Sword Beach | Queen Red

Bill Millin

14 July 1922 | 17 August 2010

6 June 1944

Colleville-Montgomery (Sword Beach sector), 6 June 1944.

Too many pipers had perished in the battles of the First World War (1914 - 1918). Since then, playing the instrument on the front line of the battlefield had been banned.

Lord Lovat, commander of the British 1st Special Service Brigade on D-Day, knew it. So did his personal piper, Bill Millin.

So on 6 June 1944, on Sword Beach, when Bill started playing Highland Laddie, Lovat turned his head towards Bill, looked at him for a moment, smiled and continued on his way.

The reassuring sound of the bagpipes was the last thing those who fell ever heard…

The crazy piper

• His comrades in arms

  Bill Millin is affectionately known as the crazy piper. Crazy for his comrades, because he attracted the unwanted attention of the Germans, and crazy for the Germans who, astonished, spared his life.

  

• Corporal Maurice Chauvet, Kieffer commando

  On hearing the bagpipes, the Germans stopped firing, stunned to witness such a scene.

  

• Tom Duncan, veteran

  …it reminded us of our homes and why we were there, fighting for our lives.

  

Testimonial by John Millin

Listen to the testimonial

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I knew from a very young age that my father was a war hero. Playing the pipes on D-Day secured his place in history.

He would have been very proud to see the statue of himself in Colleville-Montgomery.

He would often refer to Lovat’s speech prior to boarding the landing craft. Lovat said: In 100 years’ time, your children’s children will look back and say they must have been giants in those days!

It is now our responsibility to ensure that the memory of D-Day and our veterans never fades.

My father dedicated his post-war years to playing the bagpipes in memory of all those who fought and died in Normandy.

My son Jacob and I will continue the family tradition of playing the pipes, in their memory.