Clare

Bagpipes.

My grandfather was in a highland regiment in the Great War, the 16th Canadian Scottish.

In the Great War four men from that battalion earned the Victoria Cross, for valour. One, James Richardson, was one of the battalion’s pipers.

Towards the end of the Somme offensive in 1916 the 16th was tasked with capturing a section of German frontline known as Regina Trench.

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Feb 11 at 4:16amWeb
Show threadClareFeb 11

On the 8th of October the 16th, along with other Canadian battalions went over the top in the pre dawn hours. When they reached the German wire they discovered it was intact, untouched by the artillery barrage. Caught in the wire and seemingly unable to advance they faced a withering fire from machine guns and shelling. Suffering heavy casualties they took shelter in shell holes before the wire, pinned down unable to go forward.

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Show threadClareFeb 11

Lying in one of these shell holes the 20 year old Richardson turned to his Sgt Major who was next to him.

“Shall I gae em wind?” he asked. And then stood up and piping The Devils in the Kitchen and The Reel of Tulloch he marched back and forth in front of the wire, untouched by the maelstrom of bullets around him.

Hearing the pipes and seeing Richardson marching back and forth the men of the 16th charged forward and made their way through the wire. In some cases the climbed over the 3/x

Show threadClareFeb 11

bodies of their comrades caught on the wire. They fought their way into Regina Trench and after bitter close combat captured it.

Unfortunately the battalions on their flanks did not capture their sections of the trench and with their flanks exposed and under counter attack they eventually withdrew back to their original lines.

Richardson escorted prisoners and stretcher bearers back to the line, but when he arrived he realized he’d left his pipes behind. Crying “my pipes” he returned 4/x

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to Regina Trench to retrieve them. He was never seen again. His body being recovered after the war he is buried in Adanac (Canada spelt backwards) Commonwealth War Cemetery.

Years later his pipes were discovered at a school in Scotland having been picked up by another soldier off the battlefield later in the war. They were recognized by the unique tartan on the 16th’s pipes.

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Show threadClareFeb 11
In the month of fighting, including Regina Trench, the 16th suffered 877 casualties, 328 killed, 523 wounded and 26 prisoners of war. My grandfather had yet to join the battalion but was in one of the drafts shortly after Regina Trench, replacing those dead and wounded. 6/6
Show threadClaire BarnesFeb 11
@NunavutBirder Extraordinary story; thank you for posting.
Show threadBobReflectedFeb 11
@NunavutBirder thank you for sharing this story. My own grandfather, who lived with us for the later years of his life, lost a leg during that war. His wife died shortly after giving birth to my mother. He, unable to cope, left my mother with a friend's family who raised her - he returned when she was 11 and took her. It was devastating for my mother. War messes lives without mercy.
Show threadClareFeb 12

@BobReflected it does. And that is a heartbreaking story.

When I know the stories of my grandfather’s war service I am constantly amazed at how well he came out of it.

When I think about my own experiences, that pale in the face of those in war, I often wonder how I avoided PTSD while colleagues didn’t.