My papa was a Captain in the Grenadiers. I never knew how special that was til now.

Three silver chevrons (Not Stripes) are for a Lance Sergeant, three gold chevrons is a full sergeant. Queen Victoria decreed that one chevron was unsightly so all her troops (the household division) wear two chevrons after their first promotion three silver after the second and three gold chevrons after the third. I think the red "flags" are the company standards but I'm not sure. All Military musicians are trained soldiers as well as musicians so do have another specialty.

@jwslider1 Other musicians who belongs to the Corps of Army Music usually will not be deployed overseas, even so if they are deployed overseas they serve as the medical orderlies in field hospitals. It is my pleasure to answer you, Colonel. Have a nice day with my best regards.

@jwslider1 (5) Yes, all musicians have a "secondary specialisation". Corps of Drums/ Pipes and Drums members belong to their parent regiment but not the Corps of Army Music, i.e. all drummers/ pipers/ fifers are well-trained infantrymen. Drummers and fifers are usually riflemen or even pathfinders. Pipers are usually combat medics (corpsmen), mortarmen or even machine-gunners.

@jwslider1 these musicians are half ceremonial soldiers and half infantrymen - that is, they spend half their time doing one or the other, and the NCOs holding the guidons are to signify when commands are called or when the company changes direction

At 01:14 you can see Her Majesty The Queen tapping in time and the Visitor's guide being opened by the wind on the pages that show the tourists how to recognize the regiments.

Hi. I hope this helps. Silver three strips = Lance Sargent. Gold three strips = Sargent (higher rank than Lance Sargent). The Guidons are there are markers, march here, turn here kinda thing. All musicians also serve in one form or another; medic, intel etc. I hope this helps?

as a Cadet in the Royal Air Force, i can answer on of your questions sir. Question 4: the NCO's holding the red guidons are markers. Because their are no sign on the ground, the markers indicate the corners of the square and where the units need to make their turn.

@jwslider1 Nice to see you to being here Colonel Slider. I am glad to answer your doubts. (3) In the Guards regiments, Sergeants who wear silver stripes are Lance-Sergeants, and their actual rank is Corporal (Corporals in British Army take the responsibility of Squad Leader, just like Sergeants in US Forces). It is because Guards Lance-Corporals wear two stripes, and in order to distinguish Lance-Corporals and Corporals, a rank 'Lance-Sergeant' is introduced.

This is so much FUN, and so difficult! Wow.

(3) Soldiers with the white sleeve stripes are Lance Corporals ( 2 chevrons) and Lance Sergeants (3 chevrons). There are no Corporals in the Foot Guards Sergeants and Staff Sergeants wear gold stripes and red worsted woolen sashes. The Warrant Officers have red silk sashes. (4) The NCO's with the company flags mark points on the parade ground where march elements pivot or begin and end salutes. (5) The members of the Corps of Drums are primarily fighting soldiers with a drummers' skill set.

the cavalry looks very impressive!

Those holding flags are to mark points for turning a corner or companies turning their eyes-right comand to salute the queen. Most of these brass band music were used by the Uganda Armed Forces [UAF] in the 1960s through 70s. I grew up in the military barracks and could precisely follow the parade well from start to end. Escort for the Colour now is Escort to the Colour, this is strange, but maybe for a reason.

I'm not in the military (just a fan of the music), but as I understand it: (3) Three white chevrons indicates a Lance Sergeant, which is an appointment held by all Foot Guards corporals. Three gold chevrons indicates a full sergeant. I think the NCOs mentioned at (4) are markers, to give the company officers a reference point for commands like turns and the eyes front. (continued)

the silver 3 stripes are lance sergeants and the gold are sergeants ... the flags represent different platoons and yes all musicians have secondary roles such as intel, stretch chair bearers and drivers.

I would rename this annual spectacle as "Dominion Day," because that it describes. EEWC

@jwslider1 (cont'd) Thus, Sergeants who wear gold stripes are full Sergeants. (Sgts and Staff/Colour Sgts in UK usually act as Platoon Sgts or Operations Sgts, just like Staff Sergeants/ SFC/ Gunnery Sgt in US Forces). (4) NCOs who were holding the red 'marker flags' are called 'Markers'. Yes, you are right, Colonel, those flags are the company flags of their respective company. Markers carry their 'marker flags' and stand fast at a fixed position, marking where should the units stand.

gold stripes are full sgt's and white stripes are lance sgt's the flags at each end are platoon markers with not much signifigants. And yes all drummers and pipers except the band have a proper active role.I myself was a drummer and my active role we became the machine gun platoon for the 1st Bn welsh guards back in 1990-1993. Sorry you got a very late response. but hope you got your answer.

Only if you attend in person I would imagine.

@shechaiyah Look again...Because the SLRs are carried with the left arm, and the officers swords are carried in the right arm, it's very easy to be fooled by the disparity in arm movements...look at the legs rather than the arms...

(continued) (5) my understanding is that the musicians are normally stretcher bearers, except for Scottish line infantry regiments (not the Scots Guards) whose musicians form a machine gun or mortar section.

@cogidubnus1953 Achem, those are not SLRs, they are L85 A3 SA80s.

...continued questions from part 2/3....(3) What is the difference between the silver three stripes and gold three stripes? (4) what is the significance of the NCO's holding the red guidons...these would be platoon or company "flags" in the US military. (5) The lone drummer was said to have served in Afghanisan in an intel unit. Do all musicians have a "secondary specialization? Thanks, Lt Col Slider, USMC (ret)

The guards have different ranks, In other regiments 3 Stripes would be sergeant, But in the guards, 3 Silver stripes in Lance Sergeant and 3 Gold Stripes is sergeant. L/Cpl Brahney. Duke of Lancasters regiment.

@shechaiyah This is the ONLY TIME that the Colours are allowed to touch the grond as it is a salute to her Majesty..

Sir, Even though I'm not in the British Army...I would guess the difference in the color of the rank is that silver is a Lance Sargent and gold is a full Sargent. I believe that the guidons mark the edge of the parade so that the company commanders know where to turn the companies. Also from what I know, most of the musicians do have a secondary specialization. Capt Daniel Goeltz 5th VA Cav Civil War Re-enactor.

How to mark time in one easy lesson!

@shechaiyah its the only time that the colours are aloud to touch the ground

@jwslider1 I am not military trained so am unable to answer your question. Perhaps someone else with knowledge of such things will kindly offer advice.

Two problems I have viewed. 1. The guy presenting the colors let them drag on the ground and 2. In this segment the leaders of each regiment were not in time alternating with the rest of their regiment. Somebody tell them.

silver are lance sergeant, equivalent to corporal, gold are sergeant

@jwslider1 one is sargeant one is lance sargeant

@UdallIn72 You get used to it :)

@jwslider1 if i wanted to know these things i would search it up in google !!

@shechaiyah Hi, shechaiyah, since you use the word Color so I assume you come from America. Unlike the States, it is the tradition, regulation and honour for all Regiments to give Royal Salute by lowering their Regiment Colour and touch the ground, in order to show respect to the Sovereign, i.e. the British Monarchy. If it is a rainy day, of course the Colour would not be touching the ground.

I don't want to be provocative here but you just don't get that with the US Army (as in it doesn't look just as good)(still does though)

for someone foreign who needs to make a transcript of this, Trooping the colours is the worst documentary ever