I see with sadness the reported death of Roy Forsdick (Eb Sax & Vln). He was a Boy at Burford with me and also in the band in HMS GLORY 1951-3 in Korea; after we came back to UK never ever saw again; such was the nature of the Band Service in those days.

I was amazed to see that his death was reported by a younger brother who also was in the Band Service reaching B/Cpl. I had never heard of this chap, and would be grateful if you could let me have his email address, so I could send him a signal of condolence.

You may be interested to know that I have started to compile a computer list (in Excel format) of the whole Band Service RMB/X numbers, which ran from around 1925 or 26 until they changed to the Q, later P, prefix sometime in the late 1970s or 80s. RMB/X2 was Musician C J Hackett..... (not a lot of people know that!)

I have trawled through all my back copies of Blue Band from its beginning in 1949 and noted numbers and names from reports, chiefly of Deaths, unfortunately. However, as the BB states nowadays on the Deaths page, these accurate details are no longer sent to the mag. by the relevant Civil Service department, and NPP at Centurion, invoking the confidentiality of personal details in JSP400 (whatever that is). At the same time we have the Freedom of Information Act so I don`t know where that leaves us in this modern world of constant, often conflicting, law-making "on the hoof".

If anyone wished to let me have their number I would be glad to have it and it would be for the benefit of having a reference point to share with other retired RMBs.

Column headings are:
Register No., Surname, Christian name(s)1-2-3, Last rank, Instrumental category. Squad/year joined. Ships etc and any other interesting info.

Thank you for keeping us all so well informed,
Yours aye Terry Freestone terry@long-meadow.demon.co.uk
(RMB/X2505)