Piper Bill Millin

[fatal]

Sad news that Lord Lovats piper Bill Millin has passed away. RIP.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-11011884

 

[vim_fuego]

I expect his service of rememberance will be a piping spectacular and well attended...rightly so...

 

[Dave-exfairy]

I remember watching The Longest Day and thinking it was false, but then discovering a couple of years later what he did was true, the best of British eccentricity while under stress, balls as big as grapefruit.
RIP

 

[Scaley brat]

I remember watching The Longest Day and thinking it was false, but then discovering a couple of years later what he did was true, the best of British eccentricity while under stress, balls as big as grapefruit.
RIP

German soldiers refusing to shoot him because they thought he had gone mad. What a guy.
RIP Mr Millin

 

[Oberon305]

Just read his personal account of D-Day.....bloody brilliant, and only 21 at the time. Ace.

http://www.pegasusarchive.org/normandy/bill_millin.htm

 

[vim_fuego]

Nice dit in the Sun:

Bill has been unable to play his beloved pipes since suffering a stroke several years ago and is now confined to a wheelchair.

One of the two sets he used on D-Day now has pride of place in the Pegasus Bridge Museum - and they kindly allowed him to take them out and hold them once more.

Tears welled in his eyes as Bill cradled the pipes for the first time in 20 years and sat at the very point on the four-mile-long Sword Beach where he landed and played as a fearless invader.


http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepag...D-Day-our-heroes-still-fight-for-freedom.html

 

[Digzster]

The article does not state if Bill received any formal recognition for his remarkable bravery and the contribution he made to the morale of his fellow commandos.

Do any goaters know if he did?

 

[vim_fuego]

The article does not state if Bill received any formal recognition for his remarkable bravery and the contribution he made to the morale of his fellow commandos.

Do any goaters know if he did?

A golf course at Port en Bessin have even named their 18th hole Piper Bill Millin, which is quite an honour as other holes bear the names of such wartime greats as Eisenhower.

Yet Bill was never honoured by his own country.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/e...w-on-d-day-beach-dies-aged-87-86908-22497822/

Not much is it considering these days we call footballers 'heroes'...

 

[Digzster]

A golf course at Port en Bessin have even named their 18th hole Piper Bill Millin, which is quite an honour as other holes bear the names of such wartime greats as Eisenhower.

Yet Bill was never honoured by his own country.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/e...w-on-d-day-beach-dies-aged-87-86908-22497822/
Not much is it considering these days we call footballers 'heroes'...

Vim,

Thanks for that link. I'm around that area in a short time from now for a couple of days. I'll try and get some photos of the hole to post on the thread as it's only fitting.

Like you say, not detracting from those who do deserve them, some knighthoods, OBE's MBE's are being dished out for trivial matters these days and the likes of Bill should have been recognized. I hope they get the cash for the monument.