Pipers were frequently employed as despatch runners. In the advance of the 26th Brigade at Longueval on 14th July, 1916, the battalion was played into action under very heavy fire. When attacking the village they met with a stout resistance and came under heavy machine gun fire from a flank as well as from the front. The pipers rallied the men who were thrown momentarily into confusion, and, at their head, charged down the street and over the wires into the German trenches.
The casualties were heavy throughout, 4 killed and 15 wounded.
| REG. NO. RANK. | NAME. | RECORD. |
| 8119 | Pipe Major | G. Gordon | Belgian Croix de Guerre. |
| 4422 | Lance Sgt. | D. M'Niven |
| 5745 | Lance Cpl. | C. M'Lellan, M.M. | Military Medal, Loos, 1915. |
| 261949 | Piper | James Lumsden, M.M. | Wounded, Somme, 1916; Military Medal. |
| 240018 | " | Robert Ross | Killed, 11/4/18. |
| 267336 | " | James Sutherland | Killed, 19/4/17. |
| 4394 | " | M. Ross | Wounded. |
| 8264 | " | D. Mackenzie | Wounded. |
| 4858 | " | J. Macdonald | Wounded. |
| 5011 | " | A. Cheyne |
| 3949 | " | H. Arnott | Wounded. |
| 9394 | " | W. M'Mahon | Killed. |
| 4657 | " | W. Gray | Wounded. |
| 5693 | " | D. Hunter | Wounded. |
| 40497 | " | A. Mackenzie |
| 40502 | " | R. Watt | Wounded. |
| 40547 | " | G. Davidson |
| 267049 | " | J. MacLeod |
| 13286 | " | J. Aitken | Wounded. |
| 23879 | " | W. Duncan | Killed. |
| 23889 | " | J. M'Lellan | Wounded. |
| 26416 | " | P. Macdonald |
| 26426 | " | D. M'Kinnon | Wounded. |
| 5943 | Piper | R. Lawson | Wounded and gassed. |
| 24518 | " | A. Buchanan |
| 261313 | " | A. Mackenzie |
| 5570 | " | J. Barclay | Wounded three times. |
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.
| REG. NO. RANK. | NAME. | RECORD. |
| Pipe Major | J. Henderson |
| Sergt. | J. Johnston | Wounded, 25/9/15. |
| Piper | Geo. Cruickshank | Prisoner, Le Cateau, 26/8/14. |
| " | David Copland | Prisoner, Le Cateau, 26/8/14. |
| " | A. Thompson | Prisoner, Le Cateau, 26/8/14, but escaped and returned to duty; again captured, 24/10/14. |
| " | F. Paterson | Killed, Mons, 26/8/14. |
| " | J. Watt | Gone to 2nd Batt. |
| Corpl. | F. Robertson | Prisoner, Le Cateau, 26/8/14. |
| Lance Cpl. | W. M'Fall | Killed, October 1914. |
| Piper | W. Fraser | Prisoner, Le Cateau, 26/8/14. |
| " | Geo. Mitchell | Prisoner, Le Cateau, 26/8/14. |
| " | Geo. Anderson | Prisoner, Le Cateau, 26/8/14. |
| " | N. Watt |
| " | D. Weir | Prisoner, Le Cateau, 26/8/14. |
| " | P. Cran | Invalided. |
| " | F. Grant | Invalided. |
| " | P. Hair | Prisoner, Le Cateau, 26/8/14. |
| " | W. Cromarty | Wounded, 26/9/15. |
| " | W. Harvie | Killed, 24/10/14. |
| Corpl. | A. Garden |
| Piper | A. M'Kay | Died of wounds, Jan. 1915. |
| " | W. Allan | Killed, 14/12/14. |
| " | J. Coutts |
| " | W. Paton |
| " | Eadie |
| Piper | Hay |
| " | M'Kay | Wounded. |
| " | Gillies | Wounded. |
| " | Hector Ross | Wounded, Loos, 25/9/15; killed, March, 1916. |
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 Gordons repeatedly played the battalion into action and suffered heavily. The pipers were also employed as runners, bearers, etc., and in the ranks.
In March 1915, the battalion was played to the attack on the Aubers Ridge under heavy fire, and again at Mametz and Guichy.