H.M. ROYAL AIR FORCE

New Zealand Listener, Volume 1, Issue 25, 15 December 1939, Page 23

H.M. ROYAL AIR FORCE

HE pride that New Zealanders take in the Royal Air Force in the present war gives special interest to the most junior of the more important of Britain’s military bands. Since New Zealand’s connection with the Royal Air Force will be a very important contribution in the great struggle, no listener will hear the Band of H.M. Royal Air Force without a thrill of pleasure. The motto of this comparatively new arm of defence is itself an inspiration-‘ Per Ardua ad Astra" (Through Difficulties to the Stars). What we know as the Royal Air Force was formed by amalgamation of the Royal Naval Air Service (Admiralty) and the Royal Flying Corps (War Office) by Act of Parliament, April 1, 1918. Brief, but extremely interesting, is the history of the present band of the Royal Air Force, which was formed at Uxbridge, near London, in June, 1920. Before that date there were several bands at various stations, but these were " unofficial." The first official band was) formed at Blandford, in Dorset, in July, 1918,-and the’ first official bandmaster there was Flight Lieut. John Amers. The band comprises sixty musicians and twenty boys under training. The musical director has built up a combination that has forged its way to the front rank among military bands throughout Britain, and has also become one of the most popular broadcasting bands. Mr. Amers’ particular instruments are the. violin, clarinet, and bassoon. When quite a lad he joined the 16th (Queen’s) Lancers, afterwards transferring to the band of the Second Life Guards. He was the first N.C.O. of that regiment to be sent to Kneller Hall to qualify as a bandmaster. After a course at the " Hall" he was appointed bandmaster of the Second Battalion Devon Regiment in June, 1901. In October, 1914, he was selected for the bandmastership of Sandhurst Royal Military College, and in 1918 was transferred to the Royal Air Force, in which he received his commission in January, 1919. He is a born musician, and he has certainly upheld the grand traditions of a worthy Northern musical family, New-castle-on-Tyne having particular reason to be proud of his late father, John H. Amers, one of the’ city’s musical leaders,

Although the R.A.F. Band is so young it is extremely popular throughout the United Kingdom. Its engagement list will bear comparison with that of any other first class military band, and listeners are well aware how deserving it is of its high place in the annals of British military band music.