Navy to replace official Heart of Oak march with ‘more inclusive’ music

[FJAG]

Bands are a frivolous use of resources and should be the first things cut in times of austerity.

Before everything became all "professional" bands had battlefield roles in regiments (essentially stretcher bearers) and in many regiments the bands were fifers and drummers who came from the rank and file and buglers who were signalers of sorts.

2 PPCLI used to have a pretty sharp volunteer drum line (and for all I know still does). That's all you really need to keep the beat - add in some volunteer fifes, pipes or bugles and you're good to go. A small (and I do mean small) professional band for the CAF - to provide a framework core and perform at high end official functions and public events, is sufficient. ResF units do fine with volunteer bands including civilians - that's fine with me too.

 

[mariomike]

Pretty hard to put a dollar value on the morale effect of a wartime military band.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Before everything became all "professional" bands had battlefield roles in regiments (essentially stretcher bearers) and in many regiments the bands were fifers and drummers who came from the rank and file and buglers who were signalers of sorts.

2 PPCLI used to have a pretty sharp volunteer drum line (and for all I know still does). That's all you really need to keep the beat - add in some volunteer fifes, pipes or bugles and you're good to go. A small (and I do mean small) professional band for the CAF - to provide a framework core and perform at high end official functions and public events, is sufficient. ResF units do fine with volunteer bands including civilians - that's fine with me too.

The MG Platoon used to be double hatted as Drums Platoon in my old mob.

Bandsmen were also trained and employed as first aid teams/ stretcher bearers and ammo resupply bods.

 

[JLB50]

Pretty hard to put a dollar value on the morale effect of a wartime military band.

My father-in-law served with the SD&G Highlanders during WW2. I think it was sometime just prior to D-Day that they were stationed in a camp a short distance outside Horsham, England. On Sundays the entire regiment would march into town for church services to the sounds of pipes and drums. He said the effects of the music on the morale of both the soldiers and townspeople were tremendous.

 

[bLUE fOX]

Heart of Oak isn’t actually disappearing though. It’s been incorporated into the RCN’s new general salute. Personally, I think this is the best result. It allows us to recognise our past while opening the possibility of creating a more distinct culturally relevant identity through the adoption of a new march.

 

[Blackadder1916]

The MG Platoon used to be double hatted as Drums Platoon in my old mob.

Bandsmen were also trained and employed as first aid teams/ stretcher bearers and ammo resupply bods.

The Royal Marines Band Service still describe medical and logistical support as a secondary role and even use a photo of a bandsman in a medical facility on their recruiting site.

Royal Marines Band Service | Musician Jobs in The Royal Navy

www.royalnavy.mod.uk

. . . as well as undertaking operational roles alongside the rest of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. . . .

• Play an important role in the Royal Marines Band Service’s vital medical and logistical function, supporting the Royal Navy and 3 Commando Brigade all over the world.

While British military bandsmen may have some training and been employed more recently in the traditional role of "stretcher bearer", I don't think the same holds true for Canadian military musicians despite that secondary role having been brought up on numerous occasions as justification. The only experience I ever had with a CAF musician receiving medical training was way back when the earth was cooling. There was a Cpl musician on my TQ3, however he was a remuster to Med A. When the use of bandsmen as stretcher bearers was brought up, he said that while it had been mentioned as one of the "historical" functions of military bands during his musician training, they received no training other than the same first aid that all others did during basic. In the 50 years since then, the importance of emergency medical response has been reiterated but it doesn't appear that CAF musicians (or stewards, for that matter) have been included in the equation.

 

[mariomike]

I didn't join to clean.

"Know what you are getting into." to avoid disappointment.

It's not just the military where one hears, "I didn't join to clean."

Edited.

 

[daftandbarmy]

The Royal Marines Band Service still describe medical and logistical support as a secondary role and even use a photo of a bandsman in a medical facility on their recruiting site.

View attachment 89394

Royal Marines Band Service | Musician Jobs in The Royal Navy

www.royalnavy.mod.uk

While British military bandsmen may have some training and been employed more recently in the traditional role of "stretcher bearer", I don't think the same holds true for Canadian military musicians despite that secondary role having been brought up on numerous occasions as justification. The only experience I ever had with a CAF musician receiving medical training was way back when the earth was cooling. There was a Cpl musician on my TQ3, however he was a remuster to Med A. When the use of bandsmen as stretcher bearers was brought up, he said that while it had been mentioned as one of the "historical" functions of military bands during his musician training, they received no training other than the same first aid that all others did during basic. In the 50 years since then, the importance of emergency medical response has been reiterated but it doesn't appear that CAF musicians (or stewards, for that matter) have been included in the equation.

Based on some of the fitness training I used to watch our 'Band-aids' go through, like running up and down hills lugging 180lb stretchers while getting yelled at, I doubt alot of our band members would survive that

 

[JLB50]

Perhaps the time has come for employers like the CAF, and others, to mention cleaning responsibilities - before offering applicants a job.

"Know what you are getting into." to avoid disappointment.

It's not just the military where one hears, "I didn't join to clean."

“I didn’t join to clean” is not a quote that I made.

 

[mariomike]

“I didn’t join to clean” is not a quote that I made.

My mistake. Edited.

It was another reader,

I'll tell you why that is, and I hold this from a lot of "exit" interviews, if I can call them that (That is I spoke with a fair number of women that released from the RCN to find out why they quit/did not resign for further service): One of the major activity on a ship is cleaning. Yep! we're always cleaning something, somewhere on the ship. We spend about 20% of the working day cleaning, and then some at night. You are on watch on the bridge in quiet time: you grab a piece of cloth and clean!

And women, for the most part, join the military to get away from household chores. The Navy quickly lose its appeal to them because to quote some: "I can do that at home and not have to bother with the long hours or being away from my loved ones. I didn't join to clean."

 

[OldSolduer]

Bandsmen were also trained and employed as first aid teams/ stretcher bearers and ammo resupply bods.

They were - CAF musicians by trade don't perform these tasks.

 

[Navy_Pete]

People who bitch about cleaning stations should see what it’s like on a ship that doesn't do cleaning stations.

Ugh, I can smell this post.... That's really a 5 sense experience, some things smell bad enough you can taste it as well.

 

[FSTO]

Ugh, I can smell this post.... That's really a 5 sense experience, some things smell bad enough you can taste it as well.

Russian factory fish trawler on a warm calm day on the Grand Banks anyone?