Bagpipers

Discussion in 'General' started by soren1941, Aug 5, 2008.

  1. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    More on 'Mad' Jack Churchill on this thread:
    Eccentricity
     
  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    203rd General Hospital :: Origins of the 203d GH


    Members of the 4th Battalion Pipe Band of the Black Watch parade at Winchester, where the 203rd awaits orders to ship to Normandy. Picture contributed by the family of T/5 Gordon E. Stout, member of the 203rd. Pipe Band identified courtesy of Trustees of The Black Watch Museum, Perth. Their historical reference: 'Notes on the History of 4 BW, 1939-45. Edited by Maj O F Tucker from material prepared by Maj T P D Murray. BWRA 0788.'


    Nurse of the 203rd borrows Pipes from the 4th Battalion of the Black Watch, while waiting orders to ship to Normandy. Photo contributed courtesy of Daniel Leary, X-Ray Technician with the 203rd.
     
  3. airborne medic

    airborne medic Very Senior Member

    Just to add a little... C Company of the 2nd Parachute Battalion (mainly Scottsih in composition) took a set of bagpipes on the Oudna operation and to the best of my knowledge they got left behind enemy lines and also at Arnhem on 17th September 1944 Piper Willie Ford of the 7th KOSB stood on a pile of sand at Renkum at their RV and played to help the Btn form up.......
     
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  4. 51highland

    51highland Very Senior Member

    Owens post re photo of Black Watch Pipes and Drums, does not look like BW Tartan to me, too light?
     
  5. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  6. Joe Brown

    Joe Brown WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Pipe Tunes featured in a clash of Regimental 'cultures' when I was Adjutant of the 7th/9th Royal Scots in the months following the end of the War in Europe.

    On the departure of our Territorial Army Battalion Commander to 'civvy street', a Regular Officer was appointed to command the Battalion. Both were distinguished officers and had merited the award of the DSO. I became adjutant to the new C.O. who was a professional soldier and had been Second-in-Command of one of the Black Watch Battalions captured at St Valery.

    He quickly told me as a Black Watch Officer he was anxious he would not issue any orders that were not in accordance with the customs or traditions of The Royal Scots or the 7th/9th (Highlanders) Battalion and I should not hesitate to let him know.

    The Colonel approached me one evening when I was sitting in the Mess and asked the tune the piper was playing. I quickly recognised it to be ‘The Flowers of the Forest’ and when I said so, he look very quizzically at me and said why are they doing that? I could only reply, ‘Practising!’ ‘Practising’ was his astonished reply, adding: ‘In the Black Watch Pipers never practise that tune unless they were well out of the hearing of the Battalion! Is that not in Battalion Standing Orders ?’ I said, I did not believe so but would check with Senior Officers.

    Later, I reported after consulting more experience Royal Scots to confirm there was no such order. He only replied that ‘We have not have heard the last of this . . . !’

    Within a few days a young officer on reconnaissance on a motor cycle to find a suitable ground to hold a Battalion Sports Day, crashed and was killed. A few days later an officer’s batman out swimming, drowned; and within a week after, a Corporal jumped out of a three-ton lorry on to the Autobahn because he believed they were about to crash and as a result he fell in front of an oncoming vehicle and was killed.

    These three very tragic deaths were quickly associated with the playing of the ‘Flowers of the Forest’ – a Lament played with great reverence at funerals and at Remembrance Ceremonies.

    I felt sure there may well have been times in the past went it was played in Barracks, but was unable to ascertain the consequences. However, without reference to the Colonel, I issued a Part One Order forbidding the playing of ‘that’ tune within the hearing of the Battalion.

    Joe Brown.
     
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  7. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Time for a slew of IWM piper images, I feel.
    (had a few before, but there ya go.)


    [​IMG]
    ANIMALS IN WAR 1939-1945. © IWM (NA 4178)IWM Non Commercial Licence


    "A bagpipe serenade for the regimental mascot of the Black Watch, as the regiment prepares for the invasion of Sicily."


    [​IMG]
    INDIAN CONTINGENT ARRIVES IN ENGLAND FOR VICTORY PARADE, LIVERPOOL, LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND, UK, 1946. © IWM (D 27672)IWM Non Commercial Licence


    "Men of the 8th Punjab Indian Pipe Band play the bagpipes as they march in formation along the deck of the MAURETANIA, as it arrives at the Prince's Landing Stage, Liverpool."


    [​IMG]
    THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE NORMANDY CAMPAIGN 1944. © IWM (B 6000)IWM Non Commercial Licence


    "Led by their piper, men of 7th Seaforth Highlanders, 15th (Scottish) Division advance during Operation 'Epsom' in Normandy, 26 June 1944."


    [​IMG]
    THE BRITISH ARMY IN ITALY 1944. © IWM (NA 13057)IWM Non Commercial Licence


    "While a piper plays, a special rum ration is issued to men of the 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers to mark St Patrick's Day in the Anzio bridgehead, Italy, 17 March 1944."


    [​IMG]
    THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORTH AFRICA 1942. © IWM (E 20356)IWM Non Commercial Licence


    "A piper of the Camerons leading his comrades along the road near Aghelia, 19 December 1942."


    [​IMG]
    THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 1939-45. © IWM (H 33375)IWM Non Commercial Licence


    "Men of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) gather around a universal carrier to listen to Piper A Mackay, 4 October 1943."


    [​IMG]
    THE BRITISH ARMY IN BURMA 1944. © IWM (SE 521)IWM Non Commercial Licence


    "Led by Piper John McLean, men of "D" Company, 1st Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers march alongside a railway to celebrate both St Andrew's Day and the ending of the Japanese occupation of Pinwe in North Burma, 30 November 1944."


    [​IMG]
    THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORTH AFRICA 1943. © IWM (E 21592)IWM Non Commercial Licence


    "A piper of the Gordon Highlanders plays from a Valentine tank as it drives into Tripoli past crowds of cheering locals, 26 January 1943."


    [​IMG]
    THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORMANDY 1944. © IWM (B 5988)IWM Non Commercial Licence


    "Led by a piper, men of 2nd Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 15th (Scottish) Division, move forward during Operation 'Epsom', 26 June 1944."


    [​IMG]
    THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORMANDY 1944. © IWM (B 7977)IWM Non Commercial Licence


    "Pipers of the 5/7th Gordon Highlanders gather round as the mail arrives, 24 July 1944."


    [​IMG]
    THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORTH AFRICA 1942. © IWM (E 17339)IWM Non Commercial Licence


    "Piper MacDonald of the Seaforth Highlanders plays to some of the troops who make up the Highland Division while they rest during a march in the Western Desert, 23 September 1942."


    [​IMG]
    THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 1939-45. © IWM (H 39039)IWM Non Commercial Licence


    "Piper Bill Millin entertains the men of 45 (RM) Commando, 1st Special Service Brigade, as they prepare to embark for the invasion, 3 June 1944."


    And this one just makes me smile. If you need to simulate the unnerving sounds of battle above - get some pipes.
    [​IMG]
    THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 1939-45. © IWM (H 19512)IWM Non Commercial Licence


    "Troops scaling cliffs while pipers play, at the 51st Highland Division battle school at Shenbourne Park near Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, 9 May 1942."
     
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  8. Joe Brown

    Joe Brown WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Von Poop.

    Great Pictures! Thanks! But . . . nae Royal Scots . . .

    Joe
     
  9. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    If the chaps by the Railway line are mis-captioned, Joe. I shall have to veer towards Korea for Royal Scots-ness.

    [​IMG]
    THE KOREAN WAR 1950 - 1953. © IWM (BF 11173)IWM Non Commercial Licence

    With a name like Robert Burn, he was doomed to play the pipes!
     
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  10. Bob Wilton

    Bob Wilton Junior Member

    Lets not forget the Piper of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders who marched ahead of the lads on the famous re-entry into Crater Aden,July 1967,and its a part of our recent military history that must be remembered.It also made Lt Colonel Colin Mitchell (Mad Mitch) famous.God Bless Him!

    piper aden.jpg
     
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  11. John Moran

    John Moran New Member

    The part of Bill Millin was played by Pipe-Major Leslie DeLaspee of the London Scottish Territorial Army and the Queen Mother’s official piper.
     
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  12. royalscot 2012

    royalscot 2012 Junior Member

  13. AB64

    AB64 Senior Member

    An assortment of pipes (and a few drums), hope they are of interest

    group.jpg P1030297.JPG Scan10002.JPG Scan11549.JPG Scan11550.JPG Scan11551.JPG Scan11552.JPG Scan11553.JPG Scan11554.JPG Scan11555.JPG Scan11556.JPG Scan11557.JPG Scan11558.JPG Scan11559.JPG Scan11628.JPG Scan11629.JPG Scan12026.JPG Scan12074.JPG
     
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  14. Hi Guys,
    just a reply to the comment about Pipers in Iraq on Op Telic 1.

    D (Light) Company, 1st Battalion The Black Watch (Royal highland Regiment)

    We were an Armoured Infantry Battalion which with Bagpipes creates its own problems.

    I played in Kuwait and the same with my Pipers as well and where ever the chance arose
    I played in the concentration area before the advance through the Berm
    and just before we crossed the border Hielan Laddie was played over the radio net.

    I played on numerous occasions and even found myself playing to the enemy at the Gosps outside Az Zubayr
    they listened for ages as I stood and played on a mound.
    The Company Sergeant Major ran over and informed me that was the enemy (with expletives!!!!) and that it was advisable to get myself into cover.
    So I played another tune (Wha saw the 42nd) waved and sauntered back to the Company area and just minutes later an attack came up the road in to our company location by the Fediyen.

    Lt Colquhoun also had his pipes with him and played before an attack at Bridge 4.

    I am currently writing a book on The Pipers of my old regiment and would appreciate any one getting in touch if they have anything "Black Watch" as there is very little available particularly as so many battalions were disbanded piecemeal and overseas.

    Pipe Major Alistair Duthie
     
  15. nemesis

    nemesis Senior Member

    heres an original bit of Pipe music composed by Pipe Major Robinson A&SH in honour of Major Howman who served with Col Mitchell in Aden. Major Howman was in Charge of the funeral of the Argylls murdered in the crater by rebellious local police. He died FFB033E3-F210-4017-ABB2-3C56DF7E8942.jpeg in January 2020 and some of his property was auctioned locally
     

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