The Band of the 2nd Life Guards went to France in 1918 lead by Charles Hall, the Household Brigade Magazine published an account of the Band’s conduct by Lt-Gen Sir Alexander Godley,

“In September 1918 during the second Battle of the Somme, I was commanding the 3rd Corps and was fortunate enough to have in it the Band of the 2nd Life Guards at my disposal. It was, of course the greatest treat of all to hear such a band in the Somme desert and I was very anxious that as many of the troops as possible should hear it. Accordingly one day I asked the band go and play at an advanced Brigade Headquarters, arranged for as many men as possible to hear it, and too the opportunity of going to combine paying a visit to the brigade with forming one of the audience. Headquarters were situated at the bottom of a wide open valley in very open country. When I came in view of it, from about a mile away, instead of a large expectant crowd the only sign of life I could see was the Band marching to and nearing the rendezvous. The reason was not far to seek. The enemy were shelling the head of the valley, and to those perhaps more intimately acquainted with their habits than the Band, it was obvious that their attentions would soon reach the foot of it. But, nothing daunted by the absence of audience or the approaching of shelling. Major Hall and his gallant men marched on. They had made their engagement and meant to fulfil it. Fortunately there were no casualties, and never, I am sure, in the history of war, did any band get a better shelling or stand fire better than the Band of Her Majesty’s 2nd Life Guards on the occasion.”