The Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines Plymouth hosted the celebration attended by serving and former Royal Marines as well as retired members of the Band Service and other guests from within HMS Raleigh.
The youngest member of the Band, 21-year-old Musician Andrew Steele (left) was invited to cut the gate alongside 97-year-old Eric Greenleaf.
Eric who still lives on the Barbican, where he was worn born and bred, served throughout the Second World War as a member of the Royal Marines Band Service and is a veteran of the Arctic convoys.
Also pictured is Major Huw Williams, the Director of Music of the Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines Plymouth.
The Royal Marines Corps traces its roots back to the Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot, which was formed on 28 October 1664.
Musician Steele recited the original citation announcing the Corps foundation as part of the celebration.
He said: "I've been going over the citation so many times during the week to memorise it. It's a big thing to be asked to do and I didn't want to make a mistake.
“I was pretty nervous with everyone being here and being the youngest, but I'm also very honoured to have been asked."
With an initial strength of 1,200 infantrymen, the regiment was recruited from the trained bands of London as part of the mobilisation for the Second Anglo-Dutch War.
The name Marines first appeared in the records in 1672 and in 1802 they were titled the Royal Marines by King George III.
Since then, Marines have taken part in more battles on land and sea around the world than any other branch of the British Armed Forces; so numerous are the Corps' battle honours they are simply represented by the famous Globe and the single honour 'Gibraltar'.
