TIL During the Normandy Allied Invasion, a Scottish Piper played his bagpipes...

[eclarkhb]

This may have been posted before, but the story of the piper at the Normandy Invasion is on the front page of reddit today!

http://www.economist.com/node/16885894

[Jock Scot]

The story gets posted most years around 6 June and why not? We should not ever forget all the brave men on and around those beaches, in the air and at sea on that day in 1944.

[creagdhubh]

The story gets posted most years around 6 June and why not? We should not ever forget all the brave men on and around those beaches, in the air and at sea on that day in 1944.

Quite right, Jock. Lest we forget.

[Father Bill]

We remember with thanks and respect.

[sailortats]

As many of you know, I am a volunteer on board the SS Jeremiah O'Brien. What you may not know is that she made 11 trips between England and Omaha and Utah beaches during the invasion of Normandy carrying troops and supplies for the allies. She also is the only major ship that was there in 1944 that made it back again in 1994 for the 50th anniversary. This month is her 70th birthday. I hope a lot of you will come and wish her a happy birthday, she is a true hero of the war.

[tripleblessed]

Thanks for posting this. At the farmer's market Tuesday afternoon, a fellow asked if I play the pipes (I was kilted as
usual), and I said no. He assured me he was only asking because he loves the pipes, and they soothe his PTSD (Nam).
As this is D-Day week I referred him to the YouTube clip Of Bill Millin. It was on my mind because of an article in the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution about a young man from Atlanta who was asked to come to play the pipes on the beach Thursday morning. They commented that at 19, he was the age of many of those who participated. Thursday's edition
contained an interview with a 92 year old Decatur (Atlanta suburb) resident who was flying fighter support that day.
He said he flew three missions, totalling about sixteen hours in the air. He still remembers well the sight of the wakes behind the landing craft headed for shore.

Gratitude must never fail.

[aonghas]

Every June the 6th, I wake up early, wait for 6:00am. Ever thankful for those blessed men who gave me my safe life.
Lest we forget, lest we forget.

[Nile]

Thank you for sharing that article, E. Clark. Bill Millin was a courageous man and answered a higher calling in the performance of his duty.

Nile

[English Bloke]

[English Bloke]

I have a friend who is a very accomplished piper and was taught to play by Charles Stuart. I am told Charles was a hard task master as a piping instructor and would accept nothing less than the very highest standards of effort and commitment in the pursuit of excellence.

This is hardly surprising when giving consideration to his background and history.

Charles was the 2nd Bn. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders piper who piped the Argylls and Royal Marines ("the Plymouth Argylls") out of Tyersall Park and into captivity at the hands of the Japanese at the surrender of Singapore on 17 February 1942.

After the war and his gruelling imprisonment (5 Officers and 182 Other Ranks of the Bn. died whilst working on the infamous Burma Railway), Charles retained that same set of pipes and played them for the rest of his life. In the fullness of time he bequeathed them to my friend, who continues to play them to this day. I am privileged that those pipes have been played in my house and have rested on my dining table.

My friend has been offered considerable sums to part with them by various museums and associations, but feels it is more important than any money to keep them well maintained and used regularly as a playable instrument, rather than shut away in a glass case.

I can think of no greater tribute to Charles or the moment, as well as all those remarkable men and their shocking ordeal, than to follow this course.

Lest we forget.