Pipers and Pipe Music of the Great War

[barrieduncan]

Sorry for the late notice of this, but I only found out about it last minute!

I attended an excellent programme of music tonight at the College of Piping in Otago Street, Glasgow, focusing on Pipers and Pipe Music of the Great War. Tonight's programme was centred on the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. It featured some first class piping from the Army School of Pipe Music and the College - they were all fantastic. The speaker/narrator for the evening was Colin Campbell, who had everyone enthralled with his tales about the Argylls in the First World War. The event was free, having been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (well done HLF for funding something so worthwhile). This was the first in a series of five planned events, the next taking place on 30th July with the focus on Commonwealth and Dominion regiments and their pipe bands and music. For those too far to travel, I believe tonights event was streamed live online, and I imagine this will be the case for future events. This link may have some further information - http://www.collegeofpiping.org/2014/03/spa-concert-pipers-and-pipe-music-of-the-great-war/

I would encourage anyone who is interested in the forthcoming events to contact the College of Piping for more information.

Sorry again for the late 'heads-up', but hopefully this might be useful for those interested in attending/viewing future events on this theme.

Barrie

[Ron Abbott]

Thanks Barrie. Appreciated.

Watching it via Livestream just now.

Look forward to the next event. I've recently been doing some research into the Pipes & Drums of the HK Volunteer Defence Corps, the Pipe Major of which previously served in the KOSB during WW1, and prior to that in the Seaforths.

[aboode]

Thanks Barrie. Appreciated.

Watching it via Livestream just now.

Look forward to the next event. I've recently been doing some research into the Pipes & Drums of the HK Volunteer Defence Corps, the Pipe Major of which previously served in the KOSB during WW1, and prior to that in the Seaforths.

Ron,

I have the following information about the H.K. Volunteer Defence Corps and their P/M William C.K. Mackie:

Pipes & Drums established 1920 in the 2nd (Scottish) Company of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps.

William Craigie Keith MACKIE was their P/M till 1941 when he died in Hong Kong. He was born in or around 1882 in Edinburgh. Around 1909 he was P/M of the 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. He transferred to the K.O.S.B. to become P/M of their 3rd Battalion, but in 1916 he was appointed P/M of their 2nd Battalion.

I do not have more detailed information about P/M Mackie or if there have been other Pipe Majors in the H.K. Volunteer Defence Force.

Please let me know in case you have any additional information.

Regards

Aad

[Ron Abbott]

Thanks Aad. I wrote an article for 'Piping World' about P/M MacKie approximately four years years ago.

He was last seen (and heard) on Christmas Eve 1941 playing the bagpipes at Stanley on Hong Kong Island as the Japanese were attacking his unit's position. His name is inscribed on the memorial at the Commonwealth War Cemetery at Sai Wan as well as on one at Dumfries.

His full time job was working at the Admiralty dockyards in Hong Kong and although not confirmed, he appears to have arrived in Hong Kong circa 1920.

He was the only person I came across that was a Pipe Major of the HKVDC. There are a few photos floating around of the 2nd Scottish Company (including the pipers and drummers) in their 'Gordon Highlander style' uniforms. In fact they appear to have had no affiliation with the Gordon Highlanders. The uniform was apparently chosen because one of their first officers happened to be surnamed Gordon.

MacKie appears to have been a good piper, he won the gold medal at Inverness in 1909.

If I recall correctly the P/M of the 2nd Bn. Royal Scots (Duncan Rankine) survived only to be torpedoed whilst aboard the Japense POW ship, M/V Lisbon Maru in October 1942, He survived that rescuing a number of men on the high seas. He later served in Korea and was P/M of one of Canada;'s 'Irish' regiments. I have details somewhere.

Other pipers of the Royal Scots weren't so lucky. Pipers Forbes Stewart and Robert McKinlay both died when the ship was sunk as was a Major surnamed Pirie who had joined the army as a (boy) soldier/piper.

[aboode]

Ron,

I do have Duncan Rankine as Pipe Major of the 2nd Bn The Royal Scots from 1936, but also Charles W. Johnstone as their P/M around 1937; he died in Glasgow in 1937.

So I am not quite sure who was P/M and when.

Regards

Aad

[Ron Abbott]

Duncan Rankine was definitely 2nd Bn. Royal Scots. He was captured and became a POW and was aboard the Lisbon Maru when it was torpedoed by a US submarine in 1942.

After the war he moved to Canada and was P/M of a Canadian 'irish' regiment (sorry can't recall which one) for a short period of time and then later became P/M of the 2nd Bn. (?) RHR Black Watch of Canada. He saw action in Korea as well.