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.
BEN BUIDHE, ARGYLLSHIRE
From the Water-colour Drawing by George Houston, A.R.S.A.
5th Battalion
When in Gallipoli the full pipers were chiefly employed as messengers and ammunition carriers. In the latter capacity they did excellent work in the fighting on 12th July, 1915. The acting pipers were employed as stretcher bearers. On the occasion of the 12th July attack a piper mounted the parapet and played the battalion over. The pipers have been kept out of action as far as possible.
| REG. NO. RANK. | NAME. | RECORD. | |
| 201471 | Pipe Major | C. Hay | Wounded, 24/11/17. |
| " | Jas. Smith | ||
| Piper | Robert Smith | ||
| " | Thomas Macdonald | ||
| " | Robert Maclachlan | ||
| 200129 | " | James Blair | |
| 200043 | Lance-Cpl. | Fred Branwhite | |
| Piper | Robert Macleod | Wounded, 25/12/15. | |
| 200300 | Lance-Cpl. | Angus Macarthur | |
| 300620 | Piper | John Macleod | |
| 200359 | " | James Murray | |
| " | Malcolm Stewart | ||
| " | George Stirrat | ||
| 325764 | " | W. Hendry | Wounded, 29/7/18. |
| 200325 | " | William Lepick | |
| 201062 | " | J. M'Callum | |
| 200357 | " | Donald Matheson | |
| 202708 | " | William Matheson | |
| 43040 | " | John Myles | |
| 200780 | " | A. Neilson | |
| 200855 | " | J. Oliver | |
| 201925 | " | W. Ponton | |
6th Battalion
While in the trenches were employed as orderlies, messengers, etc.
7th Battalion
Pipers were employed as runners and orderlies.
| REG. NO. RANK. | NAME. | RECORD. | |
| Piper | John Walls, M.M. | Military Medal, 24/7/16. | |
| 277167 | " | Hugh M'Donald | Killed, Aug. 1917, Ypres. |
8th Battalion
Until the Somme fighting the pipers went into the trenches but did not play. The battalion had a pipe band composed of officers, Capt. Alastair M'Laren, Lieuts. Graham Campbell, Yr. of Shirvan, and Leslie Smith. The drummers were the Adjutant, Major Lockie, the Quartermaster Lieut. Disselduff and Lieut. Clark.
As far as possible pipers were kept out of the trenches.
| REG. NO. RANK. | NAME. | RECORD. | |
| Pipe Major | W. Lawrie | Invalided home, and died of illness contracted on service. | |
| " | J. Wilson | Received Certificate from Div. Comdr. for gallant conduct, May 1916. | |
| Lance-Cpl. | C. Jeffrey | Wounded at Richebourg, May 1915. | |
| Piper | J. M'Lellan, D.C.M. | Awarded D.C. Medal for gallantry at Magersfontein, Dec. 1899; wounded at Laventie, 1915. | |
| " | N. Crawford | Invalided, August 1916. | |
| " | A. Currie | ||
| " | R. Ferguson | Time expired. | |
| " | F. Fraser | Wounded. | |
| " | D. Ferguson | Invalided, 1917. | |
| " | D. Johnstone | Invalided, 1915. | |
| " | A. Lauder | ||
| " | J. M'Callum | Wounded, Somme, July 1916. | |
| " | J. M'Dougall | ||
| " | J. M'Donald | ||
| " | J. M'Farlane | Invalided, 1915. | |
| " | J. M'Intyre | ||
| " | R. M'Lellan, M.M. | Wounded, Somme, July 1916; awarded Military Medal. | |
| " | J. Orr | Wounded, La Boiselle, August 1915. | |
| " | J. Risk | Time expired. | |
| " | J. Shirlaw | Gassed. | |
| " | J. Woodrow | ||
| " | N. Fletcher | ||
| " | T. Strathearn | ||
| " | R. Morrison | Wounded, Ypres. | |
| " | J. MacLeod | ||
| " | D. Robertson | Invalided. | |
| " | D. Woods | Wounded twice. | |
| " | T. Shearer | Wounded. | |
| " | D. MacInnes | Invalided. | |
| " | J. MacWilliams | ||
| " | T. Moffat | ||
| " | J. Hannon | ||
9th Battalion
Pipers were principally utilised, when in action, as stretcher-bearers, orderlies, etc.
Great bravery was shown by pipers when acting as bearers.
| REG. NO. RANK. | NAME. | RECORD. | |
| Pipe Major | J. R. Garsewell | ||
| 324 | Corpl. | Alexander M'Allister | Missing since 10/5/15; 2nd Battle Ypres. |
| 1790 | Piper | David Panton | Wounded, 10/5/15, Ypres. |
| 266 | " | George Shearer, D.C.M. | Awarded D.C.M. |
| 1711 | " | Alexander Russell | Killed, 8/4/15. |
10th Battalion
During the trench fighting the pipers were kept in the reserve lines in order to avoid casualties. At Loos and on the Somme, however, they were employed with their companies, and at the taking of Longueval they behaved with quite remarkable gallantry. On this occasion Pipe Major Aitken, a man of sixty years of age, was awarded the D.C.M., and Pipers Wilson and Dall were commended for playing through heavy machine gun fire. At the same time Piper Donnachie greatly distinguished himself carrying despatches.
The commanding officer says the casualties on the Somme have led him to keep them out of action as far as possible, as he regards them as invaluable to a regiment. It was, in the later stages, only under dire necessity, that pipers were occasionally used as bearers.
11th Battalion
When the battalion was in support of the 44th Brigade at Loos the pipers took a very prominent share in the glory and the losses of the day. One, Charles Cameron, stood out in the open and played as a rallying point, and the battalion called him "The Piper of Loos." Other pipers were employed as runners, or in the ranks.
The casualties during this part of the campaign were so heavy that the pipe band was kept, as far as possible, out of the front line.
| REG. NO. RANK. | NAME. | RECORD. | |
| Pipe Major | Donald Macfarlane | Wounded, Loos, 25-27/9/15. | |
| Sergt. | James Ritchie | Killed, Loos, 26/9/15. | |
| " | John M'Millan, D.C.M. | D.C.M., 25/9/15, Loos. | |
| Piper | Chas. Cameron | ||
| " | Chas. Hoey | ||
| " | J. Barnett | Killed on Hill 70. | |
| " | T. Wallace | ||
| " | A. Gillespie | ||
| " | F. M'Diarmid | Wounded, July 1915; killed, July 1916. | |
| Corpl. | M. W. M'Callum | ||
| Piper | D. Wood | Wounded, May 1916. | |
| " | D. Macpherson | Wounded. | |
| " | F. Harper | Wounded, Somme. | |
| " | J. Bennet | ||
| " | A. M'Diarmid | ||
| " | Hamilton | ||
| " | Campbell | ||
| " | Ferguson | Died Dec. 1916. | |
| " | M'Kellar | ||
| Corpl. | J. Gray | ||
12th Battalion
Were often employed as runners. When the battalion was due to go into support the pipers were sent on to meet the companies and bring them in. The officers value the band so highly that they consider they should not be sent into the front line if it can possibly be avoided.
During actual offensive operations pipers were also employed as runners or on forward trench dumps, etc., and sometimes in the ranks.
Marches in Macedonia were often very arduous "and the pipers made an amazing difference on the men's spirits."
| REG. NO. RANK. | NAME. | RECORD. | |
| 4492 | Pipe Major | J. Douglas | |
| 275286 | " | J. M'Ewan | Wounded. |
| 598 | Sergt. | R. Stevenson, M.M. | Twice wounded; Military Medal. |
| 6829 | Piper | John M'Coll | Died of disease, Salonika, 16/2/17. |
| 284 | Corpl. | J. Beattie | Wounded. |
| " | W. Stirling | Killed, Oct. 1916. | |
| 5660 | " | D. Robertson | Killed, 8/5/17. |
| 409 | " | W. M'Kay | |
| 10138 | Piper | D. Wilson, D.C.M. | D.C.M. |
| 20022 | " | W. Norrie | |
| 203267 | " | W. Pirrie | |
| 4564 | " | M. Connelly | |
| 5808 | " | A. Donnelly | |
| 4738 | " | F. Hinton | |
| 6468 | " | J. Traill | |
| 5388 | " | A. Davidson | |
| 5896 | " | J. Linton | |
| 14389 | " | D. Kelly | |
| 5705 | " | M. Harper | |
| 279048 | " | T. Philliban | |
| " | T. Hill | ||
| 4927 | " | L. M'Con | Killed in action, 8/5/17. |
| 5813 | " | A. Strathearn | |
| 5706 | " | J. M'Kerrow | |
14th Battalion
Owing to their value to the battalion the pipers were not employed in the front line.
| REG. NO. RANK. | NAME. | RECORD. | |
| Pipe Major | Henry Forsyth | ||
| " | Donald Cameron | ||
| Piper | Philip Melville | ||
| " | William Adams | ||
| " | David Dean | ||
| " | William M'Donald | ||
| " | John M'Donald | ||
| " | David Gibson | ||
| " | Joseph Thomson | ||
| " | John Kennedy | ||
| " | James M'Isaac | ||
| " | Charles Burness | ||
| " | Alex. M'Kenzie | ||
| " | James M'Arthur | ||
| " | David Blyth | ||
| " | Alexander Yule | ||
| " | William Corson | ||
| " | William Campbell | ||
| " | William Maxwell | ||
| " | Duncan Grant | ||