List of Marches of the British Armed Forces
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of official marches of the British Armed Forces
.
For the Marches of the regiments of the British Army at the start of World War II (1939) see Regimental Marches of the British Army
Household Cavalry
Royal Armoured Corps
Infantry
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
.
For the Marches of the regiments of the British Army at the start of World War II (1939) see Regimental Marches of the British Army
Regimental Marches of the British Army
Regimental Marches of the British Army at the start of World War II-Units in 1940:Life Guards :- - MilanolloRoyal Horse Guards :- - Aida, Duchess of Kent1st King's Dragoon Guards :- - The Radetsky March...
Royal Navy
- Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
– Heart of OakHeart of Oak"Heart of Oak" is the official march of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. It is also the official march of several Commonwealth navies including the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy....
(Quick) - Royal MarinesRoyal MarinesThe Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
– A Life on the Ocean WaveA Life on the Ocean Wave"A Life on the Ocean Wave" is a song by Henry Russell published in 1838. The song originated from the poet Epes Sargent. One day he and Russell were walking on The Battery in New York City watching the ships enter the harbour. This scene inspired Sargent to write a poem, which Russell then put to...
(Quick); Preobrajensky (Slow) - Royal Marines Commandos – Sarie MaraisSarie MaraisSarie Marais is a traditional Afrikaans folk song, created during either the First Anglo-Boer War or the Second Anglo-Boer War . The tune was taken from a song called Ellie Rhee dating from the American Civil War, and the words translated into Afrikaans...
Household CavalryHousehold CavalryThe term Household Cavalry is used across the Commonwealth to describe the cavalry of the Household Divisions, a country’s most elite or historically senior military groupings or those military groupings that provide functions associated directly with the Head of state.Canada's Governor General's...
- The Life GuardsLife Guards (British Army)The Life Guards is the senior regiment of the British Army and with the Blues and Royals, they make up the Household Cavalry.They originated in the four troops of Horse Guards raised by Charles II around the time of his restoration, plus two troops of Horse Grenadier Guards which were raised some...
– Milanollo (Quick); Life Guards Slow March (Slow) - The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons)Blues and RoyalsThe Blues and Royals is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry. The Colonel-in-Chief is Her Majesty The Queen and the Colonel is HRH The Princess Royal...
– Quick March of the Blues and Royals (Quick); Slow March of the Blues and Royals (Slow)
Royal Armoured CorpsRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
- 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. Nicknamed The Welsh Cavalry, the regiment recruits from Wales, Herefordshire, and Shropshire, and is the senior cavalry regiment, and therefore senior regiment, of the line of the British Army...
– Rusty Buckles/Radetzky MarchRadetzky MarchRadetzky March, Op. 228, is a march composed by Johann Strauss Sr. in 1848. It was dedicated to the Austrian Field Marshal Joseph Radetzky von Radetz, and became quite a popular march among soldiers....
(Quick); 1st Dragoon Guards and 2nd Dragoon Guards Slow March (Slow) - The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys)Royal Scots Dragoon GuardsThe Royal Scots Dragoon Guards is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and the senior Scottish regiment. It was formed on 2 July 1971 at Holyrood, Edinburgh, by the amalgamation of the 3rd Carabiniers The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) (SCOTS DG) is a cavalry regiment of...
– The 3DGs (Quick); The Garb of Auld Gaul (Slow) - The Royal Dragoon GuardsRoyal Dragoon GuardsThe Royal Dragoon Guards is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1992 by the amalgamation of two other regiments: The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards...
– Fare Thee Well Inniskilling (Quick); 4th Dragoon Guards/7th Dragoon Guards (Slow) - The Queen's Royal Hussars (Queen's Own and Royal Irish) – Regimental Quick March of the Queen's Royal Hussars (Quick); 3rd Hussars Slow March/Litany of Loretto/The Garb of Auld Gaul/March of the Scottish Archers (Slow)
- 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's)9th/12th Royal LancersThe 9th/12th Royal Lancers is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1960 by the amalgamation of the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers and the 12th Royal Lancers. It is currently a formation reconnaissance regiment, equipped with the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance family of vehicles and...
– God Bless the Prince of WalesGod Bless the Prince of Wales"God Bless the Prince of Wales" is a patriotic song written to mark the occasion of the marriage of the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom to Alexandra of Denmark.The song was first proposed at the Caernarfon Eisteddfod of 1862...
(Quick); Men of HarlechMen of Harlech"Men of Harlech" or "The March of the Men of Harlech" is a song and military march which is traditionally said to describe events during the seven year long siege of Harlech Castle between 1461 and 1468. Commanded by Constable Dafydd ap Ieuan, the garrison held out in what is the longest known...
/Coburg (Slow) - The King's Royal Hussars – The King's Royal Hussars (Quick); Coburg (Slow)
- The Light DragoonsThe Light DragoonsThe Light Dragoons is a cavalry regiment in the British Army.It was formed in 1992 from the amalgamation of two regiments, the 13th/18th Royal Hussars and the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars becoming the first dragoon regiment in the British Army for over twenty years.-Present day:The Light...
– Balaklava (Quick); Denmark (Slow) - The Queen's Royal LancersThe Queen's Royal LancersThe Queen's Royal Lancers is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1993 by the amalgamation of two other regiments:*16th/5th Queen's Royal Lancers*17th/21st Lancers...
– Stable Jacket (Quick); Omdurman (Slow) - The Royal Tank Regiment – My Boy Willie (Quick); The Royal Tank Regiment Slow March (Slow)
- The Royal Yeomanry – Farmer's Boy (Quick)
- The Queen's Own YeomanryQueen's Own YeomanryThe Queen's Own Yeomanry is an armoured regiment of the British Territorial Army. The Queen's Own Yeomanry is the only Yeomanry regiment that serves in the formation reconnaissance role, equipped with the CVR family of armoured reconnaissance vehicles, including Scimitar and Spartan.On...
– D'ye ken John PeelJohn Peel (farmer)John Peel was a British huntsman who is the subject of the nineteenth century song D'ye ken John Peel - "ken" being a dialectical form of "know" used in Scotland and the north of England.-Peel's life:...
(Quick)
InfantryBritish Army InfantryThe British Army's Infantry, part of the Structure of the British Army, comprises 51 battalions of Infantry, from 19 Regiments. Of these 37 battalions are part of the 'Regular' army and the remaining 14 a part of the 'Territorial' force...
- Grenadier GuardsGrenadier GuardsThe Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
– The British GrenadiersThe British GrenadiersThe British Grenadiers is a marching song for the grenadier units of the British and Commonwealth militaries, the tune of which dates from the 17th century. It is the Regimental Quick March of the Grenadier Guards, Corps of Royal Engineers, the Honourable Artillery Company and the Royal Regiment of...
(Quick); ScipioScipioneScipione is an opera in three acts, with music composed by George Frideric Handel for the Royal Academy of Music in 1726. The librettist was Paolo Antonio Rolli. Handel composed Scipione whilst in the middle of writing Alessandro...
(Slow) - Coldstream GuardsColdstream GuardsHer Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
– Milanollo (Quick); Figaro (Slow) - Scots GuardsScots GuardsThe Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
– Hielan' LaddieHighland LaddieHighland Laddie, also known as Hielan' Laddie, is the name of an ancient Scottish popular folk tune If thou'lt play me fair play, but as with many old melodies, various sets of words can be sung to it and Robert Burns' poem 'Highland Laddie, Highland Lassie' has been the most memorable...
(Quick); The Garb of Auld Gaul (Slow) - Irish GuardsIrish GuardsThe Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...
– St Patrick's Day (Quick); Let Erin Remember (Slow) - Welsh GuardsWelsh GuardsThe Welsh Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division.-Creation :The Welsh Guards came into existence on 26 February 1915 by Royal Warrant of His Majesty King George V in order to include Wales in the national component to the Foot Guards, "..though the order...
– Rising of the Lark (Quick); Men of HarlechMen of Harlech"Men of Harlech" or "The March of the Men of Harlech" is a song and military march which is traditionally said to describe events during the seven year long siege of Harlech Castle between 1461 and 1468. Commanded by Constable Dafydd ap Ieuan, the garrison held out in what is the longest known...
(Slow) - The Royal Regiment of ScotlandThe Royal Regiment of ScotlandThe Royal Regiment of Scotland is the senior and only Scottish line infantry regiment of the British Army Infantry. It consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, each formerly an individual regiment...
– Scotland the BraveScotland the Brave"Scotland the Brave" is a Scottish patriotic song. It was one of several songs considered an unofficial national anthem of Scotland.Scotland the Brave is also the authorised pipe band march of The British Columbia Dragoons of the Canadian Forces, and is played during the Pass in Review at Friday...
(Quick); Royal Regiment of Scotland Slow March (Slow) - The Princess of Wales's Royal RegimentPrincess of Wales's Royal Regiment"PWRR" redirects here. For the railroad with these reporting marks, see Portland and Western Railroad.The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment is the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division...
(Queen's and Royal Hampshires) – The Farmer's Boy/Soldiers of the Queen (Quick); The Minden Rose (Slow) - The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border) – King's Own Royal Border Regiment March (De ye ken John PeelJohn Peel (farmer)John Peel was a British huntsman who is the subject of the nineteenth century song D'ye ken John Peel - "ken" being a dialectical form of "know" used in Scotland and the north of England.-Peel's life:...
) (Quick); The Red Rose (Slow) - The Royal Regiment of FusiliersThe Royal Regiment of FusiliersThe Royal Regiment of Fusiliers is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on April 23, 1968, as part of the reforms of the army that saw the creation of the first 'large infantry regiments', by the amalgamation of the four English fusilier...
– The British Grenadiers (Quick); Rule Britannia (Slow) - The Royal Anglian Regiment – Rule Britannia/Speed the Plough (Quick); The Northamptonshire (Slow)
- The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot)Yorkshire RegimentThe Yorkshire Regiment is one of the largest infantry regiments of the British Army. The regiment is currently the only line infantry or rifles unit to represent a single geographical county in the new infantry structure, serving as the county regiment of Yorkshire covering the historical areas...
– Ça IraAh! ça ira"Ah ! ça ira" is an emblematic song of the French Revolution, first heard in May 1790. It underwent several changes in wording, all of which used the title words as part of the refrain.-Original version:...
(Quick); The Duke of York (Slow) - The Mercian RegimentMercian RegimentThe Mercian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of three existing regiments on 1 September 2007.The regiment has three regular army battalion's and one Territorial Army or reserve battalion...
– Wha Wadna Fecht for Charlie/Under the Double Eagle (Quick); Stand Firm and Strike Hard (Slow) - The Royal WelshRoyal WelshThe Royal Welsh was formed on St David's Day, 1 March 2006. It is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army, and the regiment's formation was announced on 16 December 2004 by Geoff Hoon and General Sir Mike Jackson as part of the restructuring of the infantry.-Formation:The...
– Men of HarlechMen of Harlech"Men of Harlech" or "The March of the Men of Harlech" is a song and military march which is traditionally said to describe events during the seven year long siege of Harlech Castle between 1461 and 1468. Commanded by Constable Dafydd ap Ieuan, the garrison held out in what is the longest known...
(Quick); Forth to the Battle (Slow) - The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment) – KillaloeKillaloe MarchKillaloe is the Regimental Quick March of the British Army regiment, The Royal Irish Regiment...
(Quick); Eileen Alannah (Slow); - The Parachute Regiment – Ride of the ValkyriesRide of the ValkyriesThe Ride of the Valkyries is the popular term for the beginning of Act III of Die Walküre, the second of the four operas by Richard Wagner that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen. The main theme of the Ride, the leitmotif labelled Walkürenritt, was first written down by the composer on 23 July 1851...
(Quick); Pomp and Circumstance No 4 (Slow) - The Royal Gurkha Rifles – Bravest of the Brave (Quick); God Bless the Prince of WalesGod Bless the Prince of Wales"God Bless the Prince of Wales" is a patriotic song written to mark the occasion of the marriage of the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom to Alexandra of Denmark.The song was first proposed at the Caernarfon Eisteddfod of 1862...
(Slow); Keel RowThe Keel RowThe Keel Row is a traditional Tyneside folk song evoking the life and work of the keelmen of Newcastle upon Tyne. It was first published in 1770, but may be considerably older...
(Double Past) - The RiflesThe RiflesThe Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...
– Mechanised Infantry (Quick); Old Salamanca (Slow); Keel RowThe Keel RowThe Keel Row is a traditional Tyneside folk song evoking the life and work of the keelmen of Newcastle upon Tyne. It was first published in 1770, but may be considerably older...
/Road to the Isles (Double Past) - The Special Air ServiceSpecial Air ServiceSpecial Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
– Marche des Parachutistes Belges (Quick); Lili Marlene (Slow) - Royal Gibraltar RegimentRoyal Gibraltar RegimentThe Royal Gibraltar Regiment is the home defence unit for the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It was formed in 1958 from the Gibraltar Defence Force as an infantry unit, with an integrated artillery troop.-Formation:...
– The British GrenadiersThe British GrenadiersThe British Grenadiers is a marching song for the grenadier units of the British and Commonwealth militaries, the tune of which dates from the 17th century. It is the Regimental Quick March of the Grenadier Guards, Corps of Royal Engineers, the Honourable Artillery Company and the Royal Regiment of...
Support Arms and Services
- Royal Regiment of Artillery – The British GrenadiersThe British GrenadiersThe British Grenadiers is a marching song for the grenadier units of the British and Commonwealth militaries, the tune of which dates from the 17th century. It is the Regimental Quick March of the Grenadier Guards, Corps of Royal Engineers, the Honourable Artillery Company and the Royal Regiment of...
/Voice Of The Guns(Quick); Scipio (Slow) - Royal Horse ArtilleryRoyal Horse ArtilleryThe regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
– Bonnie DundeeBonnie DundeeBonnie Dundee is a poem and a song about John Graham, 7th Laird of Claverhouse, 1st Viscount Dundee who was known by this nickname. The song has been used as a regimental march by several Scottish regiments in the British Army and was adapted by Confederate troops in the American Civil...
(Gallop march]; The Keel RowThe Keel RowThe Keel Row is a traditional Tyneside folk song evoking the life and work of the keelmen of Newcastle upon Tyne. It was first published in 1770, but may be considerably older...
(Trot March) Duchess of Kent March (walk march) - Honourable Artillery CompanyHonourable Artillery CompanyThe Honourable Artillery Company was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII. Today it is a Registered Charity whose purpose is to attend to the “better defence of the realm"...
– The British GrenadiersThe British GrenadiersThe British Grenadiers is a marching song for the grenadier units of the British and Commonwealth militaries, the tune of which dates from the 17th century. It is the Regimental Quick March of the Grenadier Guards, Corps of Royal Engineers, the Honourable Artillery Company and the Royal Regiment of...
(Quick);The Duke of York (Slow) - Corps of Royal Engineers – Wings/The British GrenadiersThe British GrenadiersThe British Grenadiers is a marching song for the grenadier units of the British and Commonwealth militaries, the tune of which dates from the 17th century. It is the Regimental Quick March of the Grenadier Guards, Corps of Royal Engineers, the Honourable Artillery Company and the Royal Regiment of...
- Royal Corps of SignalsRoyal Corps of SignalsThe Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
– Begone Dull Care (Quick), HRH The Princess Royal (Slow) - Army Air Corps – Recce Flight (Quick); Theivish Magpie (Slow)
- Royal Army Chaplains' DepartmentRoyal Army Chaplains' DepartmentThe Royal Army Chaplains' Department is an all-officer corps that provides ordained clergy to minister to the British Army.As of 2007, there are about 280 serving regular chaplains in the British Army; these can belong to either one of several Christian churches, or to the Jewish faith, although...
– Prince of Denmark's MarchPrince of Denmark's MarchThe Prince of Denmark's March, commonly but erroneously called the Trumpet Voluntary, is a musical composition written circa. 1700, by English baroque composer Jeremiah Clarke .-Composition:For many years the piece was attributed incorrectly to Clarke's elder and more widely known contemporary Henry...
(Trumpet Voluntary) - Royal Logistic CorpsRoyal Logistic CorpsThe Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army, comprising around 17% of its strength...
– On Parade - Royal Army Medical CorpsRoyal Army Medical CorpsThe Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
– Here's A Health Unto His MajestyHere's a Health unto His MajestyHere's a Health unto His Majesty is an English traditional song or glee, now used as the regimental march of the Royal Army Medical Corps since 1948. Note the song is never Here's A Health unto HER Majesty.... - Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers – Lilliburlero
- Adjutant General's CorpsAdjutant General's CorpsThe Adjutant General's Corps is a corps in the British Army responsible for many of its general administrative services. As of 2002, the AGC had a staff of 7,000 people...
– Pride of Lions- Corps of Royal Military Police - The Watchtower
- Military Provost Staff CorpsMilitary Provost Staff CorpsThe Military Provost Staff Corps was the corps of the British Army which ran its military prisons. As the Military Provost Staff , the corps is now administratively part of the Adjutant General's Corps. It also provides operational support and technical advice for Prisoner of War handling during...
- The Metropolitan - Army Legal Corps - Scales of Justice
- Royal Army Veterinary CorpsRoyal Army Veterinary CorpsThe Royal Army Veterinary Corps is an administrative and operational branch of the British Army responsible for the provision, training and care of animals. It is a small but technically competent corps forming part of the Army Medical Services...
– Drink Puppy Drink/A Hunting We Will Go (Quick); Golden Spurs (Slow) - Small Arms School CorpsSmall Arms School CorpsThe Small Arms School Corps is a small corps of the British Army responsible for maintaining the proficiency of the army in the use of small arms, support weapons and range management.-History:...
– March of the Bowmen - Royal Army Dental CorpsRoyal Army Dental CorpsThe Royal Army Dental Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army that provides dental care services to British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
– Green Facings - Intelligence Corps – Rose and Laurel
- Army Physical Training CorpsArmy Physical Training CorpsThe Royal Army Physical Training Corps is the British Army corps responsible for physical fitness and physical education. Its members are all Royal Army Physical Training Corps Instructors ....
– Be Fit - Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing CorpsQueen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing CorpsQueen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps is the nursing branch of the British Army and part of the Army Medical Services....
– Grey and Scarlet - Corps of Army MusicCorps of Army MusicThe Corps of Army Music is a corps of the British Army. It was formed in 1994 as an umbrella organisation, centred on the Royal Military School of Music, to oversee the 29 new permanent Military Bands formed following Options for Change, although each band continues to wear the capbadges and Full...
– Come Landlord Fill The Flowing Bowl/Minstrel Boy - Army Cadet ForceArmy Cadet ForceThe Army Cadet Force is a British youth organisation that offers progressive training in a multitude of the subjects from military training to adventurous training and first aid, at the same time as promoting achievement, discipline, and good citizenship, to boys and girls aged 12 to 18 and 9...
– Children Of The Regiment (Quick); Space Oddity (Slow)http://www.hac.org.uk/html/about-the-hac/traditions
Royal Air Force
- Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
– Royal Air Force March PastRoyal Air Force March PastThe "Royal Air Force March Past" is the official march of the Royal Air Force and is used in some other Commonwealth air forces.The original score was completed by Sir Walford Davies in 1918 for the new RAF; it combined the rhythm of the bugle call of the Royal Flying Corps with that of the Royal... - Royal Air Force Regiment – Holyrood
- Royal Air Force PoliceRoyal Air Force PoliceThe Royal Air Force Police is the Service Police branch of the Royal Air Force. It was formed on 1 April 1918, when the RAF was formed by the merger of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service . It is responsible for the policing of all service personnel much like there RN or Army...
– Royal Air Force Police March Past - Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing ServicePrincess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing ServicePrincess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service is the nursing branch of the British Royal Air Force.It was established as the Royal Air Force Temporary Nursing Service in 1918, and became part of the permanent establishment as the Royal Air Force Nursing Service on 27 January 1921...
– Skywards - Royal Observer CorpsRoyal Observer CorpsThe Royal Observer Corps was a civil defence organisation operating in the United Kingdom between 29 October 1925 and 31 December 1995, when the Corps' civilian volunteers were stood down....
– Skywatch