Light Horse and pipers

[Benning Boy]

Last night I watched the movie Gallipoli on TCM, I hadn't seen since it first came out, and it was like watching a new release.

Anyway, in one scene the Australian Light Horse marches through the port of embarkation to board a ship bound to war. The mounted column is lead by a pipe band. The band isn't on screen long, and it was hard to make out the details, but they were wearing khaki tams or balmorals with what appeared to be sky blue plums, much as the Black Watch wears red ones.

Anyone have any idea if the pipe band in the movie represents an authentic Australian military organization of 1915? If so, what was it?

[Ron Abbott]

According to "Bagpipes go to the Movies" the pipe band (in the movie) was the Athol and Ulster Pipe Band of South Australia.

The recently published book, 'The Floo'ers O' The Forest - Fallen Pipers of the Great War', identifies quite a number of pipers of the Scottish regiments who lost their lives at Gallipoli.

I haven't seen the movie for some time and I'm not sure what the pipers were wearing, but the only Scottish unit I can think of that wore a blue hackle (royal blue colour) were the Queen Own Cameron Highlanders, however they did not wear it officially until World War 2.

I'm not so sure that any of the battalions of the Camerons served at Gallipoli. I stand to be corrected on that. I'm not sure, any military historians on here?

There was also apparently a pipes and drums of the Royal Navy, that played at Gallipoli.

[Downunder Kilt]

I cannot find an Australian Scottish Regiment that wore khaki tams with a blue toorie, plumes or hackles during WW1. If the embarkation point was the Port of Melbourne, then I would say that the band was the Victorian Scottish Regiment. They however wore glengarries in all the period photos that I can find. There were a number of Scottish Regiments in Australia during and prior to WW1, but were absorbed into other battalions, due to the way the Australian Imperial Forces were organised

[Ron Abbott]

If you really wanted to find out who it was that the pipe band was supposed to be representing (if any specific Australian miitary unit), P/M Bruce Campbell might be a good start for inquiries as he's interested in Australian army piping history etc. He runs Piping World Magazine and contact details can be found therein:-

http://www.pipingworld.co.uk/

p.s......what do you mean by sky blue plums? Hackles or touries?

If hackle, than I can only think of the Camerons but they didn't get their royal blue coloured ones until later.
But if it's tourie, then the London Scottish and the Toronto Scottish are both blue tourie wearers! And possibly others (?)

[EagleJCS]

The Louisville Pipe Band wear blue toories on our Glengarries.

To the OP: The pipe band in the movie was probably not wearing historically accurate uniforms. (I'm guessing by 'sky blue plums' -sic- you mean the hackles - much like the Black Watch wears red hackles on their headgear).

[Ron Abbott]

Maybe so, but somehow I don't see the Louisville Pipe Band having served in the Australian Imperial Force in Egypt or at Gallipoli in 1915 !

There were pipes and drums in the Australian army around that time but not as far as I am aware in the Light Horse.

In the movie, are they wearing any tartan, either as kilts, trews or plaids perhaps? What is it?

[macwilkin]

Most likely it was supposed to represent a local Scottish/St. Andrew's/Caledonian society's pipe band from Perth, since the regiment in question was the 10th Light Horse -- "Men From Western Australia", as Major Barton (Bill Hunter) states towards the last of the film.

The 16th Battalion (Cameron Highlanders of Western Australia) were not raised until 1936.

T.

[Ron Abbott]

Could well be. Be interesting to see whether the band is wearing a military WW1 era uniform in the movie; and representing a pipes and drums from a genuine military unit!

There were certainly 'Scottish' regiments (for want of a better expression) in the Australia forces at that time, although I've never come across any mention of the Light Horse having any pipes/drums. Were there any such regiments/battalions or whatever which were specifically Western Australia based or recruited, at that time?

[guardsman]

The highland light infantry were there , my grandfather was in that arena and said the Turks were good fighters , but NOT as good as Scots !, what a man he was R.I.P.

[Ron Abbott]

What I'm trying to get is whether there were any Australian army 'Scottish' units based or recruited in the Perth area at that time, which might have had a pipes and drums.

I also had ancestors who served in Scottish regiments at Gallipol , one of whom was killed on 2nd January 1916 just as his battalion was evacuating from Helles. Another ancestor got through Gallipoli only to be killed at the 2nd Battle of Gaza just a few months later whilst serving with the 1/7th Royal Scots.