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 out that were almost superhuman, but as a band they ceased to exist until May 1917, when they were reconstituted. It was then decided to keep them out of the front line altogether."
The opinion of the officers is that pipers are far too valuable an institution to be employed in action in any capacity. The C.O. considers the band "plays no inconsiderable part in promoting the efficiency of a fighting force."
| REG. NO. RANK. | NAME. | RECORD. | |
| 8248 | Pipe Major | W. Mackenzie, M.M. | Military Medal. |
| 6863 | Sergt. | F. Purgavie | Wounded, Flers, 25/11/16, while in charge of a Dump. |
| 8400 | Corpl. | H. M'Donald | Wounded, Suvla Bay, 10/8/15. |
| 11412 | Piper | Colgan | Wounded, Gallipoli, 4/6/15. |
| 9884 | " | Higginson | Killed while leading bayonet charge, Gallipoli, 26/4/15. |
| 7936 | " | Lillie | |
| 11315 | " | Maitland, M.M. | Killed at Paschendaele, 27/4/17; awarded Military Medal. |
| 8629 | " | R. Scott | Wounded, Gallipoli, 4/6/15. |
| 9545 | " | Turnbull | |
| 10884 | " | Trotter | Wounded, Gallipoli, 1/6/15; Cambrai, 28/11/17. |
2nd Battalion
The officers of the battalion regard the pipers as a most necessary adjunct to a unit on active service, but consider that owing to the difficulty of replacement they should not be employed in action.
4th Battalion
In Gallipoli the pipers were principally employed as messengers and bearers, and most of them became casualties. When the band was reconstituted the pipers were kept out of the front line.
| REG. NO. RANK. | NAME. | RECORD. | |
| 28 | Pipe Major | C. Forbes | |
| 6074 | Piper | J. Young | |
| 179 | " | W. Scott | |
| 729 | " | F. Wood | Wounded. |
| 478 | " | J. Lockhart | |
| 593 | " | B. Mowatt | Wounded. |
| 778 | " | T. Lunham | Died of wounds. |
| 779 | " | J. Kerr | Died of wounds. |
| 306 | " | C. Street | Missing. |
| 822 | " | A. Hendry | Missing. |
5th Battalion
In Gallipoli the pipers were mostly employed as stretcher-bearers, and nearly all of them became casualties.
6th Battalion.
In the attack on the Hohenzollern redoubt in September 1915 the battalion was played over the top by the Pipe Major, Robert Mackenzie. The casualties in this action, 4 killed and 3 wounded, resulted in the temporary disappearance of the band. At Arras, Ypres, and in later engagements, the men were employed as bearers.
| REG. NO. RANK. | NAME. | RECORD. | |
| 14851 | Pipe Major | R. Mackenzie | Loos, 25/9/15; died of wounds; despatches. |
| " | T. Richardson | Transferred to Depôt. | |
| " | J. Day | ||
| Corpl. | J. Wallace | ||
| Lance-Cpl. | J. Lomas | Killed, Loos, 25/9/15. | |
| " | J. Marshall | ||
| " | A. M'Kenna | Invalided. | |
| Piper | J. Sime | Killed, Loos, 25/9/15. | |
| " | J. Bloomer | ||
| " | P. Moffat | Killed, Loos, 25/9/15. | |
| " | D. Hanlon | Wounded, Loos, 25/9/15. | |
| " | G. M'Gregor | Wounded, Loos, 25/9/15. | |
| " | J. Pringle | Missing; killed, Somme, October 1916. | |
| " | J. Ferguson | ||
| " | D. Barry | Wounded, Gallipoli, 1915. | |
| " | J. Gray | Wounded, Hill 60, 1915. | |
| " | H. Stott | ||
| " | J. Jenkins | Invalided. | |
| " | W. Little | ||
| " | H. Sherry | ||
| " | J. Phillips | ||
| " | G. Stevenson | Wounded, Loos, 25/9/15. | |
| " | W. H. Smith | ||
| " | T. Rankine | ||
7th Battalion.
Just before the attack at Loos when there was a very heavy bombardment and gas discharge, Piper Daniel Laidlaw got up on the parapet and played the men over the top and continued until he fell wounded. For this act he was awarded the V.C. Another piper, Douglas Taylor, who had been wounded in the hand and could not play, went out and brought in several wounded men who had been gassed; he continued until he was dangerously wounded.
During the first eighteen months of the campaign the whole of the pipers were wounded.
The enormous value of pipes to a battalion returning from the front line is recognised by all ranks.
| REG. NO. RANK. | NAME. | RECORD. | |
| Pipe Major | Douglas Taylor | Loos, wounded, 25/9/15. | |
| 15851 | Piper | Daniel Laidlaw, V.C. | Loos, 25/9/15, wounded; V.C. |
| " | J. Milligan | Loos, 25/9/15, wounded. | |
| " | G. Stevenson | Loos, wounded, 25/9/15. | |
| " | G. Dutton | Wounded. | |
| " | W. Irvine | Wounded Hulluch; invalided. | |
| " | J. M'Donald | Wounded, Arras. | |
| " | W. Lamont | Wounded, Dardanelles. | |
| " | J. Taylor | Died of wounds, Arras. | |
| " | G. Black | Invalided. | |
8th Battalion
This battalion, on account of its losses, was absorbed into the 7th K.O.S.B The casualties among the 23 pipers of the two battalions were heavy, viz. 4 killed and 10 wounded.