In 1890, young Albert Edward was born to George and Lucie Shrimpton in the parish of St. Peter's, South London and 14 years and 8 months later, on the 14th September 1903, he joined the Coldstream Guards. Prior to this he had been a tea taster (perhaps for the Mazzawatte Tea Co., of Cold Bow Lane, London). As a young cadet, he had belonged to the 2nd Battalion The Queen's West Surrey Regiment ACF.

His service tells of promotion to Drummer on the 24th April 1905, an appointment to Lance Corporal 30th January 1906, a resignation and a reappointment; promotion to Corporal (22nd September 1909) and then a further appointment, this time to Lance Sergeant six days later.

He is generally understood to have been a naturally gifted musician and to have written his first march at about the age of 18, when a Lance Corporal. Those who knew him report that he would sit at a table in Wellington Barracks and churn out a march in an afternoon and, when short of cash, he would swiftly sell it to Potters for some £3 (when daily pay might have been 6 pence), and share the cash amongst his friends. Somehow, soldering does not change!

He transferred to the Bedfordshire Regiment on the 14th August 1910 as a corporal and became their Sergeant Drummer on the 5th October 1910. He later reverted to the rank of Drummer and returned to the Coldstream Guards, (7th June 1911). His quality led him soon to reach Sergeant Drummer again (1st March 1912) and to his serving in several Coldstream battalions. He married Agnes Annie Williams in St. Matthew's Church, Stoke Newington on the 19th July 1914.

After being Mentioned in Despatches in the first world war (18th February 1917), he left on the 3rd September 1921 from the rank of Colour Sergeant and the role of Company Quartermaster Sergeant. By this stage he had earned the Meritorious Service Medal. He served in the Home Guard during WWII and may have run a taxi service in the Chelsea area in 1964 leaving a son who had been a Company Sergeant Major (and champion shot), in the Queen's Regiment, (Ronald Shrimpton, b. 1919?).

Shrimpton's compositions include:

Aerial Review

Albuhera

The Allies Advance

The Bulgars Entry

The Call

Clarendon

Coldstream

Comrades Farwell

Delhi

Dover Street

England's Pride

Forward

Gallant Brigade

Grey Brigade

Guard's Avenue

The Imperial Eagle

Irish Guards

Kellys Eye

Legs Eleven

Medicine and Duty

Plantation Melody

The Quarter Column

The Queen of the East

Red Plume

The Scarlet Parade

Sentinel

Shamrock

Silver Birds (Waltz)

South Wales Borderers

Sprinke Me

The Spur Guard

The State Drummer

Steady the Drums & Fifes

True Alliance

United Conference

United Empire

West Yorks

Ypres

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