The Pipes Of War - free ebook by John (Pipe-Major) Grant

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The Pipes Of War

John (Pipe-Major) Grant

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THE PIPES OF WAR

THE PIPES OF WAR

GLASGOW TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW The Pipes of War A Record of the Achievements of Pipers of Scottish and Overseas Regiments during the War 1914-18 BY Brevet-Col. SIR BRUCE SETON, Bart., of Abercorn, C.B. AND Pipe-Major JOHN GRANT WITH CONTRIBUTIONS BY NEIL MUNRO, BOYD CABLE, PHILIP GIBBS, and Others GLASGOW MACLEHOSE, JACKSON &amp; CO. PUBLISHERS TO THE UNIVERSITY 1920 GLASGOW MACLEHOSE, JACKSON &amp; CO. PUBLISHERS TO THE UNIVERSITY 1920 Wherever Scottish troops have fought the soun

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PREFACE

PREFACE

This record of the achievements of pipers during the war of 1914-18 is not intended to be an appeal to emotionalism. It aims at showing that, in spite of the efforts of a very efficient enemy to prevent individual gallantry, in spite of the physical conditions of the modern battlefield, the pipes of war, the oldest instrument in the world, have played an even greater part in the orchestra of battle in this than they have in past campaigns. The piper, be he Highlander, or Lowlander, or Scot from

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INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

The history of the bagpipes as a military institution is a long and honourable one, inseparable from that of Scottish troops, Highland and Lowland, wherever they have fought, for centuries past. The strains of piob mhor have been heard all over those bloody European battlefields on which Scottish soldiers of fortune died—too often for lost causes—from the time when Buchan's force joined the Lilies of France in 1422, throughout the Hundred Years' War, in the Low Countries, in Germany, in Austria;

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A HISTORY OF THE PIPES

A HISTORY OF THE PIPES

At what stages of his development primitive man discovered he could obtain musical sounds by blowing on a hollow reed we cannot now ascertain; if we could do so we could at once determine when the pipe came into existence. It is unprofitable to speculate on this point. What we do know, however, is that men playing the pipe are portrayed in sculptures the date of which is fixed by the best authorities as about 4000 B.C. , and we conclude that in Chaldaea, Egypt, Assyria and Persia at least, the p

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THE WESTERN FRONT

THE WESTERN FRONT

During the autumn [2] and winter of 1914-15 pipers, for obvious reasons, had few opportunities of attracting much attention, still less of performing their highest duty, viz. playing their companies into action. They were necessarily, on account of the extreme shortage of men, for the most part employed in the ranks; and in many of the old Regular battalions pipe bands disappeared altogether. For a time it seemed that the critics were right, and that in warfare in the twentieth century there was

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GALLIPOLI

GALLIPOLI

In Gallipoli, as on the Western front, pipers added lustre to their reputation; and incidents which occurred to some of them showed that they were stout fighting men even after their pipes were put out of action. The nature of the terrain generally precluded the more spectacular duty of playing their units to the attack, and the heavy casualties in the force and the constant demand for men resulted in their being frequently employed in the ranks; nevertheless, several cases did occur of company

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SALONIKA

SALONIKA

Opportunities for the employment of pipers as such were comparatively rare in the course of the Salonika operations, for obvious reasons. At Karadzakot Zir, however, the 1st Royal Scots pipers played their companies to the attack on the village, and the C.O. reported that, in his opinion, "It was largely due to the presence of the pipers with the leading wave that the enemy evacuated their trenches and retired in disorder."...

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MESOPOTAMIA

MESOPOTAMIA

Playing the pipes in the Golden East is a far greater effort than it is at home, and every piper who has soldiered there knows how the heat and the dryness of the atmosphere affect his bag and reeds. But the cult of piob mhor thrives east of Suez, and at least as much enthusiasm is shown by regiments stationed in India as in a home station. And when Scottish troops were called upon to take their part in the Mesopotamia operations, we find the pipes as prominent a feature in the fighting as they

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THE LAST STAGE

THE LAST STAGE

For four years and a half the pipes of war played their part in the greatest war in history; in the front, under conditions in which they could never have been expected to exist at all, they have led men to victory, have rallied them when victory eluded their grasp, and have marched them back undismayed by the tortures of battle; behind the lines they have headed the long columns of Scottish troops on their way up to the furnace in which the fate of nations was cast. But, everywhere, they expres

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PIPERS IN THE RANKS

PIPERS IN THE RANKS

The piper is, first and last, a fighting man; and when a regiment is mobilised it at once loses most of its pipers. Whatever the strength of the band may have been in peace time, only the "sergeant piper"—a hideous official term for the pipe major—and five "full" pipers are normally retained as such. The remainder, while acting as pipers when opportunity offers—and designated accordingly—serve in the ranks. During this war, and notably during the early years of it, it was often found necessary t

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PIPERS ON THE MARCH

PIPERS ON THE MARCH

Playing the pipes in action, though essentially the most important, is, for obvious reasons, only one of the duties of the soldier piper. Every unit of an army is not always in close touch with the enemy, and every battalion puts in a good many miles of marching in a year in conditions which are rarely ideal and very often acutely miserable. It is here that the pipes have rendered such conspicuous service as the marching instrument par excellence ; and the cult of the bagpipe has spread to units

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PIPE TUNES

PIPE TUNES

Pipe tunes—as every piper knows—have local associations, associations with particular incidents, particular emotions; and in military piping this is never overlooked. In war everything has changed—everything but the elemental courage and passions of the men who are engaged in it; and, as piob mhor is essentially the instrument on which those elemental passions can be best expressed, it is not uninteresting to observe how individual pipers have resorted to particular tunes, to suit particular occ

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INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENTS.

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENTS.

"Agus bha iad am measg uam fear treuna 'n an luchd-cuideachaidh 's a' chogadh." To attempt to compile a complete record of the achievements of individual pipers or of the pipe bands of units is an impossible task; it would involve a review of the whole course of the war. A long time must elapse before the histories of battalions are completed, and even then we shall probably never know fully the extent to which their pipers have contributed to the attainment of success. Throughout the war corres

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FOREIGNERS AND THE PIPES

FOREIGNERS AND THE PIPES

Brought in contact as Scottish troops have been with those of our Allies it is not surprising that military pipers have attracted the attention of observers and writers who, before the war, knew nothing of their existence. From the early days of the war the pipes, the tartan and the kilt aroused the liveliest interest in France; and perhaps the sincerest tribute to them is the fact that, in their caricatures of the nations, the Germans usually depicted the British soldier as a particularly unatt

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THE PIPES IN CAPTIVITY

THE PIPES IN CAPTIVITY

Even pipers fall into the hands of the enemy occasionally, but they were never allowed to take their instruments with them into captivity. Gradually, as "comforts," pipes were sent out to individual officers and men; and the following letter from an officer of the Gordon Highlanders who was at Friedberg Camp, indicates how popular pipe music became among his fellow-prisoners of the Allied armies. " Friedberg , 11/1/1917. In Holland, in the internment camps, an organised pipe band was instituted

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MILITARY PIPE BANDS, AND REFORM

MILITARY PIPE BANDS, AND REFORM

In preparing this record of the pipe bands of our Armies during the war the opportunity has been taken of consulting pipe presidents and pipe majors as to the present condition of military piping and the manner in which obvious defects might be remedied. Like other experts they exhibit divergences of opinion, sometimes as regards the nature of the defects, sometimes as to the best method of remedying them. In certain matters, however, there is absolute unanimity, and these are deserving of atten

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THE SCOTS GUARDS

THE SCOTS GUARDS

1st Battalion. During the first few months of the war there were very heavy casualties among the pipers, and the band soon ceased to exist in consequence. It was reconstituted in 1916, but was not again utilised in the front line. 2nd Battalion There were heavy casualties in the Ypres fighting in Oct. 1914, and by the end of March, 1915, practically no pipers remained. The band was subsequently reconstituted, but like that of the sister battalion, was as far as possible saved from further decima

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THE ROYAL SCOTS

THE ROYAL SCOTS

1st Battalion In the capture of Karadzakot Zir, in the Salonika operations, the battalion was played to the attack by Pipers Collins, Clancy, Smart and Mallin, and the C.O. considers that their services on this occasion "were of inestimable value; it was largely due to the presence of the pipers with the leading wave that the enemy evacuated their trenches and retired in disorder." Besides their value on the march and in billets "they were invaluable in inspiring esprit de corps under fire." Pip

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THE ROYAL SCOTS FUSILIERS

THE ROYAL SCOTS FUSILIERS

1st Battalion The battalion was played to the attack on the German trenches at Hooge on 16th June, 1915, by the Pipe Major David Campbell. 2nd Battalion After the first battle of Ypres only one piper remained, but a small band was made up from such acting pipers as could be spared from the trenches. Drafts from other battalions ultimately brought the band up to strength. The pipers who were taken prisoner, along with one of the officers, started a band in a German prison camp. 4th Battalion Pipe

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THE KING'S OWN SCOTTISH BORDERERS

THE KING'S OWN SCOTTISH BORDERERS

1st Battalion In the landing on Gallipoli the pipers of the battalion had to take their places in the ranks in the first line fighting; here they distinguished themselves. During the subsequent operations in the Peninsula the pipers were employed in miscellaneous duties behind the front line. Of the 10 pipers who landed only 4 remained to accompany the battalion on its evacuation. In France they were employed in any and every capacity; "as bearers and ammunition carriers they had tasks to carry

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THE CAMERONIANS (THE SCOTTISH RIFLES)

THE CAMERONIANS (THE SCOTTISH RIFLES)

1st Battalion During the early part of the campaign the casualties among pipers were so heavy that it was found necessary to keep them as much as possible out of the front line. By the end of 1915 the band had practically ceased to exist. Of 25 pipers who have served during the war 3 have been killed and 9 wounded. 2nd Battalion Pipers during the first part of the war were chiefly in the ranks, and the casualties among them were so heavy they had to be withdrawn. The band was reconstituted, and

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THE ROYAL HIGHLANDERS (THE BLACK WATCH)

THE ROYAL HIGHLANDERS (THE BLACK WATCH)

1st Battalion During the opening stages the pipers were necessarily mostly employed in the ranks, and, within the first three months, practically the whole of the 13 pipers were casualties. During the Somme fighting the companies were repeatedly played to the attack by their pipers; on one of these occasions the pipe major, M'Leod, was killed. At Rue des Bois in May 1915, when the battalion attacked the German positions near Festubert, every company was played up, and Pipers Stuart and Wishart d

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THE HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY

THE HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY

1st Battalion During the first six months of the war 7 pipers were killed, 8 were wounded and 2 were taken prisoner. These casualties mostly occurred at Festubert in December 1914, and later at Neuve Chapelle. They were then withdrawn from the front lines. Subsequently they were employed as bearers, ammunition carriers, etc. 2nd Battalion Of the original band of thirteen men all but two were killed or wounded in the first few months of the war. While they lasted they acted as pipers as well as i

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THE SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS

THE SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS

1st Battalion The casualties among the pipers of this battalion have been very heavy. At Richebourg in November 1914, 2 pipers were killed and 6 wounded, and the pipe major, Matheson, was awarded the D.C.M. for great gallantry in carrying messages. In December 1914, and again at Neuve Chapelle in May 1915, 3 more were killed and 4 wounded. Some of them were employed as pipers, others as bearers and in the ranks. At Neuve Chapelle the companies were played into action in May 1915, and Piper Pratt

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THE GORDON HIGHLANDERS

THE GORDON HIGHLANDERS

1st Battalion The battalion took out 18 pipers, and at the roll call at Cambrai on 26th August, 1914, only two remained. For a long time pipers had to be employed in the ranks. On several occasions in the Somme fighting they took their place at the head of their companies and played them into action. 2nd Battalion This battalion took 32 pipers out to France; by the end of the first year of the campaign 10 had been killed and 20 wounded. At Loos and in the Somme fighting the pipers of the 2nd Gor

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THE QUEEN'S OWN CAMERON HIGHLANDERS

THE QUEEN'S OWN CAMERON HIGHLANDERS

"A chlanna nan con A chlanna nan con Thigibh an so S'ghaibh sibh feoil." 1st Battalion Pipers were not employed as such, but, during the early part of the war, they were in the ranks. At the battle of the Aisne and Ypres the casualties were heavy. The value to the battalion of their pipe band is considered so great that the officers would like the establishment doubled. 2nd Battalion There were heavy casualties among the pipers, who were employed in many ways throughout the war,—largely in the r

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THE ARGYLL AND SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS

THE ARGYLL AND SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS

1st Battalion Early in the war pipers were used in action, but, on account of casualties being very heavy among them, the practice was given up. 2nd Battalion During the first year of the war 3 pipers were killed, 3 were wounded and 3 were taken prisoner, and the band was broken up, the survivors being returned to the ranks. Throughout the war pipers have been employed as orderlies, ammunition and ration carriers. 5th Battalion When in Gallipoli the full pipers were chiefly employed as messenger

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THE LONDON SCOTTISH

THE LONDON SCOTTISH

1st Battalion During the earlier part of the war the pipers served in the ranks and suffered heavy casualties. In the fighting at Messines on 31st October, 1914, and the subsequent operations at Zillebeke, 4 were killed and 2 were wounded, and of the original pipe band only one remained after six months. All these casualties occurred while the men were acting as observers. Several pipers were subsequently given commissions in other regiments. Owing to the great difficulty of replacement every ef

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THE TYNESIDE SCOTTISH

THE TYNESIDE SCOTTISH

1st Battalion In the Somme fighting on 1st July, 1916, the battalion was played into action by its pipers and had 5 killed and 2 wounded; the survivors, Pipe Major John Wilson and Piper George Taylor, were awarded the Military Medal. 2nd Battalion On the same occasion this battalion was played into action by its pipers. 1525 Piper James Phillips was mentioned in despatches. 3rd Battalion On the same occasion this battalion was played into action, but the whole of the pipers were killed or wounde

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THE MIDDLESEX REGIMENT

THE MIDDLESEX REGIMENT

16th Battalion This was the first English regiment to have a pipe band, the men being recruited for the purpose from Glasgow....

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THE LIVERPOOL SCOTTISH

THE LIVERPOOL SCOTTISH

At Bois Grenier, Piper Thomas Wilson played his company over the top. Mostly employed as stretcher-bearers, but in 1914 the pipers of 1st Batt. also served in ranks. Piper Sydney Wilson was three times awarded certificate of gallantry. 1st Battalion 2nd Battalion...

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THE ROYAL FUSILIERS

THE ROYAL FUSILIERS

23rd Battalion (1st Sportsman's Batt.) The pipers, during the period of trench warfare, were employed behind the lines. The C.O. considers they were of the greatest value in keeping up the men's morale, on marches and in bringing companies out of the trenches....

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THE ARGYLLSHIRE MOUNTAIN BATTERY

THE ARGYLLSHIRE MOUNTAIN BATTERY

The pipers in this Battery all served as gunners....

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THE PIPE BAND OF THE 52nd (LOWLAND) DIVISION

THE PIPE BAND OF THE 52nd (LOWLAND) DIVISION

This band was formed in Gallipoli in October, 1915. It was understood then that a dull and dreary winter campaign was in front of the troops. A committee of officers was formed to find some sort of entertainment to keep the men as cheery as possible. It was decided that both a Military and a Pipe Band should be raised. This job was left entirely in the hands of Colonel C. A. H. Maclean of Pennycross, a critical and enthusiastic lover of music, who, being a Highlander and an accomplished piper, n

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PRISONERS OF WAR BAND

PRISONERS OF WAR BAND

One of the most remarkable of military pipe bands was one organised in the British prisoners' internment camps in Holland. At one time this band consisted of 13 pipers of different units, including two pipe majors, under Pipe Major Duff, 2nd Royal Scots. OVERSEAS BATTALIONS...

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PRINCESS PATRICIA'S CANADIAN LIGHT INFANTRY

PRINCESS PATRICIA'S CANADIAN LIGHT INFANTRY

The pipers were mainly employed as bearers. In the attack on the Vimy Ridge on 9th April, 1917, the battalion was played over by the nine pipers. Pipers were also employed as runners....

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THE ROYAL HIGHLANDERS OF CANADA

THE ROYAL HIGHLANDERS OF CANADA

13th Battalion In the Ypres fighting in April 1915 the pipers suffered heavily, 3 of them being killed and 5 wounded. Some of them were employed as runners, others in the ranks. At the recapture of Hill 70 in August 1917 the companies were led to the attack by their pipers....

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THE 48th HIGHLANDERS OF CANADA

THE 48th HIGHLANDERS OF CANADA

15th Battalion The battalion took out 19 pipers. At the battle of Amiens, 5th-8th August, 1918, their pipers played in the front line. They were fortunate as regards casualties during the war, having lost only one man killed....

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THE CANADIAN SCOTTISH

THE CANADIAN SCOTTISH

16th Battalion At Ypres (April 1915) two pipers, Jas. Thomson and W. M'Ivor, were killed while playing the charge; and at Festubert in May, G. Birnie and A. Morrison were killed in the same way. Some of the pipers were employed as bearers, runners, etc., but, the casualties continuing, it was found necessary for a time to withdraw them from the firing line. During the Somme fighting, however, they were again used as pipers. In the attack of 8th October, 1916, Pipers Richardson, Park, Paul and M'

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THE 21st CANADIANS

THE 21st CANADIANS

(Eastern Ontario Regiment) It is considered in this battalion that pipers are quite indispensable, and should be spared as far as possible....

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THE 25th CANADIANS

THE 25th CANADIANS

Piper Telfer played his company into action at Vimy Ridge until wounded. He was awarded the Military Medal; Piper W. Brand also got the same distinction. Again, at Amiens, August 1918, the battalion was played over. There was great competition among the men to be allowed to perform this duty. Frequently they were employed as bearers....

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THE 29th CANADIANS

THE 29th CANADIANS

(Vancouver Regiment) Pipers were employed as bearers....

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THE 236th CANADIANS

THE 236th CANADIANS

(The MacLean Regiment)...

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THE CANADIAN PIONEERS

THE CANADIAN PIONEERS

1st Battalion Owing to the nature of the employment of this battalion on railway construction the pipers were principally in the ranks as sappers....

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THE 2nd AUCKLAND REGIMENT

THE 2nd AUCKLAND REGIMENT

The band was started in Egypt in 1915 with 4 pipers, and gradually a few more were added. The pipers were not allowed to go into action as such. Pipe Major J. F. Robertson was given the Military Medal for gallantry during the operations round Bapaume in 1918....

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THE 42nd AUSTRALIANS

THE 42nd AUSTRALIANS

This battalion raised a band of 8 pipers when they left Australia in 1916. They were largely employed as scouts, runners, etc. The battalion was subsequently merged into the 41st. Pipers A. Aitken and R. Gillespie were awarded Military Medals for valuable scouting work carried out prior to the action at Messines in June 1917....

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THE SOUTH AFRICAN SCOTTISH

THE SOUTH AFRICAN SCOTTISH

The pipers proved quite invaluable on the long marches in the operations against the Senussi, in keeping the men going, under the most trying climatic conditions. The pipers were sometimes employed as bearers, or as carriers of stores, ammunition, etc., and as runners. In the Cambrai advance by the Germans they had to serve in the ranks. At Houdincourt, having piled their pipes and taken up rifles, nearly all their instruments were destroyed by a shell. Cha till, cha till, cha till Mac Criomain,

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ROLL OF HONOUR. 1914-1918

ROLL OF HONOUR. 1914-1918

"So he passed over. And all the trumpets sounded for him on the other side."...

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CANNTAIREACHD

CANNTAIREACHD

By Major J. P. Grant, M.C., Yr. of Rothiemurchus It is related [14] by Sir John Graham Dalyell how in 1818, one John Campbell from Nether Lorn, brought "a folio in MS., said to contain numerous compositions," for the inspection of the judges at the annual piping competition held in Edinburgh under the auspices of the Highland Society: the story goes on, "but the contents merely resembling a written narrative in an unknown language, nor bearing any resemblance to Gaelic, they proved utterly unint

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THE IRISH PIPES: THEIR HISTORY, DEVELOPMENT, AND DIVERGENCE FROM THE SIMPLE HIGHLAND TYPE

THE IRISH PIPES: THEIR HISTORY, DEVELOPMENT, AND DIVERGENCE FROM THE SIMPLE HIGHLAND TYPE

By W. H. Grattan Flood , Mus.D., K.S.G. There is ample evidence that the bagpipe was used in pre-Christian Ireland, whence it was brought to Scotland. It is referred to in the Brehon Laws of the fifth century. Irish writers allude to it as Cuisle and as Piob mor —and this is the warlike instrument which was adopted by our Scottish brethren and became the national instrument of Scotland. During the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries Irish pipers accompanied the Irish troops that fought in Gascon

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THE TUITION OF YOUNG REGIMENTAL PIPERS

THE TUITION OF YOUNG REGIMENTAL PIPERS

By John Grant , Pipe Major There is an establishment for the training of bandsmen at Kneller Hall, Twickenham, known as "The Royal Military School of Music," where regular soldiers are trained in a very efficient manner both in theory and practice, for brass bands. Each pupil remains for a considerable period, extending from one to three years, and not only do they become good performers on the various instruments, but they qualify for the rank of bandmaster in any regiment. A bandmaster holds t

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THE SPIRIT OF THE MACCRIMMONS

THE SPIRIT OF THE MACCRIMMONS

By Fred T. Macleod, F.S.A. (Scot.) It was the year 1626, a memorable year in the history of the Western Isles of Scotland, and singularly eventful in the history of Skye and of the Dunvegan family. Sir Rory Mor MacLeod, warrior and statesman, patron of Art, of Music and of Letters, and dispenser of lavish hospitality to rich and poor alike, had died in the Chanonry of Ross an event "greatly deplored among the Gael at that time." The ancient sea-gate of Dunvegan Castle was opened, and into a wait

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A GOSSIP ABOUT THE GORDON HIGHLANDERS

A GOSSIP ABOUT THE GORDON HIGHLANDERS

By J. M. Bulloch If the Great War has reversed some preconceptions and ruthlessly rationalised many traditions, it has confirmed, and actually enhanced, the fine fighting reputation of the ten Regiments of the Line—half of them kilted—which Scotland contributes to the British Army. We now know of a certainty that this reputation is well founded as we did not know it before. True, there has long been a legend to that effect, but of recent years there has been a disposition to question its validit

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TO THE LION RAMPANT

TO THE LION RAMPANT

By Alice C. Macdonell of Keppoch The strains of Donald Dubh again, Bore out the clans to battles strange. But, it's O! our tears ran sorely, As they left the Scottish shore; For who'd come back, and who would see Lochaber's wooded braes no more? Only the Lord of Hosts could tell, And the wae heart's own prophetic knell. That reddens cheeks with healthful glow, The sound of melting driving snow. Did ye hear the war pipes calling, Like the mavis, in the van, 'Mid the thunder of the battle storm, T

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THE MUSIC OF BATTLE

THE MUSIC OF BATTLE

By Philip Gibbs Through all the days and the years in which I served as a war-correspondent on the Western Front, it was seldom that I did not hear, from near by or from afar, the music of the pipes. It was a sound which belonged to the great orchestra of life in the war zone, rising above the deep rumble of distant guns, travelling ahead of marching columns up the long roads to Arras or Bapaume, wailing across the shell craters of that desert which stretched for miles over the battlefields of F

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THE PIPES IN THE EVERYDAY LIFE OF THE WAR

THE PIPES IN THE EVERYDAY LIFE OF THE WAR

By Arthur Fetterless I do not think any one can write with greater pleasure than I for the Pipers' Record. My only regret is that, personally, I never chanced to see the pipes go into direct action. I know that, in the earlier stages of the war, and in a few celebrated cases later, the pipes went into the charge, but I had not the good fortune to be present on one of these occasions. Others, however, will have written of these things, and I do not think I can do better than speak of events actua

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THE OLDEST AIR IN THE WORLD

THE OLDEST AIR IN THE WORLD

By Neil Munro Col Maclean, on two sticks, and with tartan trousers on, came down between the whins to the poles where the nets were drying, and joined the Trosdale folk in the nets' shade. 'Twas the Saturday afternoon; they were frankly idling, the township people—except that the women knitted, which is a way of being indolent in the Islands—and had been listening for an hour to an heroic tale of the old sea-robber days from Patrick Macneill, the most gifted liar in the parish. A little fire of

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THE PIPES: ONSET

THE PIPES: ONSET

(Somme, September, 1916) By Joseph Lee , Lieut. Dedicated to Major Angus MacGillivray. The cry is in my ear, The sight is in my eye, This is the dawning of the day That shall see me die: What is the piper playing That battles in my blood?— Winds in it, Waves in it, Waters at the flood; Sadness in it, Madness in it, Weeping mists and rain— What is the piper playing That beats within my brain? Sobbing and throbbing Like a soul's unrest; I drink his madd'ning music in As milk at my mother's breast:

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FLESH TO THE EAGLES

FLESH TO THE EAGLES

By Boyd Cable It was during the retreat of 1914 that a Highland regiment was quartered for a night in one of the French villages, and billetted in houses, barns, anywhere the hospitable villagers could give them room. The officers established their Mess and quarters in "The Chateau," a big house on the outskirts of the village. Many of the villagers had already cleared out, but in the Chateau the officers found the mistress of the house, her daughter, and her servants, standing staunchly to thei

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THE BLACK CHANTER

THE BLACK CHANTER

By Charles Laing Warr It was April above Lucerne, in the year of grace nineteen hundred and fourteen, and everything was young. A witchery of sunlight and scent and blossom etherealised the earth and the heavens; and fields, green as the green diamond at the heart of the world, rioted wantonly to kiss the white dazzling peaks that glittered in the sapphire sky. On a fallen tree, its bark all frosted with lichen, two young people sat at the edge of a pine copse. They were both in the springtide o

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THE PIPES

THE PIPES

By Edmund Candler On Christmas night the pipers came into the mess. They had piped the regiment across many a hot place in France and escorted bombing parties down many a German trench. In one action four out of the eight were hit and two killed. They touch a chord deep down somewhere which no doubt has its proper scientific name. The eye of the piper which conceals his gladness, denying all rapture, is a key to the undemonstrative temper of the men who would rather die than throw up their bonne

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