History of  Police Band Maastricht

The Police band “Drums and Pipes” from the Region Police of Limburg-South has been arised from the on 10 October 1945 started Police Band from the then borough police of Maastricht. The Police Band had been started by Police members, who in their spare time wanted to make music with some borrowed instruments. They wore the normal police uniform.

In 1970 the Maastricht citizens gave “their police band” gala uniforms and a helmet with a blue feather on it. The Police Band of Maastricht consisted of a marching band and a brass band.

In the period of 1970-1996 they successfully appeared in several European countries like Belgium, Germany, France, Great-Britain and Italy.After the re-organization of the Dutch Police in 1994 the Police Band Maastricht had been removed and the band went on as the Police Band Region Police of Limburg-South. The band got the official gala uniform from the Dutch police. The helmet with the blue feather, the trade mark of the band, fortunately stayed as head covering. In the period of 1994-2001 the Police Band had very successfull appearances at home and abroad, but still in 2001 the interest of the members from the band to make music in their spare time became so little, that in 2002 the Police Band had been removed.

The members of the marching band of the Police Band, a club of friends, who always were present at appearances and rehearsals, didn’t want to stop. They got permission from the corps chief of the Police Region Limburg-South to continue as Corps of Drums. At the end of 2003 three pipers came to the marching band and appearances came up. After this, another two pipers came to the band and at the moment another piper is in training. At the moment the band “Drums and Pipes” contains 24 members and they are under the direction of Drum Major Willie Schobbe and Pipe Major Peter Pieters.

The drummers still wear the gala uniform of the Dutch Police with the helmet and blue feather on it. The pipers wear a Glenn Gary, with the black and white checked belt of the British Police. The tartan they wear is the Gordon.

The band gives appearances at tattoos, parades, memorials and festivities.

Several appearances:

-                     The yearly extraordinary flag parade on Queensday.

-                     Streetparades which precede the tattoo of Heerlen and the National Tattoo.

-                     The unveiling of the monument in Warnsveld to remember police members who died during their job.

-                     The national memorial of 60 years of freedom in Margraten for Queen Beatrix and President Bush of the United States of America.