One of the strangest moments in the film The Longest Day (1962) was when piper Bill Millin landed on Sword Beach on D Day and immediately began playing Hieland Laddie under heavy machine gun and artillery fire. This must be a Hollywood invention, I remember thinking, when I saw the film as a skeptical 10 year old sometime in the 70's, but of course it wasn't. This from today's obituary in The Daily Telegraph:Once ashore Millin did not run, but walked up and down the beach, blasting out a series of tunes. After Hieland Laddie, Lovat, the commander of 1st Special Service Brigade (1 SSB), raised his voice above the crackle of gunfire and the crump of mortar, and asked for another. Millin strode up and down the water’s edge playing The Road to the Isles. His worst moments were when he was among the wounded. They wanted medical help and were shocked to see this figure strolling up and down playing the bagpipes. To feel so helpless, Millin said afterwards, was horrifying. For many other soldiers, however, the piper provided a unique boost to morale. “I shall never forget hearing the skirl of Bill Millin’s pipes,” said one, Tom Duncan, many years later. “It is hard to describe the impact it had. It gave us a great lift and increased our determination. As well as the pride we felt, it reminded us of home and why we were there fighting for our lives and those of our loved ones.”
When the brigade moved off, Millin was with the group that attacked the rear of Ouistreham. After the capture of the town, he went with Lovat towards Bénouville, piping along the road. They were very exposed, and were shot at by snipers from across the canal. Millin stopped playing. Everyone threw themselves flat on the ground — apart from Lovat, who went down on one knee. When one of the snipers scrambled down a tree and dived into a cornfield, Lovat stalked him and shot him. He then sent two men into the corn to look for him and they came back with the corpse. “Right, Piper,” said Lovat, “start the pipes again.”
At Bénouville, where they again came under fire, the CO of 6 Commando asked Millin to play them down the main street. He suggested that Millin should run, but the piper insisted on walking and, as he played Blue Bonnets Over the Border, the commandos followed. When they came to the crossing which later became known as Pegasus Bridge, troops on the other side signalled frantically that it was under sniper fire. Lovat ordered Millin to shoulder his bagpipes and play the commandos over. “It seemed like a very long bridge,” Millin said afterwards. The pipes were damaged by shrapnel later that day, but remained playable. Millin was surprised not to have been shot, and he mentioned this to some Germans who had been taken prisoner. They said that they had not shot at him because they thought he had gone off his head.
Bill Millin passed away on Aug 17 2010 at the ripe old age of 88. You can read his obit in The Daily Telegraph, here.
24 comments:
My other favourite story about The Longest Day was actor Richard Todd being asked to play himself. Todd was a commando who had taken Pegasus Bridge under Lord Lovat and the film makers thought it would be cute if Todd played himself. Todd turned down this opportunity, opting instead to play Lovat because it wasthe bigger part. The eccentric Lord Lovat was his CO (and that of Bill Millin).
Back in fine fettle I see, Mr. McKinty.
Although this is the most trivial point of an enthralling life story, I was surprised to see Hieland Laddie, as over here of course I've only ever seen it as Highland Laddie. Same meaning, different spelling, or what exactly?
The last American combat troops exited Iraq yesterday, which seemed to me to be very underplayed in the news.
I'm with the Germans on this one, but one of the strengths of the Anglo-Celtic heritage is that we're frequently off our heads and it seems to have advantages in all sorts of ways: creatively, philosophically, even militarily (TE Lawrence was completely off his head). And it can be charming. You don't often hear, "Those Germans - they're COMPLETELY off their heads". And apologies to any Germans. You do make lovely cars.
It's nice to have you back, I hope the editing went well.
Bill Millin sounds like an interesting guy. I can't picture someone just walking around playing the pipes in the middle of a war, however, it sounds like it worked well for him.
Seana
Yeah I assume its just the same. I thought I saw that same spelling in the NYT obit, but maybe not.
I actually think the NYT and the Daily Telegraph obits were written by the same person.
David
Its interesting why pipers were banned in the first place: because in WW1 the German snipers had shot the pipers and because the pipes stopped playing it sent the Highland Regiments into chaos as they thought maybe the attack had been called off or something.
Glenna
Alas I'm not quite back yet. I have about another full week of work to go. I just wanted to blog about Millin because I remember being so struck by him in The Longest Day (actually by the guy playing him). Right after he appears in the film Sean Connery pops up in one of his first roles and complains about the racket.
As a Scot I feel qualified to answer the question re Hieland and Highland. They're the same - with the former having a Scots spelling and pronounciation.
Nice work, Adrian.
Mike
Thanks for that.
A little bird just reminded me here that Sean Connery appears in The Longest Day as an Irishman complaining about Bill Millin's pipe playing.
That is a way cool story. I love the bagpipes. I would really like to see this movie.
Thank you, Michael. It's funny that I have never seen that spelling before. I wonder if reading more Robert Burns would have solved that problem.
I've never seen The Longest Day, either. Sounds like I should correct that.
Ah, a nice interlude then.
I heard somewhere that Sean Connery was asked to play Gandalf in Lord of the Rings but turned the role down. It would be a good part for him I would think.
Sean
Its a classic. Five different directors and an all star cast but somehow it all works.
Seana
its a pretty interesting flick. maybe not quite up your ally but still good.
Glenna
Yes I think he's semi retired now, or perhaps completely retired.
I saw Salt yesterday.
The bike Angelina Jolie escapes on?
A Triumph.
Is this the only time the words “A Triumph!” have ever been typed about a movie in which Angelina Jolie appeared?
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"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
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Peter
If you dont think about it either while you're watching it or afterwards its a good movie. And Angelina Jolie has something that Leonardo di Caprio for example doesnt have and thats the charisma needed to be up there on a big screen. Its nothing something you can learn, you've either got it or you dont. Caprio dont.
Up your ally--that's a nice slip for a WWII post.
It's true that I don't gravitate toward war movies, but it's not because I find them boring, it's just that they can be very hard to take. I wouldn't boycott one on that basis, though.
Seana
The Longest Day is a classic of the genre. Look for the camera movement during the attack by the Free French on some town - its really amazing stuff.
Okay, I will.
A postscript in support of Michael Malone's comment on 'Hieland' for 'Highland'.
We have a sort of square dance here called the 'Heel and Toe Polka' (for fairly obvious reasons if you saw it).
As most folk have never seen its name written down, it is almost universally believed to be a Scottish dance called the 'Hieland Tow Polka'.
Adrian, is this the same Lord Lovat that 'disappeared'?
Thanks, Philip--I love that kind of stuff.
Seana,
I shouldn't be encouraged! So here's another - a phrase we use when asked for money we don't have: "You cannae take the breeks off a Hieland man". (You can't take the trousers off a man who's only wearing a kilt).
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