Drum Majors of The Green Howards

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K Donnelly                     1930-1932      His Corps was one of the best in England at the time

D/Maj   A. Balchin           1932-1939      From the Coldstream Guards, Sgt Wood took over                                      during the out break of WWII.

D/Maj   J. Gates            1947              He formed a small Corps in Schoningen Germany

D/Maj   W. Noble            1947-1948      First sizeable Corps in Sept 1947

D/Maj   J. Woodcock     1948-1949      Was D/M with the 2nd Bn. from India to Khartoum. Remembering that the 2nd Bn (Khartoum) became the present 1st Bn. When reducing infantry levels the 1st Bn in UK was disbanded and the 2nd Bn (difficult to de-kit in Khartoum) renamed the 1st Bn. Both sets of Colours made the necessary 'swop' sea journeys, one set to be laid up. This caused endless squabbles - Topper Brown was one because he was 2nd Bn - when the 2nd Bn was re-raised in 1952, being called the '2/2nd' Bn by such people as the late Lt Col Don Stowe.

D/Maj   A. Birbeck          1949-1952      After the Amalgamation of 1st & 2nd Bns. 1st Bn went to Malaya

D/Maj   J. Bryan             1952-1953      (He transfered to York & Lancs)

D/Maj   J. Ripley            1953-             For three months

D/Maj   A. Birbeck         1953-1957      Promoted to WOII

D/Maj   D. Brown           1957-1969      Better known as Topper (Died 17th March 2008) SEE TOPPER

D/Maj   J. Peacock        1969-1973      Joe's Dad was the RSM

D/Maj   B. Stephenson    1973-1976      Transfered in from the Guards

D/Maj W. Drake            1976-1982       WOII went to be HQ CSM.

D/Maj P. McCarthy BEM   1982-1989   Posted to N/Ireland as Ops WO

D/Maj R. Purvis             1989-1993       Posted to Jnr. Soldiers Harrogate, until discharge.

D/Maj A. Daniels           1993-1994       Posted in from The Guards.

D/Maj R. Williamson    1994-1996        Richard left to serve for a year at the Infantry Gunnery School and then left the Army.

D/Maj S. Perkins          1996-2002       Promoted to CSgt whilst still in the post, posted to B (KH) Coy as
Plt Comd then CQMS HQ Coy, CQMS Kings Div at ITC Catterick then to RRT 1GH ( 2 YORKS as of 6th June 2006).

D/Maj D. Portass           2002-2005       Dave a Sgt was posted to do Army recruiting Middlesborough

D/Maj S. Elstob            2005-              to present Sgt D/Maj.

From: Dennis Brown (ex DM 1957-1969)

1940 (Depot) [Richmond] DM 'Ginger' Gates
1947 (2nd Bn) [India] DM Smales
1948 (2nd Bn) [Khartoum] DM Baldwin

Drum Majors
The 1st Bn The Green Howards

When Drum Major Birbeck joined the 1st Bn. there was no Corps of Drums as such within the Bn, during the war Ginger Gates started to form one, then he was demobbed.

Nobby Noble was drafted in and carried on until 1949, he was transferred as D/Maj to the York & Lancs, we were sent to Khartoum as the 1st Bn. Cadre. When they arrived the great majority of the Drums were due for repatriation, so except for D/Maj Woodcock and six drummers that's all what was left.
After posting to Malaya he was asked to assist Woodcock to reform the Drums, rightly or wrongly he refused as he had gone to Khartoum to be the Drum Major.

However after a few months he was confirmed as Drum Major from 1950. In 1952 he committed a "Faux Pas" in other words he was drunk on a retreat beating in Malacca, the Drum Sgt G Bryan took over in 1952 until 1953, he was also transfered to the Yorks & Lancs. A Birbeck returned to the 1st Bn. in Minden and resumed the roll as D/Major. He was promoted to C/Sgt as D/Maj and then to WOII, when D/Maj Topper Brown took over in 1957, this explains the reason A. Birbeck pops up now and again.

By Ex Drum Major's P, McCarthy & A Birbeck