Original Item: Only One Available. This is a highly attractive and fully identified Grenadier Guards musician’s full dress tunic belonging to H. Scott, regimental number 2614704. The interior is clearly stamped September 1937, and Scott is recorded as a musician in the Grenadier Guards on the King George VI Coronation Medal Roll.

The tunic was therefore in service during one of the most important ceremonial moments of the pre-WWII British Army. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were crowned at Westminster Abbey on May 12, 1937, with troops and military bands from the Household Division playing a prominent role in the ceremonies and processions surrounding the event.

As the senior regiment of infantry in the British Army, the Grenadier Guards occupied a place of exceptional prestige. Officially titled the 1st or Grenadier Regiment of Foot Guards, the regiment traces its origins to 1656, when it was raised in exile to protect the future King Charles II. Since the Restoration, it has performed the dual roles that define the Foot Guards: ceremonial service to the Sovereign and active service in Britain’s wars.

The regimental bands were central to the public identity of the Guards. Their musicians appeared at royal ceremonies, state occasions, military parades, changing-the-guard duties, and other major national events. A musician’s full dress tunic was therefore not merely parade clothing, but part of the pageantry through which the British monarchy and Army presented themselves to the public.

This tunic displays the distinctive construction associated with a Grenadier Guards bandsman. The shoulders are fitted with broad, ornate shoulder boards that remain open at the lower edge rather than being sewn down in the manner of standard infantry shoulder straps.

The front is decorated with extensive gold-colored lace arranged across the chest, giving the tunic the elaborate appearance expected of a Household Division musician. Some of the stitching securing this trim has come loose with age, and portions of the lace now require careful handling.

The collar retains embroidered flaming grenade insignia in bullion. This emblem is one of the most recognizable symbols of the Grenadier Guards and reflects the regiment’s historic association with the grenadier companies of the British Army.

The shoulder-board insignia remains especially attractive and provides excellent visual appeal.

The tunic retains its complete set of Grenadier Guards buttons. These display the correct regimental pattern and remain present on the front and other applicable areas of the garment.

The interior is clearly stamped:

2614704
B.G.G.
9-37

The service number identifies the tunic to H. Scott, while the date indicates manufacture, issue, or inspection in September 1937. The initials B.G.G. are consistent with Band, Grenadier Guards.

Scott’s appearance on the 1937 King George VI Coronation Medal Roll adds an important documented connection to the uniform. The Coronation Medal was issued to selected military personnel, officials, and others who took part in or supported the ceremonies associated with the coronation.

The September 1937 date places this tunic near the end of the traditional prewar British Army. Less than two years later, Britain entered WWII, and the Grenadier Guards expanded dramatically for active service.

During the war, the regiment raised six battalions. Several were converted to armored units and served with the Guards Armoured Division, while Grenadier Guards battalions fought in France, North Africa, Italy, and Northwest Europe. The regiment therefore continued to balance its historic royal and ceremonial duties with front-line military service.

Although Scott’s precise wartime duties have not been established, his service as a Grenadier Guards musician placed him within one of the most visible and prestigious institutions of the British Army immediately before the outbreak of WWII.

The tunic remains in worn but highly displayable condition. The principal condition issue is loose and partially detached stitching securing portions of the gold chest lace. The tunic otherwise retains its important original features, including the complete regimental buttons, bullion collar insignia, distinctive musician’s shoulder boards, and clearly legible interior identification.

Named British Household Division uniforms are always desirable, and musician’s tunics are considerably more elaborate and visually impressive than standard enlisted examples. The combination of a complete service number, precise 1937 date, documented Grenadier Guards musician, and King George VI Coronation Medal Roll connection makes this a particularly appealing and research-worthy example.

An outstanding identified uniform representing the ceremonial splendor of the Grenadier Guards during the final years before WWII.

A rare named example that brings together regimental history, royal ceremony, and exceptional visual appeal.

Approximate Measurements:
Collar to Shoulder: 8"
Shoulder to Sleeve: 25"
Shoulder to Shoulder: 14 1/2"
Chest Width: 17 1/2"
Waist: 16"
Hip: 19"
Front Length: 29"