Page 171 - The Bugle 2018

a Group of suppliers, marketing specialists and actual manufacturers it has the capacity to serve its customers throughout the world.
Over the years through acquisition and expansion, the company has grown into becoming one of the foremost manufacturers and suppliers of ceremonial equipment in all its pomp and panoply together with the development and supply of Field Service equipment. Such was the extent of its acquisitions, it was restructured into a formal group of companies to be known as All Arms Marketing and Manufac- turing Organisation. The military with its love of acronyms lost no time in calling the Group AMMO – from a PR and marketing point of view, it made for greater expediency in communications!
In 2006 the Group was approached by the Ministry of Defence through the offices of Headquarters Army Cadet Force to take on and manage the supply outlet from Frimley Park, the ACF Training Centre. The Cadet Kit Shop as sole authorised suppliers have gone from strength to strength and was one of the fore-runners of online e-commerce. Go to www. cadetkitship.co.uk. CKS, another acronym wished upon us carries all ceremonial and combatant matériel relevant to the demands of the pre-service cadet forces of the day.
Full ceremonial order took its place in the Group’s “Order of Battle” resulting in fully hand embroidered Colours, Standards, Guidons and Banners in all their illustrious gold and silver bullion and coloured silks. Standards of quality and workmanship remained high. The Ministry of Defence Inspectorates demand nothing less. Working closely with HM Royal Marines and the Pearl Percussion Company, new marching drums were devised and developed. R&D took place over an eighteen months’ session and following further extensive user trials, the new percussion range was named VISCOUNT. In very short order, these drums have been adopted by the military not only in the UK but in many parts of the overseas market.
The Group can now offer a complete design service for full dress uniforms and equipment as well
as the range of musical instruments, drums, flutes (fifes) and bugles that complement a British army style of Corps of Drums. Go to www.ammoandco. co.uk.
The Rifles as a regiment has assisted a great deal in the development and improvement of the production of bugles which is, of course, a most important musical and regimental duty instrument. The major challenge was the replacement of the now elderly, high pitched sterling silver instruments. Sterling silver was not a consideration as the price of silver alone became prohibitive. AMMO and Company resurrected the “SILVERINE” tuneable bugle built in Low Pitch to enable it to be played with the Regimental Band as well as for duty bugle calls. Silverine is a solid nickel metal, stronger than sterling silver which with continuing polishing, no matter how abrasive, retains its silver finish. Approval was given last year by the regiment, and confirmation orders placed.
Another most important “coup” last year was through the good offices of the Command Serjeant Major. We were privileged to host a “familiarisation meeting” with all the Regimental Serjeant Majors of the battalions of the complete regiment. In total attendance we were awash with The Royal Arms! We enjoyed the experience and we hope that our esteemed visitors learned a great deal more of the history of our company of which we are most proud. We announced to the gathering that we were intending to vacant our present ancient and decrepit premises, of which we were most ashamed and in our “power-point” we portrayed an illustration of our “dream-wish”. After a great deal of research, we believe we have found it and are presently involved in the tortuous route of legal procedures to get our show “off and on the road”. We will keep you all posted of developments. We have taken a great deal of pride in serving The Rifles for many years and our new close association through “Rifles Direct” we treat as cement to secure it for many more years to come.
SILVERINE
IS A SOLID NICKEL METAL, STRONGER THAN STERLING SILVER WHICH WITH CONTINUING POLISHING, NO MATTER HOW ABRASIVE, RETAINS ITS SILVER FINISH
THE RIFLES
REGIMENTAL MUSEUMS 177
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