The loss of a truly legendary veteran

i_got_a_mohawk · #1 08-19-2010, 04:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBC

A Scottish bagpiper who played men into battle during World War II has died in Devon.

Bill Millin, who was 88, played his comrades ashore on Sword Beach during the D-Day Normandy landings.

The Glaswegian commando's actions were later immortalised in the film, "The Longest Day".

Mr Millin, who lived at a nursing home in Dawlish since suffering a major stroke seven years ago, died in Torbay Hospital.

A statement released by his family said: "This morning following a short illness piper Bill Millin, a great Scottish hero, passed peacefully away in Torbay hospital."

Mr Millin was serving with 1st Commando Brigade when he landed in France on 6 June, 1944.

His commanding officer, Lord Lovat, asked him to ignore instructions banning the playing of bagpipes in battle and requested he play to rally his comrades.

Despite being unarmed, Mr Millin marched up and down the shore at Sword Beach in his kilt piping "Highland Laddie".

He continued to play as his friends fell around him and later moved inland to pipe the troops to Pegasus Bridge.

His bagpipes, which were silenced four days later by a piece of shrapnel, were handed over to the National War Museum of Scotland in 2001, along with his kilt, commando beret and knife.

In 2006 when a song was written in his honour by Devon folk singer Sheelagh Allen, Mr Millin told BBC: "I enjoyed playing the pipes, but I didn't notice I was being shot at.

"When you're young you do things you wouldn't dream of doing when you're older."

For the past 66 years, Mr Millin returned to France on numerous occasions to pay his respects to his fallen comrades.

His family said he would always be remembered as an iconic part of all those who gave so much to free Europe from tyranny.

Mr Millin's funeral will be held privately, but a service of remembrance will be held at a later date.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-11011884

Ballsy as **** ! But now the mad piper rests.

Mark Perry · #2 08-19-2010, 05:11 AM

Wow

Thanks for posting. That generation as a whole were pretty incredible. (To put it mildly).

Kawai-chang · #3 08-19-2010, 10:49 AM

That is a Man. With a capial M.

There's a great documentary called "Instruments of War", (IIRC) about the bagpipes and the pipers. Highly entertaining watch

i_got_a_mohawk · #4 08-19-2010, 11:19 AM

Will have to give that documentary up.

Surprised there wasn't more interest, thought quite a few guys around here were pretty into their war hero stuff!

Relic · #5 08-19-2010, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Perry

Wow

Thanks for posting. That generation as a whole were pretty incredible. (To put it mildly).

Absolutely.

Every generation has their heroes and their folks to look up to, but guys like this gent are rare indeed these days.

Super Dwarf · #6 08-19-2010, 02:05 PM

what a bad ass. running around on the beach with only a knife and bagpipes! wow.

etoncrow · #7 08-19-2010, 02:12 PM

I would have loved to meet him; quite a man. I tip my hat and tonight I'll lift a glass of spirits to him...

i_got_a_mohawk · #8 08-19-2010, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super Dwarf

what a bad ass. running around on the beach with only a knife and bagpipes! wow.

It also reminds me of this gent:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Churchill

Quote:

Lieutenant Colonel John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming "Jack" Churchill, DSO & Bar, MC & Bar (16 September 1906 – 8 March 1996), nicknamed "Fighting Jack Churchill" and "Mad Jack", was an English soldier who fought throughout World War II armed with a longbow, arrows, and a claybeg. He once said "any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly dressed."

Hoover · #9 08-19-2010, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kawai-chang

That is a Man. With a capial M.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super Dwarf

what a bad ass.

Quote:

Originally Posted by etoncrow

quite a man

I cannot fathom another thread -- on TB, or, heck, any other internet forum -- where one could encounter this sort of genuine admiration for the pure manliness of a guy who wore a skirt!

(j/k, this guys sounds like the kind of hero we need more of.)

hdracer · #10 08-19-2010, 03:16 PM

He was a great man, like most of that time. Sir William Wallace would have been proud of him.

Super Dwarf · #11 08-19-2010, 03:24 PM

bagpipes and long bows. man if there is a guy in ww2 or 1 with a hatchet or some kinda battle axe i need to know. im gaining some heros here

just read the rest of churchhills bio, hes a surfer!! holy crap.

stratovani · #12 08-19-2010, 05:54 PM

A different world, a different time. What we consider badass today they considered simply doing your duty.

Kawai-chang · #13 08-20-2010, 07:00 AM

Kawai-chang · #14 08-20-2010, 07:02 AM

In the above documentary, there was a story of one piper (and as an aside, all the pipers were EXPECTED to lead the charge) who was shot in both legs after leading the charge from the trench in WW I, and continued playing while sitting against a fencepost in the "death zone" for the entire charge.

thumpbass1 · #15 08-20-2010, 08:36 AM

God bless that generation for standing up against real tyranny and moral evil, directly in it's face.
May he rest in peace.

Mark Perry · #16 08-21-2010, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relic

Absolutely.

Every generation has their heroes and their folks to look up to, but guys like this gent are rare indeed these days.

I guess they had no choice. War / severe hard times brings out the best and the worst in people.

I wonder what the heroes of todays war torn areas have been up to?

On another note I'll be off to a family get together near Dawlish in the next hour, funnily enough.

EdHunter · #17 08-21-2010, 06:23 AM

I must say, it's these guys who make me proud to be British. Douglas Bader, Jack Churchill, Guy Gibson, and indeed everyone who served in defence of what they believed in.

Especially when they still gather for things like this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-11038258

It just goes to show how far down the pan we've gone recently...

MIJ-VI · #18 08-21-2010, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdHunter

I must say, it's these guys who make me proud to be British. Douglas Bader, Jack Churchill, Guy Gibson, and indeed everyone who served in defence of what they believed in.

Especially when they still gather for things like this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-11038258

It just goes to show how far down the pan we've gone recently...

Here too...

Mind you such piss-wits are in the minority.

--------

Back to the OP.

Even playing a popular instrument in the face of enemy fire would be near-suicidal!