This photograph shows the Orchestra Royal Artillery Mounted Band, who we believe were a Yorkshire based regiment, in 1945. Courtesy of Joyce Teasdale. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
This photograph shows the Orchestra Royal Artillery Mounted Band, who we believe were a Yorkshire based regiment, in 1945. Courtesy of Joyce Teasdale.
Was happy to help. I’m a great believer in history and the safe keeping of archives. Although I still have to find the connection to the Layzell family. I have found that my great grandfather, Henry Layzell, died 1936 in Richmond, Yorkshire.05/03/2012 22:31:23
I am indebted to Joyce Teasdale for publishing this photograph, which has enabled me to discover a forgotten episode of the Royal Artillery Mounted Band’s history. My full history of the band may be read on Wikipedia, under the heading ‘Royal Artillery Mounted Band’. My research revealed that the name of the band was changed during the war years, when the band was evacuated from Aldershot, and temporarily stationed at Harrogate, in Hildebrand Barracks. The fact that the photograph was named after the Band’s correct title has been very helpful indeed, as the Band was renamed for the duration of its time in Yorkshire. During the war, the Royal Artillery (Woolwich) Band was also stationed both in Yorkshire, and in Middlesborough, and it would have been easy to confuse the one band with the other, owing to the identical uniforms worn by the musicians. I believe therefore, that the band to which Julian Herbert refers, is not the Mounted Band, but instead, the Woolwich Band. However, Mr Herbert’s welcome information is invaluable, as any piece of information will help, in order to complete the bigger picture. As a musician in the Royal Artillery Mounted Band until its disbandment in 1984, and with total access to historical records in the Band’s archives, and at Woolwich, I had previously not found evidence of the Band’s evacuation from Aldershot, and the only mention of the Woolwich Band having also been stationed in Yorkshire, and in Middlesborough (and in other areas of the country) is in one of the books by Henry George Farmer.04/03/2012 00:21:04
Because I’m not enjoying getting old (and bored) I have found myself learning how to play on a computer and out of curiosity Googled the Mounted Band. What a lot of stuff!! I joined in 1954 (on boy service at the junior musicians troop in Woolwich – the only boy from the mounted band, all the rest from ‘THE WOOLWICH BAND’ – I was the country yokel.) Basil Brown had signed me up. Kneller Hall for the ‘statutory year’ then back to Mons Officer Cadet School until I left in 1965 – then ‘under the baton’ of Billy Williams! I have to say I had a lot of good times in the band, sometimes ruined by the requirements of the army!!! Best was the summer months which ‘The Golden 25’ spent touring all the South Coast holiday resorts – (taking bored teenaged daughters of the hands of angry parents who had insisted on coming to lovely Eastbourne, Bournemouth , Folkstone or where ever which their daughter found horrible and boring – especially when being dragged to a military band concert!!) – and all the other resorts of England and Scotland. Edinburgh was ok (but a long drive in the stripped out band coach) and then on to Glasgow!! – the only place were 12 yr old ‘little urchins’ heaved full glass bottles of milk at us! Our requirement to play for commissioning parades during the summer was covered by other Aldershot staff bands. I never wore khaki once during the summer – just civvies, swimming trunks and No One dress.! and we got a fee!! I always thought it unfair that NCO’s got a bigger slice of the pot than I did!!
Also our regular gigs on Music while you Work and Friday Night is Music Night – from a lovely Victorian Music-hall theatre at Mornington Crescent.
The money the Army paid for us to fulfill our military commitments to play parades at all the RA barracks throughout the south and southwest of England was frightening. We regularly provided a small mess orchestra for the RA officers in the barracks on Plymouth Ho. I went as single 2nd fiddle and Post Horn!! A 42 seater Western National coach would turn up at Mons at 11am, all seven of us – plus Billy W – got on and drove to Plymouth. A very large meal was waiting for us when we got there. Changed into No One dress, went up into the ‘minstrels gallery’ and played to the officers whilst they threw buns at each other. Finished at around 11pm. Following morning back on the coach for Aldershot with the return of the coach empty to Plymouth!! God knows what it cost. I also have one particularly horrendous memory of one occassion when some-one decided to get all of the RA regiments together on the aerodrome at Thruxton and drive past ‘some-one’
We had to play the RA slow march non-stop for 45 mins!!!.
We were a young band and had a lot of laughs – encouraged by Basil Brown on the bandstand as part of our ‘performance’ when on tour (not however in the London parks with all the business suits watching!) On tour for instance, half way through a serious piece our euphonium player would stand up, put the bell of his instrument to his lips, tip it up and mime drinking a pint of beer. The seaside audience loved it so we sometimes got four weeks at Eastbourne.
It all came to a dramatic end when some memos arrived at the bands office from ‘THEM’ at the top talking about possibly moving us to Germany. About 10 guys had come to the band with Billy Williams from the Gordon Highlanders band and had starting putting down roots with their children settling in local schools There were only about 15 single guys living in barracks – all the rest living out with children and friends settled in schools and wives in long established jobs. There was outrage from virtually everyone, so much so that the GOC Southern Command RA agreed to come and meet us. He arrived with FOUR staff cars and 12 stall officers who stood in a semi-circle behind him. He stood on the conductors rostrum and lectured us – from notes – about the duties of a serving soldier. Some of the guys started interupting him with questions which encouraged others to join in. The GOC was peuce – about the same colour as Billy Williams who had stood quietly in a corner. This 3 star General finally exploded saying ‘how dare other ranks question his decision making and that he would not be blackmailed with threats to leave by us. He finished by saying ‘this band will go to Germany and a damnded fine band it would be when it got there. He left to loud hisses and glares from all his ADC’s.
I left shortly after ‘cos the Golden Time for the band was over and I, having just got married, wanted out of the army. Billy Williams was one of some 20 others who left – not before he introduced me to the next Director of Music.
Hello Titch, Tom Hogg here. Came across your epistle amongst the RA Mounted Orchestra. Heart still beating ( how is yours?) but fourteen years of cornets in my ear have reduced my hearing considerably, perfect pitch to almost silence.
Just found these comments from Titch and Tom this morning while googling the end of the RA Orch;Woolwich.Nice to hear you are both still around!
Those years where the best that anybody had with the bands and it is sad when you see how the Ministry of Defence have treated the bands today.
I was in the RA Mounted from 1959 till 1965 when I transfered to the Life Guards to avoid the move and the new D.O.M.
After a couple of years with the LG I was dragged and trampled by a horse, losing the front of my upper jaw with, naturally, all the teeth. As soon as I could play again I got out of the band and played with various London Orchestras playing mainly Baroque music on trumpets that I made myself.
Players in European orchestras –La Scala , Leipsig Gewandhose etc use my instruments and I keep my lip in these days in Aldershot with a Community Band which for a while rehearsed at St.Omer Barracks next door to Mons. Happy memories!
I Transfered from the RA Plymouth Band who had been disbanded in 1961 and joined the Mounted Band on Euph and Cello. I met Colin at Woolwich in 1954 when I joined the RA BandBoys Troop.
I wonder if he remembers me?
I joined the RA Plymouth band when it was on Salisbury plane in 1947. Went to the boys band at Woolwich and on to KH 49/50 course. Can’t find anything on the net about the RA Bandboys.
Roy bring up Google, then write in full,’Images for Royal Artillery Band Boys 1947′ then press return.
It will bring up a mass of photo’s also stories of the bands.
If you cannot manage or there is no one to do it for you, go to a library and the Staff will do it for you they are very helpful.
Frank.
I enjoyed your fascinating account Colin. You may be interested to know that many ex-Mounties keep in touch via Facebook, and that there is a Mounted Band reunion taking place at Amesbury on Saturday17th September (2016). Look for me on Facebook, or Billy McIntyre, Michael Leat, Paul Hoyes, Colin Trevellion, or Paul Wynn. There are plenty of others, but you would be welcome to join us at the reunion. Franck Leprince
This framed photo; named The orchestra. Royal Artillery Mounted Band, June 1945. The photographer was A.J. Glover of Richmond, Yorkshire. It came with a copy of the paper, The War Illustrated volume 3. It has the same name on the paper; Layzell, which is the same as my great grandfather, and a copy of The war in the Air by H.G Wells and also some stripes. I got them near Catterick and was quite shocked because the last census I looked in 1911 my great grandfather had a sheep farm at tunstall Catterick and then he disappeared. In the 1901 census his name was spelt Lazzell and before that Lascelles. My father was a gunner in the royal artillery.
It may not be this one but there was a Royal Artillery band in North Yorkshire. This is based on a piece of evidence in the collections of Preston Hall Museum in Stockton. It is a large jug headed Wellington and presented to the 1st N.Y.V. Band by William Mellor to ?,H Milburn Dec 23rd 1864. This unit’s HQ was in Middlesbrough but there was at least one battery in Thornaby.
As a result of me discovering the existence of this picture, I have been able to research valuable information, so far missing from the band’s accountable history. Since then, I have been able to create my encyclopaedia page on Wikipedia, entitled ‘Royal Artillery Mounted Band’. Many many thanks to Joyce Teasdale, and to the Picture Stockton Team.
Further to my previous comment, and having conducted some research, I can confirm that the band is indeed the Royal Artillery Mounted Band, and that it is correct that this photograph was taken in Yorkshire. The band was stationed there during the war years 1939 – 1945 at Hildebrand Barracks, Penny Pot Lane, Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The reason for the doubt, is, as I have discovered, because the band was renamed for the duration of its time there as the ‘Royal Artillery (Aldershot) Band’.
I just wanted to point out that, as a musican and orchestra leader (violin/Clarinet) in the Royal Artillery Mounted Band, from 1977 until its disbandment in 1984, I can confirm that the band was never based in Yorkshire. It was founded in Woolwich in 1886, then moved to Aldershot in 1887, and subsequently alternated with another Royal Artillery band between Larkhill (Salisbury Plain), and Dortmund (Germany). Thank you however, for displaying this fascinating photograph, which I have not seen before.