Dead Page: Bagpiper at D-Day

BILL MILLIN (1922-2010)

BAGPIPER WAS PORTRAYED IN WAR FILM 'THE LONGEST DAY'

'Piper Bill' played to rally his comrades into battle at Normandy

Bill Millen, the bagpiper who defied German fire at the Normandy D-day landings in 1944 died August 17th. He became known as "Piper Bill" and he was immortalized in the film "The Longest Day."

he was unarmed and had friends falling all around him on Sword Beach, but continued playing his "Highland Laddie" tune. His commanding officer, Lord Lovat, had asked him to ignore the rules forbidding playing the bagpipes in battle, saying they were English orders and since they were both Scottish it didn't apply and requested that Mr. Millin to so to rally the troops and boost morale.

He was 21 at the time. In a 2001 BBC interview, he said, "When you're young, you do things you wouldn't dream of doing when you're older. I enjoyed playing the pipes, but I didn't notice I was being shot at."

After the battle, Mr. Millin talked to captured Germans who said they didn't shoot him because they thought he was crazy. It's a wonder they didn't make him a special target because of the infernal sounds he was making.

His bagpipes were badly damaged by shrapnel a few days after D-Day and are on display at the National War Museum in Scotland.

One of the Greatest Generation.



August 20th Chicago Tribune by Anna Tomforde.