With only a few weeks left at Canterbury and most of my training there behind me there was only one big examination left to do and was in music and was the one for Kneller hall if you passed it you did not join your unit but went there for a year to turn you out at a higher standard in both playing and knowledge of music I had already taken the test to see if I could take that examination. As a boy bandsman we all had to take that but you had to be very good to even pass that one.I did not think at that time I would even pass that one ,I was OK but not the best ,anyway I was waiting to see how I done in that part ,it was going to take two weeks before we found out if we had or not passed the tests to take the big one for Kneller Hall .
One night I was in the band room on my own playing both my violin and clarinet .
At this same time my regiment was in Aden and having a very bad time of things with some of them getting killed but they were coming back soon and if I did not pass my examinations for Kneller hall I was to join up with them as a bandmans.
Anyway back to that night in the bandroom ,I was playing on my own when the door open and in came this bandmaster who I had never seen before ,he asked me to stop playing and then went on to aske me, "WELL boy you are to join the regimental band of the Buffs on their return from Aden is that right ?
"Yes Sir."
"Who is their bandmaster give me his name?
"Sorry sir but I do not know"
"You are in the Buffs as a bandmans and you are telling me you do not even know who the bandmaster is or even his name.? by this time he was shouting at me.
