During the final advance in 1918 the pipers were employed as bearers, and suffered heavy casualties. Pipe Major Mouat received a mention in despatches.
Pipe Major Murdoch Macdonald, 13th Royal Scots.
A heavy shell burst among a company and buried a number of men. Pipe Major Macdonald went out alone, under very heavy shell fire and brought in six wounded men unaided.
Pipe Major David Anderson, 15th Royal Scots.
In the opening attack on the Somme front on 1st July, 1916, the battalion was played forward by the pipe major, to the old regimental tune "Dumbarton's drums." He was hit shortly after going over the top, but continued playing; he was again wounded after crossing the third line of trenches and fell to the ground. He tried to go on playing while sitting on the ground, but his pipes were shattered by a shell bursting near him. He managed to get up and was at once attacked by a German, but succeeded in knocking him out with his fists, and then continued fighting with a rifle until overcome by his wounds.
Pipe Major Anderson was given the one Croix de Guerre allotted to his Division for the most conspicuous act of bravery. The pipes he was playing on this occasion were of historical interest as they had been taken to the Antarctic by a member of Scott's expedition, and had been played also in the Arctic expedition of 1907.
Another interesting feature of Anderson's achievement was that several Germans surrendered to him as he played on the parapet of one of their trenches.
Pipe Major David Campbell, 1st Royal Scots Fusiliers.
Although he had been wounded in the arm on the previous day Pipe Major Campbell played his battalion to the attack on the German position at Hooge on June 16, 1915. He played on right up to the German wire entanglements when, throwing his pipes aside, he caught up the bayonet of a comrade who had just been shot by a German officer and at once attacked the latter. He captured the officer.
9884 Piper Higginson, 1st K.O.S.B.