "across the river there is a boy, his bum is like a peach - alas I cannot swim"
The joy‘s of multiculturalism!

Yours,
Jock in Sydney


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## Spr.Earl (9 Nov 2002)

LOL,the last must be Navy   
Here‘s another which I just found out the tune of the U.S. national anthem is an old drinking song pre revolution which was sung by all when everything was ducky.

 Question,are you transplanted ,or have shackle scar‘s     ?

 I are a transplanted Scouser and can spell it    

 I enjoy reading the knowledge you post,even at 49 I‘m still learning.   

 Another interesting fact i found out Aussie Reserve‘s pay is tax free unless active,here we pay the whole bloody shot     even when over seas we get no break‘s.

 I have relitive‘s in N.Z. I have never met,my uncle was a merchant seaman during the war and survived and left the U.K. and ended up there.
May be soon I‘ll end up down under and if your still about we‘ll go out for a canny or two


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## Gordon Angus Mackinlay (9 Nov 2002)

No not navy ARMY!!!

I always say that the more that I know, the more that I do not know.

I actually came to Australia as a soldier in the Australian Regular Army, not a ten pound tourist.

What is now the Australian Army Reserve (previously the Citizens Military Forces) has always been a very good lurk.  Not only tax free pay (free uniform replacement also), travel allowance, if you are a public servant in any of the three levels of Government (Commonwealth, State or local) entitled to four weeks military leave per year.  With pay at the same standard as the Regular element, without meeting the same standard of military/trade training, and promotion at the unit level.  Totally different to Canada.

The RAAF totally different, you have to be either ex-Permanent Air Force or have a trade or occupation which fits into the RAAF system.  The only exception being Ground Defence Guards, who are recruited off the street - but receive a high standard of training (but, still not to the same level as the regular ADGs, they make up for it in the high standard of recruits).

I have two sons and their wives outside of Victoria on Vancouver Island, where they have a quarter section (they all until quite recently officers in the CFs Reserve, two engineers, two medical officers).  While I have four sisters in the Vancouver area (three married to ‘Horsemen‘).  We could desperately do with BCs rain at the moment.

Yours,
Jock in SYdney
Jock in Sydney


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## Spr.Earl (9 Nov 2002)

Jock don‘t worry it‘s been raining roo‘s and dingo‘s for the last 4 day‘s         .

By Horsemen do you mean the BCR‘s or BCD‘s?

As for the Engineer‘s which Unit‘s did they serve in ,might know them as going on 27yrs as a Sapper.(what are their surname‘s?)

 As to rain you do need it bad,Ive seen the satalite photo‘s of Sydney and it look‘s like L.A. on a good day.

 You have not had rain for over 6 month‘s now!
You have water restrction‘s now?

 P.S. Just got a phone call and they thank you Jock for the info you past on.

 What Regiment were you in Jock?

 We just had a good documentry about Galopoli,
Churchill should have been hanged,along with Kitchener!!!   
No need for that ,they knew they didn‘t have the resource‘s to  support the assault!!!!

 But at the end of the documentry they stated Turkey put thier best troop‘s in and lost the prime of the Turkish Army defending the Peninsuler.

 So I guess relieved the threat in Sauadi as we know it to day?


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