Infantry Battalion Regimental Marches

Theresa Cronk

19 February 2009

What do a concert pianist, an Indian bandmaster and an Australian militia bandmaster have in common? Each of these individuals composed a march that would eventually be adopted as the regimental march of an Australian Imperial Force infantry battalion during the First World War. Many were popular songs of the period.

The 23^rd Battalion March was composed during the First World War by Miss Una Bourne at the request of Mrs Doris Carter. Una Bourne was a concert pianist and composer who toured as an associate artist with Dame Nellie Melba during her Australian visits. Una remained in England during the war years and performed for hospitals and the Red Cross.

The tune that became the 13^th Battalion Regimental March was compiled by an Indian bandmaster for the Crown Prince of Germany's visit to India in 1911. Following the First Battle of Bullecourt, the 13^th Battalion Bandmaster, Richo Copp, ordered this march to be played outside Brigade Headquarters as the remaining 700 soldiers marched back to billets. General C H Brand heard this march during both events and announced that this was the battalion's regimental march following the latter performance in 1917.

Many of the members of the 30^th Battalion Band were involved in the Manly Municipal Band prior to the war. The regimental march of this battalion was titled Association and was also written by Manly resident Sam Thompson.

Other regimental marches known to have been adopted by infantry battalions are:

Battalion	Title of march	Composer/Lyrics	Other information
2^nd Battalion	The National Emblem	Edwin Eugene Bagley
3^rd Battalion	Come on Third and In the evening down the Wambeke		First was sung to the tune of Loading up the Mandy Lee. Second song was sung to the tune of In the evening by the moonlight.
9^th Battalion	Veni, vidi, vici		Translates as: I came, I saw, I conquered
11^th Battalion	El Ebinaco Way down upon the Swanee River Sons of the Brave	Unknown Stephen Foster
12^th Battalion	When the Empire calls	Hugh Macdonald and Alfred Hill
14^th Battalion	The Swanee River	Stephen Foster
15^th Battalion	The Durham's
22^nd Battalion	22^nd Battalion Song Moonlight Bay Little Grey Home in the West	Unknown Percy Wenrich & Edward Madden Hermann Frederick Lohr & D Eardley-Wilmot
34^th Battalion	Wairoa
37^th Battalion	No title
49^th Battalion	The great little army	Kenneth Alford
54^th Battalion	The National Emblem	Edwin Eugene Bagley
57^th Battalion	The Voice of the guns	Kenneth Alford
58^th Battalion	Steadfast and true
59^th Battalion	The Invincible Volunteers
60^th Battalion	The Great Little Army	Kenneth Alford