The RCAF Overseas Headquarters Band was a

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Can ...

military ensemble. It performed primarily in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

as part of RCAF Overseas. It was founded in 1942, two years after the establishment of the headquarters. Its arrival in England was followed by that of the No. 6 Bomber Group Band and the Bournemouth Band. For most of its existence, it was led by Squadron Leader Martin Boundy. Boundy would later become the President of the Canadian Band Association in 1951 and 1970. During its existence, it performed 55 concerts on the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

and has also recorded for

His Master's Voice His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone. Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the image has since become a global symbol used across consumer elect ...

as well as the Overseas Recorded Broadcasting Service. Notable performances have included one in front of

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...

in 1944 and a six-week

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

an tour following the

Victory in Europe Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945; it marked the official surrender of all German military operations ...

. Two days after

Canada Day Canada Day, formerly known as Dominion Day, is the national day of Canada. A Public holidays in Canada, federal statutory holiday, it celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation which occurred on July 1, 1867, with the passing of the B ...

in 1945, Boundy conducted a massed band from the band and the No. 3 Squadron Band in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Lincoln's Inn Fields Lincoln's Inn Fields is located in Holborn and is the List of city squares by size, largest public square in London. It was laid out in the 1630s under the initiative of the speculative builder and contractor William Newton, "the first in a ...

The Streamliners

The Streamliners was the band's 15-piece small dance band. It performed at the

as well as alternated with the United States Army Air Corps Band led by

Glenn Miller Alton Glen "Glenn" Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band conductor, arranger, composer, trombonist, and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Army Air Forces ...

and The Squadronaires of the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

at the Queensbury Club (now the Prince Edward Theatre) in

. It is often referred to as "The Band of Brothers". In June 1944, the band was temporarily stationed in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

to provide musical support to the allied troops participating in

Normandy landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and ...

. In late 1945, it underwent a tour of

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. The band members played at more than 600 gigs throughout the UK,

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

, and

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

. In its travels, the band used a special use Dakota C3 aircraft. It was notably led by Patrick Riccio. It also included British citizens such as Jack Fallon, who was an accomplished violinist. In October 2024, Goderich Little Theatre in Goderich, Ontario, premiered a play titled The Streamliners, written by Andy Sparling and James White, produced and directed by Duncan McGregor, a
The Livery
a 140-seat theatre in the heart of town. Andy Sparling is the son of Phil Sparling (1922-2010), who was a reeds player with the RCAF Streamliners. The program for the Goderich production listed the following as members of the RCAF Streamliners: Music director/arranger
Pat Riccio
from

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, Ontario (reeds); conductor: Billy Carter from Goderich, Ontario (trumpet)
Phil Sparling
from Clinton, Ontario, but born in Goderich, Ontario (reeds); Jack "Jake" Perdue from Clinton, Ontario (reeds)
Fraser Lobban
from

Owen Sound Owen Sound (2021 Canadian Census, 2021 Census population 21,612) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The county seat, seat of government of Grey County, it is located at the mouths of the Pottawatomi River, Pottawatomi and Sydenham River ...

, Ontario (trumpet); Claude Lambert from

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

, Ontario (trumpet); Jack Fallon from

, Ontario (bass); Frank Palen from

Woodstock The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held from August 15 to 18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. Billed as "a ...

, Ontario (reeds); George Lane from Windsor, Ontario (vocalist); Bill Bebbington from St. Thomas, Ontario (trombone); Lyle Kohler from

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, Ontario (piano); Bob Burns from

, Ontario (reeds); Len Coppold from

Montréal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, Quebec (guitar); and M.O. (Mel) Smith from Laing, Saskatchewan (trombone).

References

{{Reflist Bands of the Royal Canadian Air Force Musical groups established in 1942 Military units and formations established in 1942 Military bands located outside their country of origin 1942 establishments in Canada

The Streamliners

See also

References