A young Stirling piper took part in last Friday’s commemorations of a WW2 battle in Normandy which resulted in the capture of thousands of Scottish soldiers.
Wallace High School sixth-year pupil Murray Mcneish travelled to Morayshire to play the pipes for 99-year-old veteran Donald Smith at his home in Forres.
Murray’s great grandfather Thomas Mcneish was in the Seaforth Highlanders with Donald and both were captured in St Valéry-en-Caux, known as the ‘forgotten Dunkirk’ in June 1940.
The 18-year-old was among many pipers across the country who took part in the event organised by charities Poppyscotland, Legion Scotland and RCET: Scotland’s Armed Forces Children’s Charity.
At 10am last Friday pipers up and down Scotland played the march ‘Heroes of Valéry’ on their doorsteps.
Other pipers from the Stirling area who took part in the commemorations included Gregor Ross and Alasdair McKay.
Murray, who started learning the pipes at the age of nine, plays with the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland.
During the visit to Forres Donald showed Murray a photo of him heading off to war aged 18.
Murray said: “It was amazing to meet Donald and an absolute honour to pipe ‘Heroes of St Valéry’ for him and those Scottish soldiers who fought with my great grandfather at St Valéry.”
Soldiers of the 51st Highland Division, who had remained in France after the Dunkirk evacuation, were captured in the small fishing port of St Valéry-en-Caux on June 12, 1940.
Evacuation had not been possible and the British forces had to surrender after four German divisions advanced. Captured soldiers spent the rest of the war in prisoner of war camps.
Stirling University academic Dr Stuart Hepburn, of Dunblane, wrote the play ‘The Beaches of St Valéry’ which was part of the anniversary commemorations.
He said: “Learning about St Valéry has been a passion of mine since 1999. The play began life as a film script and I went on to do a PhD on St Valéry, so it’s wonderful to see the remarkable story of the 51st Highland Division getting the national recognition it deserves.”
