There’s a change afoot
at the British Armed forces that could send shivers through the ranks
of the Australian military. The Last Post, which is traditionally
played by a bugle at army ceremonies and funerals, is going electronic
– ending a cherished tradition that’s been with the armed forces since
the 18th century.

Under the headline “Last Post? Send for the digital bugle boy,” the London Daily Mail reports
that Britain’s Ministry of Defence has bought an electronic bugle,
which looks identical to a normal bugle, but can produce a “stirring
fanfare at the press of a button.”

The Mail claims the
machine – created in the US – has been brought in by the British army
to keep on standby. The army is scheduled to lose 8% of its 1,000
musicians in the near future, so there could be a shortage of buglers.

Today
Crikey called and emailed to ask if the Australian Defence Force was
also contemplating a standby electronic bugle, but the army’s
well-oiled media operations unit is still getting back to us (they’ve
got a war to fight, after all).

So we asked what the RSL would
think of any such move: “We’d be a little disappointed,” said the RSL’s
NSW State President Don Rowe. “It would certainly be getting away from
tradition,” he said – the playing of the Last Post is considered a
hugely important part of funerals and memorials. That said, there have
been occasions in the past when bugle players weren’t available to
perform at such occasions, said Rowe, in which case a recording was
used. But at least that’s a recording of a real bugle.