Peter Montagu

Peter Richard Montagu and his twin brother Thomas were born in Greenwich, London on Monday 8th September 1947. They were raised along with their younger brother Alan in West Wickham, Kent, by parents Mr & Mrs RC Montagu (Corkhill).

Peter travelled to join the Royal Marines School of Music as a Boy Musician on 1st January 1962, he enlisted as a clarinet and viola player and member of 1/62 New Entry Squad, just a small entry of nine ranks. David Simpson remembers spending some happy times with Peter sailing off the Deal coast.. Stuart McCloud recalled that he and Peter dated two lovely ladies in Blackpool during a recruiting tour of 1966.

Peter was the passenger in a vehicle driven by a fellow RM Musician on Friday 17th February 1967. They were travelling in his minivan from the barracks to Margate to attend a dance and were proceeding up the Haine Road near the Haine Hospital and the junction with Manston Court Road, Ramsgate Kent, when his driver failed to negotiate a sharp bend.. the van was involved in a head on collision with a Jaguar at 9.28pm. Both of the vehicles were extensively damaged in the collision and the three occupants were taken to Margate General Hospital. Peter’s multiple chest injuries including twelve broken ribs were too great and he sadly died soon afterwards.. Peter’s life was tragically cut short at just nineteen years old.

At the inquest into the fatal accident.. it was established that although the van had passed an MOT test the previous month at Arbroath where the driver was previously stationed, considerable evidence was found that the accident was caused in-part due to defects in the minivans braking system, which resulted in the driver losing control around a bend, hitting a kerb and ploughing into the oncoming vehicle. Mr Roy James who was the driver of the oncoming Jaguar was cleared of any fault and his car was proven to be in good condition. The driver of the minivan, who was described by his Commanding Officer Captain Pete Sumner as being a very responsible and reliable man, was convicted of death by dangerous driving and received a £20 fine. Peter’s funeral service was held at Thanet Crematorium, Margate, Kent.

On Saturday 17th February 1968, the first anniversary of Peter’s tragic death.. a silver cup was presented by Mr & Mrs Montagu in memory of their beloved son to the Royal Marines Band Service and received by Colonel J Uniacke. It was decided that the cup would be contested by all twelve Royal Marines Bands football teams on a regular challenge basis.
The inaugural Peter Montagu Cup match was played at RM Deal on 23rd January 1969. It was a great game of football with HMS Raleigh defeating RMSM 4-3.. the winning team received the Cup from Alan Montagu, who had only recently joined the Royal Marines as a recruit of 898 Squad. Raleigh Band/RM Band FOP dominated in the early years, winning the first six challenges. The annual Montagu Cup challenge has continued ever since with the occasional year or two missing due to varying reasons. There was a gap after 1979, when restrictions in recreational travel made it difficult for bands to compete. In the ensuing years, the challenge to the holders of the cup had to come from the Captain of the opposing establishment to the relevant Captain of the holders of the cup.

The Royal Marines Commandos Band (CTC) won the trophy in 1993 following a penalty shootout against Portsmouth, they held off many challenges in the subsequent years, finally succumbing to the challenge of FOP in 2004. The five remaining Royal Marines Bands have continued to celebrate the life of Peter Montagu.. the football competition which used to be contested as an annual challenge match by all other Royal Marines Bands and RMSoM to the current holders changed format in 2019 and was contested as a seven-a-side tournament. The male and female five-a-side tournaments were held concurrently. A new trophy was commissioned for the winners of the ladies’ competition and named ‘The John Kelly Cup’, in memory of the former and highly respected Director of Music, who sadly passed away in 2008.

RIP Peter