The Arborfield Bands.

The Pipe Band.

Pipe Band Music.

Whilst browsing through the photos of the Pipe Band section, why not listen to some of the music we marched to on the various parades at Arborfield. The music clips are in m3u. format. Access is through clicking on the track numbers below. Minimise your Media Player to continue viewing the photos.

The arrangements on Tracks 01 to 07 are the work of Major (Retired) Calum Gray, one time Director of Music of the Band Of The Rifles.

Track 01	Scotland The Brave, Black Bear, Highland Laddie.
Track 02	Atholl Highlanders, Mucking O Geordies Byre, Bonnie Dundee
Track 03	Skye Boat Song.
Track 04	Flowers Of The Forest.
Track 05	Killiecrankie
Track 06	Auld Lang Syne.
Track 07	Amazing Grace.
Track 08	Lewis Bridal Song aka Mairi’s Wedding played by the Band Of The !st Bn Scots Guards.

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Photograph added 1st February 2014.

The contemporary photograph shown below is thought to be of the band between 1945 and 1948. It was contributed by Clive Wagstaff (65C).

The Arborfield Army Apprentices School Pipe Band was formed in 1946.

Source & Copyright © Sport & General Press Agency Ltd. London.

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Pipe Band circa 1953/54

Photograph digitally repaired and enhanced by Terry REDDIN (52A). Contributed by THEIN SAN (52B).

Rear Rank: 1 N/K. 2 Pickworth. 3 N/K. 4 Thein San. 5 Davies. 6 Reed.

Centre Rank: 1 Martin. 2 Grounsell. 3 Corkran. 4 N/K. 5 N/K/. 6 Gerry. 7 Stannard. 8 N/K.

Front Rank. 1 Thrower. 2 N/K. 3 Ormiston. 4 Povey. 5 PM Batt. 6 A/DM Downer. 7 Yule. 8 Wilson. 9 Johnson.

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Pipe Band circa 1954/55

Contributed by David PICKWORTH (52A).

Rear Rank: 1 Reed. 2 Myo Tint. 3 Telford. 4 Than Shwe. 5 Rennie. 6 Davies. 7 Elsey.

Centre Rank: 1 Thrower. 2 Glover. 3 Wilson. 4 King. 5 Headley. 6 Johnson. 7 Cousins.

Front Rank: 1 Martin. 2 Povey. 3 A/PM Pickworth. 4 PM Batt. 5 Captain MacHorton. 6 Colonel Magee. 7 RSM MacNally.

8 Sgt McCutcheon. 9 A/DM Grounsell. 10 Yule

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Dan Rennie (53B), now living in New Zealand, also had a copy of the above photograph. On the reverse of his copy he had made a note of the members of the band which has enabled us to complete the roll call.

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Pipe Band 1955

Contributed by THEIN ZAN (52B).

The pipe band, led by Pipe Major Batt giving a display. Charles Elsey (53A), Pictorial Archivist at the REME Museum places the display at Aldershot in the Summer of 1955.

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Pipe Band circa 1953/54

Contributed by Trevor STUBBERFIELD (52A).

Apprentice Drum Major John Lofty Grounsell (52A) leading the Pipe Band

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Presentation of the two maces.

On the 24th October 1953, as recorded in The Arborfield Apprentice by Peter Gripton, two new maces were presented to the Drum Majors of the Military and Pipe Bands. The presentation took place in the village of Badshot Lea, Surrey, near Aldershot. The Pipe Band mace was presented to A/CPL John Grounsell (52A) on behalf of local people in recognition of services to the community by the bands. The Military Band mace was presented to A/DM R H Nixey by Messrs. George Potter & Company, Aldershot based makers of musical instruments.

John Grounsell, now living in Australia, recalls that he actually held the rank of A/CPL at the time of the presentation. There had been a vacancy for an Apprentice Drum Major and because of his height and bearing he had been earmarked for the post. However, it was felt that the jump from A/T to A/DM was too big a step and therefore promotion was to come in stages. He also recalls that the relatively swift promotion went against the grain for some members of the A/SGTs mess and it was some time before he was accepted as a full member in his own right.

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Contributed by John GROUNSELL (52A).

A/DM R H Nixey and A/CPL John Grounsell

Contributed by John GROUNSELL (52A).

A/CPL John Grounsell receiving the Pipe Band Mace.

The two photos of the presentation had been removed, many years ago, from a booklet published about the ceremony and were only recently discovered by John Grounsell who made them available to the site. Unfortunately they have suffered the ravages of time but are worth publishing as a record of an important part of the Arborfield story.

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	A small 2”x2” photo, believed taken in 1954, of the Pipe Band. Two of the Burmese Apprentices are shown playing the bagpipes, Myo Tint and Than Shwe. Pipe Major Batt, Irish Guards, leads with A/PM David Pickworth (52A). Far right is thought to be Danny Yule also 52A. The drummer is Colin Headley (52B).
	Contributed by Trevor STUBBERFIELD (52A).

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The following photos have been contributed by David Pickworth (52A).

A/DM John Grounsell (52A) leading the pipe band, followed by the military band, from the parade ground. Leading the centre file is A/PM David Pickworth (52A), with the left file led by PM Batt, Irish Guards.

A/PM David Pickworth, PM Batt, S/Sgt Hugh McCutcheon RAEC.

Arborfield Army Apprentices School Pipe Band 1950

Rear Rank. 1.n/k, 2.Ian Pickworth (50A). 3.Stewart, 4.n/k, 5.A/PM Hosty, 6.Callan, 7.n/k.

Front Rank. 1.n/k, 2.Sharp, 3.n/k, 4.PM Batt, 5.Ozzie Osborne (49B), 6.White.

More Pipe Band related photos are available in David Pickworth’s photo album.

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The photos below have been contributed by Tony Church (55A).

Tony places the picture as October 1957 prior to both the military and pipe bands appearing on a television program. A matching photo of the military band, along with some relevant text, can be viewed from HERE.

Photo added 15th February 2011

Apprentice Drum Major, Tony Church (55A).

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Photo added 1st July 2017

Copyright © Reader & Ward, Aldershot. Contributed by Alan JONES (61B).

Arborfield Army Apprentices School Pipe Band 1962

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Clive Wagstaff (65C) who contributed the 1945-48 Pipe Band photos at the start of this article.

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Photos added 1st November 2017

At the 2016 AOBA Reunion the newly formed ‘Pipes and Drums’ of the Arborfield Old Boys Association lead the parade for the first time. All ‘home grown’ musicians, in ‘Intake Seniority’ order, they were Tony ‘TeeCee’ Church (55A), Robin Bartholomew (58A), Derek Camp (58B), Alex Burt (62A), Neil Turrell (62A), Alastair White (71A), Trevor Flett (73C) and Nick Cane (76C).

As used on the 2016 AOBA Reunion Parade.

2017. The ‘Pipes and Drums’ of the Arborfield Old Boys Association. The numbers have increased since their initial performance at the 2016 Memorial Service and a move is afoot to equip them with an official tartan of the Association.

Alas, much of our Arborfield history can now be found on E Bay. This appeared for sale in 2017.

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Arborfield Army Apprentices College 1973 - 75

The photos below have been contributed by Terry Reddin (52A).

Photo Copyright © Terry REDDIN (52A).

Photo Copyright © Terry REDDIN (52A).

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Photograph added 15th November 2020.

The pipe band of an Army Technical School leads the parade of Officers and men of HMS Garth from the railway station to the Town Hall in Wokingham, Berkshire in January 1945

(Image: Mirrorpix) Text & Photo Copyright © Get Reading.

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First Published: 15th May 2007.

Latest Update: 15th November 2020.

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