OXF & BUCKS LI REGIMENTAL MARCHES

REGIMENTAL MARCHES

THE OXFORDSHIRE AND BUCKINGHAMSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY

"NACHTLAGER EN GRANADA and THE LOWER CASTLE YARD"

The first line of the Regimental March was a rhyme/aid memoire that referred to how the soldiers kit was laid out for an inspection:-

“Knife, Fork, Spoon. Razor, Comb and Lather Brush.”

THE BUCKINGHAMSHIRE BATTALION

"THE 95"

"I'm Ninety Five" was the Regimental March of the Rifle Brigade but was also adopted by the Buckinghamshire Battalion as its own Regimental March although it was known as "The 95".

My Grandfather taught me a couple of lines that his father sang to the “95” on Old Comrades Parades of the Bucks Battalion when the band struck up at the Park, Wolverton:-

“Oh the Ox and Bucks have gone away and left the girls in the family way.
And I told me mother when I got home, the girls won’t leave the boys alone.”

No doubt there were many other lines not suitable for young ears or print.
But If anyone knows any more please let me know.

THE 4TH BATTALION

"THE ITALIAN SONG"

The 4th Battalion also had their own March, known as the Italian Song. It originates from the First World War, when the 1/4th Battalion Oxf & Bucks LI was part of the British Force sent to Northern Italy, late in 1917, to help the Italians in their campaign against the Austrians.
Whilst there, the Bandmaster, W.J. Liebermann MM, discovered this Italian song, and arranged it for the band.

The words of the song refer to Garibaldi and his famous ‘Thousand’ (‘I Mille’) who invaded Sicily in May 1860 at the start of the unification of Italy (‘Risorgimento’). It is not known whether the song was actually sung by the Garibaldini at that time, nor whether the words were sung to the tune which became known as The Italian Song. But the song was known to the Officers of the 4th Battalion during the years between the Wars and also after the Second War, and was sung with gusto every year at the annual TA camp. Some say that it ought to be sung whilst standing on one’s chair!