The Mad Piper of D-Day: Bill Millin’s Legend
Bill Millin was the personal piper of Lord Lovat, commander of the 1st Special Service Brigade, who ordered him to play on the beach.
Millin told Lovat that British War Office regulations forbade playing pipes in combat. Lovat replied:
"Ah, but that's the English War Office. You and I are both Scots, and we don't care a damn."
Millin played on the beach. He walked upright. He played as men died around him.
A captured German sniper later remembered watching Millin marching back and forth on
the beachhead — and said his unit did not shoot him because they thought he had gone mad.
He played through the entire landing. He was not hit. The Germans thought he was insane. He was Scottish. Sometimes those are the same thing.
Millin told Lovat that British War Office regulations forbade playing pipes in combat. Lovat replied:
"Ah, but that's the English War Office. You and I are both Scots, and we don't care a damn."
Millin played on the beach. He walked upright. He played as men died around him.
A captured German sniper later remembered watching Millin marching back and forth on
the beachhead — and said his unit did not shoot him because they thought he had gone mad.
He played through the entire landing. He was not hit. The Germans thought he was insane. He was Scottish. Sometimes those are the same thing.
