Citadel Gaurds

[lore_master]

A few questions about the Fountain Gaurds:

1: the Fountain Gaurds were the gaurdians of the white tree of Minas Tirith right, did they answer to anyone but there own commander, or were they under direct control of the steward. It seems to me that if they were answerable to the steward they would be just like Beregond and his men.

2:they obviosly were extremely well-trained and well equiped fighters, did they ever leave the White Tree to fight say if the lower levels of the city were being attacked?

and 3: how was the rank of Fountain Gaurd passed down, was it form father to son or the best soldiers were promoted?

[Tar-Alcarin]

From what I have read there is not much to know about the Guards of the Citidel
But this was taken from the Enclyclopedia of Arda

Those honoured guards of Minas Tirith who were charged with protecting the Citadel, the highest and most important tier of the city. At the end of the Third Age, they were the only soldiers of the city to be liveried in the arms of Elendil himself - a white tree in blossom, surmounted by a silver crown and stars, all embroidered on a field of black. They also bore heirlooms of Gondor's ancient wealth, tall helmets wrought out of mithril, and bearing the carved wings of sea-birds. The numbers of these Guards is not known, but there seem to have been at least three companies (at least, one of their number - Beregond - is said in The Lord of the Rings to belong to the Third Company).

[Tuor of Gondolin]

A bit more info from Robert Foster's the complete guide to Middle-earth :
"The traditional Captain-general of the Guards was the heir of the Steward, and in the time of the Kings the Captain was probably the heir to the throne."