11 November 2018
One hundred years later, the 42nd Battalion Royal Highlanders of Canada Pipes and Drums has been resurrected, with members coming from six different provinces with the common goal of honouring those who fought and played bagpipes and drums in The Great War.
Each member will be wearing an identity disk representing one of the original 42nd Bn Pipe Band members and will be dressed in period uniform from 1918.
The music repertoire has been selected from music which would have been played during the First World War and period rope tension drums have been rebuilt to complete the look and sound of a WW1 Pipe Band.
The 42nd Bn Pipes & Drums will be participating in the Menin Gate ceremony in Ypres, Belgium as well as attending the Vimy Ridge Memorial in France.
There are 798 members of the Royal Highlanders of Canada commemorated on the Menin gate while 556 are commemorated on the Vimy Memorial.
The Town of Wallers-Arenberg, France has invited the Black Watch of Canada to be part of a street naming ceremony and remembrance commemorations.
The 13th Bn liberated the town of Wallers in October 1918, which was the last official actions of that regiment. The 13th Bn Pipes and Drums’ mascot "Flora Stuart", a goat, died on the outskirts of town, possibly sensing that its job was over and the regiment would never fire a shot again. See commemorative horns.
A local farmer will be presenting "Flora Stuart II" to the Regiment, which will parade in ceremonies in Wallers-Arenberg and later in Mons.
On 11 November 2018 the 42nd Bn Pipes & Drums have the exclusive honour of playing in the Grande Place as they did 100 years before. The Regimental Lament "Lochaber No More" will be played by a lone piper at 11:00 am.
Later at 3:30 pm the 42nd Bn Pipes & Drums will be part of the official City of Mons "Parade of Liberation".
Major General Sir Frederick O.W. Loomis CD, CMG. DSO, Commander of the 3rd Canadian Division set up his headquarters at 34 Place du Parc. Maj-Gen Loomis had commanded the 13th Bn Royal Highlanders of Canada when they landed at St Nazaire, France in 1915, which is recorded in a painting now on display at the Senate in Ottawa. A plaque will be unveiled commemorating this building as the HQ of the 3rd CDN Division.
It is a tradition in the Black Watch, when a commanding officer leaves, that they donate a Pipe Banner to the Regiment’s Pipe Band. Due to wartime priorities no pipe banner was donated by Maj-Gen Loomis at the time. His granddaughter Leslie Loomis, who will be in Mons in November, will be donating one in the memory of her Grandfather.
Copies of the original Royal Highlanders of Canada Camp Flag have been fabricated and donated by a seamstress in the Ottawa area who wishes to honour her father who was a veterans in the Second World War, as well as all Canadian veterans. These will be donated to various communities and flown by the 42nd Bn Flag Party.
It is believed that the first Canadian piper killed in the First World War was Private William Lawson #24012 of the 13th Bn RHC who died of wounds on 16 March 1915 at the age of 26.
At least 6 pipers of the 13th Bn are known to have been killed while over 30 members of all of the Royal Highlanders of Canada Pipe Bands sustained injuries or had medical conditions.
Pipers were generally assigned to each infantry company and lead the company into battle. Some had other roles such as infantry, runners, administration and stretcher bearers.
Members of the serving Regimental Pipe Band of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada will be participating in events in Europe as part of the Canadian Forces Pipe Band, which will also be participating in "The Parade of Liberation".
The Commanding officer and additional members of the Regiment will also be attending events in an unofficial capacity.
In addition to the 42nd Bn Pipes & Drums, a Black Watch Battlefield Tour is also being conducted, which has many former members of the Regiment attending as well as relatives of members who fought and died in the First World War.
NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM