Sadly, my Father was not into meticulous record keeping (!) and most of the photos have single word descriptions on their backs.
My Dad signed up at the age of 14 in 1927 at Canterbury. He told me that all his elder brothers had also served with the Regiment (but I never met any of them).
He was a Junior Band-Boy and attended Kneller Hall (the first time in 1933) where he was awarded a Proficiency Diploma in the French Horn. He was stationed in Aldershot for some time (and he showed me the 20′ high wall they used to climb over after a night’s drinking in town in order to evade the Guards on duty). In about 1935 both his parents died within a few months of one another and he inherited £30 and promptly bought an Indian motorcycle with side-chair! I think he also spent time in Richmond and Catterick.
He then went to India in September ’36 and stayed until August ’44. I recall from his Tennis Cups that he served in A and B Cos. I believe he was originally trained as a Medical Orderly and then re-trained as a Driver/Mechanic when the Regiment “Mechanised”.
At some time during the late 30s he was inadvertently shot by an Officer. My Father suffered serious stomach wounds when a young chap withdrew his pistol and discharged a round in no particular direction – except my Father was in the way.
I’m not sure of his promotion dates, which was why I asked around for old copies of the Feather & Carbine. I think he was a Trumpet Major (WO2?)
After returning from Germany he was sent to Kneller Hall again on a Band Masters course and played the ceremonial bugle at both the 25th Wedding Anniversary of KGV and the Wedding of HM the Queen. In early ’48 he was offered a Commission but told that if he accepted he would likely be retired at the age of 45. He opted for civvy street and was interviewed by both the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and Liverpool Phil. They decided to stay in England and he spent the next 30 years with hardly a day’s absence as 2nd.Horn (and as his teeth dropped out, fell down the rankings to 4th.!).
Cheers
Pete Baker
First photo – Kharpur 1937
Second photos – LHS – Tennis 1940 – RHS Tennis 1937 Murree Hills
Third photos – both Berlin 1945
