mbriscoe Posted 17 April , 2019 Share Posted 17 April , 2019 It has been on before a few years ago but repeated tomorrow. Pipers of the Trenches Quote HISTORY DOCUMENTARY: Pipers of the Trenches On: BBC 4 (Freeview) Date: Thursday 18th April 2019 (starting in 1 day) Time: 21:00 to 22:00 (1 hour long) Descendants of pipers who died in the First World War visit the Somme and Gallipoli to learn more about the courage of these unarmed men who led their comrades into battle. (Subtitles, Widescreen, Audio Described) Starring: Andy Twaddle, Neil McDonald ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Marked By: 'Category: History Documentary' marker ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Excerpt taken from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from http://www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=7346 Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazala Posted 17 April , 2019 Share Posted 17 April , 2019 Thanks M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Abbott Posted 17 April , 2019 Share Posted 17 April , 2019 Thanks. However.....I wonder why the producers referred to them as 'these unarmed men'. Some may have been, but a revolver was oft carried; although admittedly it would be rather difficult to fire with both hands on the chanter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 17 April , 2019 Share Posted 17 April , 2019 Not forgetting the sgian dubh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 18 April , 2019 Share Posted 18 April , 2019 It must be pretty memorable: I'm sure I watched it first time around but blessed if I can remember anything about it. Can't even remember if I liked it! I'll just have to watch it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 18 April , 2019 Share Posted 18 April , 2019 Using the Forum search facility throws up nothing about this. I cannot believe it wasn't discussed four years ago. (By the way, I like the suggestion that only Highland regiments had pipers. I suspect David Laidlaw, VC, might have a comment to make) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 18 April , 2019 Share Posted 18 April , 2019 5 hours ago, Steven Broomfield said: I suspect David Laidlaw, VC, might have a comment to make) Not half! A local laddie. I thought bagpipes were classed as 'weapons'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fellop Posted 18 April , 2019 Share Posted 18 April , 2019 Minor correction if I may, it is Daniel Laidlaw not David. Also by the strangest coincidence for this thread, I was at his grave in Norham last Saturday. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Abbott Posted 18 April , 2019 Share Posted 18 April , 2019 P/M Daniel Logan Laidlaw of the 7th Bn. KOSB also had an elder brother, namely William Robert Laidlaw who had served as P/M of the 2nd Bn. KOSB from 1896 to 1905, They had another brother called James Laidlaw in the Royal Horse Artillery and another called George was in the Royal Engineers. There was also apparently a fourth brother but I have't identified him yet. During WW1 there was also a Pipe-Major surnamed Laidlaw in the CEF, namely P/M James Jessop Laidlaw of the 1st Training Depot, Canadian Medical Corps. Others with the surname include P/M Ian Laidlaw of the 7th Bn. KOSB during WW2 and P/M Robert Hislop Laidlaw of the Essex Scottish (Canadian) in WW2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derekb Posted 19 April , 2019 Share Posted 19 April , 2019 I watched it and enjoyed it very much. intrigued by a couple of bits where a German steel helmet and a Pickelhaube were being worn by some Scots as they appeared to be singing along to the pipes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 19 April , 2019 Share Posted 19 April , 2019 20 hours ago, fellop said: Minor correction if I may, it is Daniel Laidlaw not David. Also by the strangest coincidence for this thread, I was at his grave in Norham last Saturday. Regards Apologies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 19 April , 2019 Share Posted 19 April , 2019 5 hours ago, derekb said: I watched it and enjoyed it very much. Hmmm. I started watching it and remembered as it went on that I watched it 4 years ago. Correction: I started watching it four years ago and gave up. In contrast to your opinion, I found it mawkish nonsense: much as I appreciate the sentiments of having historians and 'ordinary people' having a jolly, having the Geordie lass whose ancestors were pipers stand at la Boiselle was mawkish and unnecessary. History is not served by taking 'ordinary people' to act as stooges for historians. The historian recreating what a battle sounded like (and having 'a moment') was hilarious: having 'proved' that you couldn't hear the pipes we were then informed that the sight of the pipers was what did it. I somehow suspect that watching what a piper was doing may well have been quite low on your list of priorities under the circumstances. I caught the bit at the end (in passing, later) of the chap with the strange hair and little bit of bear under his lower lip watching someone undertaking physical jerks. Obviously, having missed the start of the segment I have no idea what he was proving, but it did make me laugh ... he was so earnest. I fully recall the programme now, I recall why I gave up on it four years ago and I confess to finding it not even unmemorable but completely forgettable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Maria Posted 19 April , 2019 Share Posted 19 April , 2019 I thought it was okay , got a bit tedious at times with the battle noise and gym experiments , probably should have been just a half hour programme . I wonder if the Douglas Haig fans were put out by them saying that Daniel Laidlaw was probably the most famous Scotsman of the First World War ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxi Posted 19 April , 2019 Share Posted 19 April , 2019 I had seen a video called 'Forgotten Men' which was featured in the documentary at a cottage in France that I rented as a base from which to visit the Somme area. Although it came over to me at the time, that 'Forgotten Men' as a possible inspiration for Harry Enfield's public information films, I noticed that it been filmed in 1936. So, I assume, that the men in the film were well aware of the rise of Hitler when recording their experiences. In the light of this, I must track it down and watch it again. P.S I too am fed up to the back teeth of the Historian stooge format. Please Historians, just speak to the camera as Lucy Worsley does. Sorry, that probably should be classed as a minor Rant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 19 April , 2019 Share Posted 19 April , 2019 32 minutes ago, maxi said: P.S I too am fed up to the back teeth of the Historian stooge format. Please Historians, just speak to the camera as Lucy Worsley does. Sorry, that probably should be classed as a minor Rant. Or, if there must be a stooge, have someone with at least a modicum of knowledge so they can ask intelligent questions and add insightful comment, rather than emoting and saying how awful it must have been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted 19 April , 2019 Share Posted 19 April , 2019 The poor girl was obviously out of her depth. She seemed to spend most of her time vigorously nodding her head. Though she did a good "Really?" when told that the Allied line stretched for 25 miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Abbott Posted 20 April , 2019 Share Posted 20 April , 2019 8 hours ago, Steven Broomfield said: Or, if there must be a stooge, have someone with at least a modicum of knowledge so they can ask intelligent questions and add insightful comment, rather than emoting and saying how awful it must have been. ditto what Steve said. A rather mediocre production. And as for all that guff about sound etc........I can hear the pipes being played miles away above the traffic, city noise and everything else. It may not be a continual sound but it's there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnboy Posted 20 April , 2019 Share Posted 20 April , 2019 I found it interesting but did not see a piper lead the troops into battle.I saw a piper climb out of a trench then march and play walking from left to right along the edge of the trench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbriscoe Posted 20 April , 2019 Author Share Posted 20 April , 2019 6 hours ago, johnboy said: I found it interesting but did not see a piper lead the troops into battle.I saw a piper climb out of a trench then march and play walking from left to right along the edge of the trench. Could that just be a limitation of filming in WWI - to film a piper leading soldiers into battle, the cameraman would have to be standing above the trenches with a camera on its tripod. Though isn't most WWI battle footage recreations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 20 April , 2019 Share Posted 20 April , 2019 It occurs to me that now the centenary is (at last - I thought peace would never break out) behind us, the BBC will be able to take out all of their (largely) extremely sub-standard documentary programmes and give us 'another cahnce to see'. Deep joy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIFFO Posted 20 April , 2019 Share Posted 20 April , 2019 (edited) I didn't think it was to bad, at least it wasn't the usual ww1 footage re hashed Personally Steven I wouldn't mind another chance to see "forgotten men" my copy is blurred and like me a little worn out ,I cannot believe how that plank Hamilton speaks and dresses, I also wouldn't mind another chance to see I cant think of his name at the moment old bloke I think something like Macerne ? talking about the first day of the Somme, I'm sure we would all like another chance to see gwf Tom(the hat)talking about Ghosts on the Somme.Im really surprised that there has only been one, that I can recall documentary about ghosts(if you believe) ,if as some say one minute they are here big bang and they have gone and don't know they are dead, should be lots of the poor chaps wandering about looking for their mates. Edited 20 April , 2019 by BIFFO spolin mistook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripeyman Posted 20 April , 2019 Share Posted 20 April , 2019 The narrator stated the war broke out in 'July' 1914. Not for the British empire it didn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazala Posted 20 April , 2019 Share Posted 20 April , 2019 The first time the camels heard the bagpipes they stampeded. Highland regiments and camels did not get on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skipman Posted 20 April , 2019 Share Posted 20 April , 2019 It's also available on the ever dependable archive.org Mike https://archive.org/details/PipersOfTheTrenches Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 20 April , 2019 Share Posted 20 April , 2019 1 hour ago, Ghazala said: The first time the camels heard the bagpipes they stampeded. Highland regiments and camels did not get on. Bet they got a right hump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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