Royal Marine musician donates rare statue to inspire future generations

A rare statue of a Royal Marines musician has been donated to the elite military band by one of its former stalwarts.

In a career spanning four decades, George Latham performed for kings, queens, presidents, sultans, at the Bicentennial of the USA and the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill, and paraded at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.

For good measure he was praised for his bravery as a stretcher bearer in the Falklands, crewed “Green Goddess” fire engines during a firefighters’ strike in Glasgow in the 1970s, and delivered his younger daughter Claire when the midwife could not make it in time.

Among his prized possessions is a rare statue of a Royal Marine drum major – a figure he now wants to donate to his beloved band for safekeeping and to inspire future generations of musicians.

Now in his mid-80s and unable to travel too far from his home in Liskeard due to suffering from terminal cancer, Mr Latham made the short trip to HMS Raleigh in Torpoint to hand over the statue.

HMS Raleigh is the home of the Royal Marines Band Plymouth and was also Mr Latham’s last posting before he retired in 1986.

The statue will go on display at the band’s School of Music in Portsmouth.

Mr Latham joined present-day musicians to see what has changed in the nearly 40 years since he retired and treated them to a moving cello performance.

“I never expected all this – I thought I’d get a letter back thanking me for my gift to the Royal Marines School of Music,” said Mr Latham.

“This has been tremendous, totally not what I was expecting, it’s been a fantastic day.”

The statue was an ever-present fixture during his career – and hence a beloved family asset.

“We moved 12 times during my service with the Royal Marines Band, and the statue has come with us,” he said.

“It’s done well to survive those moves, I’m a good packer – you have to be in the Royal Marines.

“I’m hoping it will take pride of place in the school and inspire the next generation of Royal Marines Musicians, who will have a most fulfilling career, as I’ve had.”

Major Ian Davis, director of music of the Royal Marine Band Plymouth, said the service was “a very close-knit family”.

“It’s wonderful to have someone like George come along to tell us his stories, share his experiences and inspire us through what his generation were up to, and how music is always the overriding passion with all Royal Marines Musicians,” he said.

“The statue is particularly impressive. Often military statues have something which is slightly wrong, but we can’t find anything out of place – the uniform and the details are absolutely perfect.

“It is going to have a prominent position at the Royal Marines School of Music in Portsmouth.”

One of 13 siblings originally from Warwickshire, Mr Latham played tenor horn with the Salvation Army Band before deciding music would be his career as well.

He joined the Royal Marines Band Service aged 14 in 1952, learning to play the euphonium and cello at the School of Music, then based in Deal.

Once qualified he performed at sea and on land, across Europe, with carrier HMS Ocean and the former Royal Yacht Britannia.

While serving at HMS Raleigh in the late 1950s, Mr Latham met his future wife Evelyn. They were married within three months and have now been together for 66 years.

During the Falklands, he performed the musicians’ wartime role of medical support, acting as a stretcher bearer aboard the liner-cum-troopship, and was singled out for his bravery during one air raid.