Kneller woes

As one of many national servicemen in the Band of the Royal Corps of Signals from 1956-8, I agreed with every word of Richard Morrison’s article regarding the demise of so many military bands. There is, though, one important factor which Richard doesn’t mention. Two of my contemporaries who were orphaned at 12 became band boys at 14 before going to Kneller Hall to learn their instruments. Without the army, how could they have become musicians, as they would have had no chance of attending a music college? Alan White, Heversham