The Guards Depot, Pirbright 1985 - Passing Out Parade 14/06/1985 (Marne and Loos Intakes) 

I was at Pirbright Jan to March 1985 on my senior drill instructors course - was bloody brilliant ...........STAND STILL !

The Guards were never the same when they left Pirbright

What memories this brings back. Alex Dumont was my CSM. What a man. We were a band of brothers. Best part of my life

I was Alma platoon , I never thought at the time I'd say this , but I'd give anything to go back to that time, the era and to be that young man again. If this teaches anything, it's never whine about things that are there for a reason, always appreciate the method behind the madness

Thank you all who served...much appreciated.

I feature in this video at 2:09 , 22:55 and 30:07. .... I was 17 in 1985. I finally retired from the Army in 2007

This was the Golden era of the guardsmen when they looked like proper "Guardsmen" with the fierce discipline still imposed to them during those times

I've got to say the SLR rifle had a lot more panash and smartness when used on the parade ground.

Fantastic. I was there, loos platoon. Thanks for posting this. Hope young Guardsmen watching can keep the standards going.

A guardsman is never smarter than on the passing out parade. Filmed one year after I was at the depot. This has stirred up some memories. Thanks Andy.

Passed out 1985 scary place then brings back memories both good and bad, first posting 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards 💂‍♂️ just wish I could turn back time and do it all again!

When the guards were guards and proud.

I passed out at Pirbright in 1971 in The Lifeguards, the days when all the Guards trained together. We went to Catterick for our armoured training as trained soldiers while the other cavalry regiments did their very basic training in between tank training.

I was in the Flanders intake The Life Guards 1979 J/Dsgt, Loved it, Good old SLR drill as a cavalry man never needed that again but proud to say "done that"

These were the Guards Depot Pirbright days. And it shows. In everybody there on parade. 100% Guards. The modern Catterick product is a pale imitation.

Band of the the Irish guards with the pipes and drums of the scots guards and Irish guards 💂🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇧🍀

Royal Engineers, 85-92. The Guards in a totally different foot drill league! Every Guardsman here has bearing.

Andy, as a Passing Out Parade that was superb, I fancy very nearly Trooping the Colour quality. I think I heard the Saluting Officer comment on it particularly. Very decent of him, and well deserved.

Greatly enjoyed. Thanks for posting this. Our Army Cadet District Instructors Team featured a couple of Coldstream Sgts -John Lebentz and Graeme Purvis- so we got lots of Pirbright Tales ☺️

September 5th 1977 who forgets the first day they went to Pirbright Eypes intake ( Inkermon company rings a bell) 4902 Grenadier Guards same Platoon and squad as Glen Ling he was a nice quite boy said his dad was in the army in the RCT, who would have thought that 14 months later he would die on the 21st Dec 1978 with 2 other guardsman in an IRA ambush, RIP Glen and the other 2 guardsman. Platoon commander was Lt Shaking Stan used to be the RSM, one of our platoon L/Sgt was Les Scholes he was a good apple read the other day he served 42yrs looks like he may have became an officer after all which, is what he wanted to be when he joined up. Our platoon Sgt was Ogee ( could have been Stan) Hall an other was a L/Sgt Farr. After being in about 4 weeks we where on the Parade ground with the Kremlin top left had an officers inspection got a merit for getting the black crap of my bayonet and scabbard with a lot of elbow grease and 1000 grit emery cloth, shone like a mirror, (2 more get a weekend off) every thing was going good until he came to Frankie M.... the officer asked why his knuckles where bright red had he been fighting. No he replied the L/Sgt hits my hand with his pace stick when I don't keep the step. Then the shit hit the fan big time the officer shouted to two Sgt's to fall in on him, Farr was then put under close order arrest and double timed to the guardroom, that was an eye opener seeing that, later we heard he was busted back to the ranks and sent back to his Battalion. So that night who come's in pissed On Bacardi and coke, Sgt Hall, had us all stand to attention, his mate Farr busted etc, Hall was not in a good mood decided to take it out on some of the guys in my room and punched as hard as he could in the guts, the first boy went down as he didn't expect that the last to be hit was Dave J...... he was tough, Hall hit him and Dave just smiled at him, Hall left then. next couple of days we got beasted every where . Beastings where run of the mill back then you just took it in your stride. Got my L/Cpl strip, I was having good time, got into the boxing team with all that extra Pt I became very fit and weighed 10 1/2 st when joining came down to 9 1/2 st fittest I had ever been , loved sand hill LOL 3 paces up 2 back, was a killer when you had to carry someone on you shoulder 1 step up slide 3 back. Really liked the old assault course in the woods the Queen Mary had to get that right or you got a good soaking, and the monkey bars got good at them could grab every 4th rung with a pack. one of our squad Peter (I think his name was) broke his leg on the cargo net just before Christmas, Only trouble was when you where cold and wet and muddy our block had no hot water for about a month. Burrrr . Remember one night on a firing range shooting targets luminated by a flare in the butts and suddenly someone had a run away SLR just went full auto, something had broke in the firing mechanism. Over 5 months Sgt Hall came twice more doing his old trick pissed made to stood to attention and punching in the guts. After the 3rd time with that shit I went to the CSM and told him I wanted to leave and so I did. Done my bit pan diving and was out. Suppose with Hind sight we should have gone seen an Officer and said what was going on because it was wrong, but At 16 as a junior soldier you didn't know all the rules.

This makes me so proud to have served in the household division.

I passed out in 1976, and in June , I agree the guards were never the same when they left Pirbright, the height regulation should have been set in stone…5’8” upwards…….look how smart we were……god I miss those days……

Seven senior regiments of the household division 💂🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿☘️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

.....I made Sergeant in May 1985, and 5 years later I was commissioned. :P

RIP Guardsman wallwork,1965-1987 Grenadier Guards forever in my thoughts...

Fond memories I definitely recognise a few Coldstreamers there. I got to depot a year later

Think the big jock guard lance sergeant was tadger hood, heard he passed away recently, top bloke.

Happy Memory's, 1979, 7 Platoon D Lines , God,s Golden Arce, LSGT Goldie Scot,s Guard,s , running up Heartbreak Hill, and the massive Assault Course.

I went to Pirbright. I was a fuzzy

Hilarious that the sound isn;t synchronized with the actions. \they are anticipating every word of command. :-)

Thats a very steady march. The old days, national service allowed the household troops to draft the best and brightest for their needs. Both ceremonial and operational. Some say the 20th century guards arent as smart. But they sure added a few battle honours to the collours. I feel that makes up for anny disparancy in drill.

No. 3 pltn Caterham Company, Passed out September 1978.

I passed out same day POW div Crickhowell

Exactly 1 year after 9 platoon passing out parade. Sgt Downie, Lt.CST Page ..

The scaffold seating is exactly the same at my passing out parade at King's division Strencil York 1986 wonder if it was the same contractor . So much more better trained than the guards of 2021 its tragic.

The days when the metal shoulder badges we're worn, before the cheaper shoulder flashers were introduced.

Best pipers in the world

Year before I joined.

Passed out in 77... Memories... Interesting that you all had SLR's .. I thought the SA80 had entered service by then . or did you just use SLR for Drill.. ??💂 GGG

Drum major Irish guards 💂🇬🇧🍀

The days when if the dressing wasnt straight it was a problem with your TV, very smart

31:34 i saw the guard smiling hahahaha

And not a woman or 5ft overweigh person in sight .i