Remember

Remember Daniel Laidlaw, 7th Bn, King’s Own Scottish Borderers. Piped his company over the top during gas attack at Loos (1915); awarded VC.

Remember James Cleland Richardson, 16th (Canadian Scottish) Battalion, CEF. Played pipes over the top at Regina Trench (1916), inspiring men to victory, killed while retrieving pipes; awarded VC.

Remember Bill Millin, No. 4 Commando, British Army. Played pipes on D-Day landing at Sword Beach (1944) under fire; morale inspiration.

Remember George Findlater, Gordon Highlanders, Wounded at Dargai Heights (1897), but continued playing to rally troops; awarded VC.

Remember Willie Lawrie, 8th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, served as pipe-major in WWI; died from trench illness.

Remember Charles Davidson Dunbar, 19th Battalion (91st Highlanders), CEF. Piped troops into action at the Somme; wounded in battle.

Remember Walter Teller, 25th Battalion (Nova Scotia Rifles), CEF. Piped troops at Vimy Ridge; awarded Military Medal.

Remember Alec McGillivray, 16th (Canadian Scottish) Battalion, CEF. Piped during attack. Killed by shell burst; awarded Military Medal.

Remember George Birnie, 16th (Canadian Scottish) Battalion, CEF. Killed while piping under fire on the Western Front.

Remember George Stewart McLennan, Gordon Highlanders, served pipe-major of the 1st Battalion, 1905 – 1918, Western Front, France & Flanders, wounded and invalided home.

Remember John Park, 16th (Canadian Scottish) Battalion, CEF. Killed in action while serving as battalion piper (1917).

Remember Angus Morrison, 16th (Canadian Scottish) Battalion, CEF. Killed by enemy fire while playing pipes in battle.

Remember Donald MacLeod, 2nd & 7th Seaforth Highlanders, Captured in France (1940), escaped, later returned to serve as pipe-major (1944).

Remember James Robb Fraser, Gordon Highlanders, Took over piping when George Findlater was wounded at Dargai; later trained bands in Canada.

Remember Bill Millin, Commando, British Army, marched ashore playing the pipes in full view of the enemy, armed only with a dirk, June 6, 1944.

Remember Alexander MacDonald, 48th Highlanders of Canada, piped company forward at Passchendaele (1917); commended for bravery.

Remember John D. MacKenzie, Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders. Led troops across the Rhine (1945), playing pipes under sniper fire.

Remember William Ross, Scots Guards. Served as pipe-major through North Africa and Italy campaigns; morale leader.

Remember Tommy MacDonald, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. Played through artillery fire in Sicily (1943) to regroup scattered troops.

Remember Donald MacIntyre, Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment). Played during the El Alamein night assault; helped direct the advance under fire.

Remember James Kerr, King’s Own Scottish Borderers. Piped troops through mud and gas at the Somme; survived; decorated for gallantry.

Remember George Cameron, Gordon Highlanders. Played in retreat from Mons (1914); later captured and survived a POW camp.

Remember William Meldrum, Seaforth Highlanders. Killed while piping during an assault near Arras (1917).

Remember David Fraser, Cameron Highlanders. Led charge at Festubert (1915), piping over open ground; severely wounded.

Remember Neil McLeod, Highland Light Infantry. Killed in Normandy (1944) while playing pipes, leading platoon across an open field.

Remember John Morrison, Seaforth Highlanders, wounded twice but continued piping at Cambrai (1917).

Remember Robert Brown, Gordon Highlanders. Played as the battalion advanced at Ypres (1915); recognized for gallantry.

Remember Donald Morrison, Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders. Played on landing craft and beach at Dieppe Raid (1942).

Remember James Sinclair, Black Watch. Killed piping over open ground at Loos (1915); posthumously mentioned in dispatches.

Remember Hugh MacPherson, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, who served in Mesopotamia; piped during the charge at Kut (1917).

Remember that more than 1,000 pipers died in the Great War alone.

Remember that more than 2,000 pipers (from an estimated 3,620) were killed, wounded or taken prisoner in World War II.

Remember to play a tune or two today in remembrance of the courage of these and the thousands of pipers and drummers who served and sacrificed in the name of their country and for the defeat of tyranny.

Here’s a suggested, but by no means complete, list of appropriate tunes to play or learn:

• “The Battle of the Somme”
• “The Flowers of the Forest”
• “The Battle of Waterloo”
• “The Sands of Kuwait”
• “When the Battle’s O’er”
• “Farewell to the Creeks”
• “The Heights of Dargai”
• “The Battle of Loos”
• “The Highland Brigade at Magersfontein”
• “The Heroes of Vittoria”
• “Entry Into Crater”
• “King George V’s Army”
• “The Heights of Casino”
• “The Taking of Beaumont Hamel”
• “The Bloody Fields of Flanders”
• “Skymen of Arnhem”
• “The 51st Highland Division’s Farewell to Sicily”
• “Longueval”
• “The Flight of the Eaglets” (“Lady MacRobert’s Lament”)

Remember.