The saluting officers were His Royal Highness The Duke of York. CVO ADC Brigadier M. G. Douglas-Withers CBE ADC,Director Royal Artillery; Dr John Reid MP,
Minister for the Arrned Forces and for the final perforrnance. Her Majesty the Queen. Captain
General Royal artillery took the salute.There were 300 troops involved and they got together for the first time about eight days before at Woolwich to practice their music under the direction of Major
Geoffrey KingstonPSM. Director of Music Royal Artillery.On the Sunday
fore the weekday ceremonies were to take place a full-dressrehearsal was
perforrned on Horse Guards Parade where final preparations were made
before the first perforrnance on the Monday.
In addition to the British units involved with the Sunset Ceremony there were a number
from overseas, the largest contingent being that of the French La Musique Principal de I'Armée de Terre.
They started life as a Corps of Drums in Rochefort in 1945 and. in 1946, moved to the 3rd Battalion of Colonial
Infantry at Versailles, and in 1952 officially became, Musique Principule des Troupes
Coloniales. In 1958 the Band's name was changed again to Miasiquc Principal des Troupes de Marine
(hence the anchor badges worn). ln 1997 the name was changed once
again, to Musique Principale de I 'Armée de Terre and is under the command of the Chef de
Musique des Armées ably assisted by a Chef de Musique, a Sous-Chef de Musique and a Drum
Major who, in turn, are all under the command of the General Military Governor of Paris.
The Band has a total of 102 musicians.
The 62nd United States Army Band based atthe Air Defence School at Fort Bliss
in El PasoTexas also sent some pipes and drums to participate in the Beating Retreat ceremony.
In 1997 the American Pipes and Drums formed a ‘Bond of Friendship’ with the Pipes and Drums
of the 105th Regiment of Royal Artillery (Volunteers) who are based in Edinburgh.
The Band of the Sri Lanka Artillery was also on parade. This band was formed in 1990, comprising
18 members which includes the Bandmaster. The Band's first performance was
for His Excellency The President of Sri Lanka in 1991. the Band regularly performs in massed
displays and it also performed in front of h is Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales during his
tour of Sri'Lanka for their 50th Anniversary of Independence celebrations.
The principal British band was that of the Royal Artillery who can trace their musical
association back to 1557 when they first had drummers and fifers. The Band itself traces
its origins back to 1762 when it was formed at Minden in Germany. It began with just
eight musicians and, by the late 1960s, had over 100 musicians. The Govemment’s
‘Options for Change’ has reduced their numbers to 50, but the Band performs all over the
world from as far a field as the United States of America, Iceland and Cypus.
The King's Troop Royal Artillery performed a musical ride on Horse Guards
during the ceremony with their 13 pdr guns.
When on parade with their guns the Regiment take precedent over all other units
in the British Army on the right of the line.The King's Troop also supplied the Fanfare
Trumpeters for the Ceremony.
The 19th Regiment of Royal Artillery (The Highland Gunners) were formed in
1947 after the disbandment of the 17th FieldRegiment. In the 1970s
the Regiment supported the Royal School of Artillery at Larkhill and in 1990 moved to its present
base in Colchester where it became part of 24 Airmobile Brigade. The Regiment has completed tours of Northern Ireland, Bosnia
and Cyprus with the United Nations. lts Pipes and Drums have paraded since the
1950s and its Pipe Major saw service with the Pipes and Drums of the Royal Scots and
the Gordon Highlanders.
The Lowland Gunners’ - 40th Regiment Royal Artillery were first formed in 1947 as
40th Field Regiment and later inherited the traditions of the 10th Field Regiment who, in
itself, was formed from the 69th (West Riding) Field Regiment. The Regiment has
served in Borneo, Northern Ireland, Belize,the Falklands, Kuwait and many other places
around the world. In 1994 it was equipped with the AS-90, considered by many to be the
world's best 155mm self-propelled howitzer.The Pipes and Drums of the 4oth Regiment
were formed in 1994. At present there are four drummers and five pipers and another
five members are to join them shortly from the Scottish Division School of Music for
Pipes and Drums, Glencorse.
The Honourable Artillery Company’ was named as such in 1685 and its Company of
Pikemen and Musketeers are the personal bodyguard of the Lord Major of London. The
Regiment also carries out firing Royal Salutes from the Tower of London and recently some
members performed public duties at Buckingham Palace. On parade during
Beating Retreat were the Regiment's Band and the Pikemen and Musketeers.
The 307th (South Nottinghamshire hussars Yeomanry, Royal Horse Artillery) Battery,
100th (Yeomanry) Regiment of Royal Artillery (Volunteers) was also on parade.
The South Nottinghamshire Hussars were formed in 1794 not seeing their first action
until over 100 years later during the Boer War, 1900-02 as part of the Imperial
Yeomanry. In 1922 the Regiment was incorporated into the Royal Artillery. They saw
action at the Siege of Tobruk in the Western Desert during WWII and after that war
became an Observation Post Battery. They recently re-equipped as a Field Gun Battery
with FH70 as part of 100th (Yeomanry) Regiment. Music for the Regiment was
first supplied in 1825 by a mounted band which lasted until 1941 when it was sacrificed
at the Battle of Knightsbridge. The Band in its present form was formed in
1954 and is one of only two brass bands still serving in the Territorial Army, (the
other being that of the TA band of the Royal Regiment of Wales).
The 204th (Tyneside Scottish) Battery 101st (Northumbrian) Regiment Royal Artillery
(Volunteers) had four battalions serving in WWI. but were disbanded after the War. They
were re-raised in 1939 as the 12th Battalion (Tyneside Scottish) Durham Light Infantry and
afterwards becoming 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (The Black Watch, Royal Highland
Regiment). In 1947 the Regiment was again reconstituted as 670 Light Anti-Airtraft Regirnent
Royal Artillery (TA) and in 1958 became a battery of the 439th Light Air Defence Regiment.
The reductions in I967 saw the Regiment reverting to a rifle company of the 4/5/6th
Battalion Royal Northurnberland Fusiliers-They were then re-rolled again as the 101st
Regiment and are now the ARRC Orbat. part of the 1st Artillery Brigade 203 (Elswich) Battery.
When the four battalions of the Tyneside Scottish were raised during WWI each one had
its own pipes and drums. The Pipes and
Drums have kept their association with the Black Watch by wearing the red hackle.
The 103rd Regiment Royal Artillery (The Lancashire Artillery Volunteers) were raised
in 1859 as 23 companies of Artillery. During WWI they formed 25 Artillery and Infantry
Brigades and during WWII, 17 Royal Artillery regiments. In 1967 the various regiments
amalgamated to form 103rd (Lancashire Artillery Volunteers) Light Air
Defence Regiment, Royal Artillery. In 1977 the Regiment was re-designated as the 103rd
(Lancashire Artillery Volunteers) Air Defence Regiment Royal Artillery being first
equipped with Blowpipe anti-aircraft missiles and subsequently Javelin surface-to-air mis-
siles. The Band was forrned in 1967 from members of the Lancashire RA, Royal Engineers. East and South Lancashire
Regiments, Lancashire Fusiliers, Loyals, Manchester Regirnent and the Duke of
Lancaster's Own Yeomanry. The Pipes and Drurns were forrned from its predecessor
regiments including those of the 8th (Volunteers) Irish Battalion, the King's
Regiment and the 2nd (Volunteers) Scottish Battalion The King's Regiment. Up until 1970
they wore the Irish saffron coloured kilt, when the then Honorary Colonel. Brigadier
Sir Douglas Crawford granted perrnission for the Crawford Tartan to be worn.
The 104th Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers) were formed in 1967 as 104th
Light Air Defence Regiment. It changed its 40mm Bofors guns for Blowpipe missiles in
I978 and was later re-equipped with Javelin missiles in 1992.
The 105th Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers) was re-designated in I986 and
can trace its lineage back to the raising of Volunteers in I859. The Pipes and Drums
were formed in 1962 as part of the 278(City of Edinburgh) Field Regiment Royal
Artillery (Volunteers).
The london Scottish, ‘A’ Company of the London Regiment can trace its descent to the
Highland Armed Association of London in 1793 and the Loyal North Britons of 1803.
They are distinctive in their Hodden Grey kilts. The Regiment fought in both World
Wars and one battalion fought as 97th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery
Territory Army (London Scottish). As well as serving as HAA during the Battle of Britain
they also saw action in Sicily and Italy. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother is
the Honorary Colonel of the Regiment and the Pipe Major is her personal piper. The Pipes
and Drurns were forrned with the Regiment in 1859 and have perforrned all over the world as
well as London public duties.