ENGLAND v WALES SERVICES INTERNATIONAL

at Gloucester 13 April 1940

A recent donation/purchase addition to our collection is the following programme from the England v Wales wartime services international at Gloucester. The programme belonged to Band member Fred Dearing and was donated by his son John. Here is short extract about Fred written by son John:

Off duty Fred was able to continue his musical activities and the Band of the Royal Tank Regiment seems to have been quite sought after. They performed at the Prince of Wales Theatre in Bristol, with father playing the trombone in one of his favourite pieces, Finlandia by Sibelius; also they provided the music for an unofficial Rugby Union International between England and Wales, staged at Gloucester in the Spring of 1940, with such luminaries as Peter Cranmer, Jim Unwin and Wilf Wooller participating.