The UNTOLD Story Of The Piper Of Pegasus Bridge
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- One of the most amazing stories of the Second World War saw a Scottish piper land on Sword Beach with Simon Fraser, the 15th Lord Lovat. William 'Bill' Millin, instead of being armed with his rifle was carrying his bagpipes and was under orders to continue piping despite being met with enemy fire. The Germans were using their machine guns against the allied soldiers who landed on the beach, but Bill Millin kept playing his bagpipes. Whilst his soldiers and friends were being shot and falling around him, he played his bagpipes.
German soldiers who were later captured confirmed that they had seen Bill Millin playing his pipes on the beach, and the snipers confirmed that they did not shoot him as they thought he was crazy! As the advance from Sword Beach continued, the British soldiers pushed forward and they headed towards Pegasus Bridge which had been taken earlier in the morning by paratroopers. Millin was ordered to play his bagpipes over the bridge, and despite 12 of his colleagues being shot around him across the bridge he made it. The sight would have been an epic one.
Bill Millin was given his orders by Lord Lovat, and the two became friends but the sight of a piper storming the D-Day beaches with only his bagpipes would have been incredible. Bill Millin continued to play his pipes with Allied advances, and he saw service in the Netherlands and also in Germany before he was demobilised in 1946. He went to go and work on Lovat's highland estate as the decades passed. Today he is remembered as the 'Piper of Pegasus Bridge,' and is commemorated in a statue overlooking Sword Beach.
So join us today as we look at, 'STORMING The D-Day Beaches Armed With Bagpipes - The Piper Of Pegasus Bridge.' Remember to support please make sure to subscribe to our channel!
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I met and talked to Bill in Normandy at the 50th Anniversary, a fine and quite modest man.
His bravery is even in the movie, The Longest Day. Pip pip
With smoke bombs going off behind him.
"Yea, it takes an Irishman to play the pipes..."
Even though they're Scottish. @@apr8189
The sound of the bagpipes are the best sounds for an ally and the worst sound an enemy can hear.
The sound of pipes means help or trouble are on the way
My great uncle Brian was a Horsa glider pilot and on the night before d day he landed his glider by Pegasus Bridge and was the second man on the bridge but the first man to cross it as the officer who was first on it was killed. He was for a time the first allied soldier furthest into France.
He used to mention about hearing the pipes coming up the road. He was due to fly his glider into Arnhem later in the war but was hospitalized about a week before.
Major Richard Gale led the Pegasus Bridge Mission .... Awesome Adventure to read about.
What a great family story to have - thanks for telling it!
What a man. How proud you must be
In the 1965 film "The Longest Day" the airborne officer on the bridge is played by Richard Todd, who was actually fighting at the bridge himself as an officer in the airborne regiment but not the commanding officer who he plays in the film.
Thank you , I'll watch it again .
I have it on VHS ( in color)
Todd was actually an airborne Lieutenant at the time he met Howard on the bridge...he took part in the defense of the bridge, & 5 days later was promoted Captain...Todd was offered a part playing himself, but he choose to play Howard...in "The Longest Day", Todd would have probably been the officer wearing the Para beret( in real life) standing next to Howard, both conferring with Lord Lovat(Peter Lawford)...
Amazing story. A great actor and a brave soldier.
The Piper Of Pegasus Bridge was made famous in the 1962 film The Longest Day
"I struck up the Pipes and paddled through the surf playing "Hieland Laddie", and Lord Lovat turned round and looked at me and gestured approvingly, When I finished, Lovat asked for another tune. Well, when I looked round - the noise and people lying about shouting and the smoke, the crump of mortars, I said to myself "Well, you must be joking surely." He said "What was that?" and he said "Would you mind giving us a tune?" "Well, what tune would you like, Sir?" "How about The Road to the Isles?" "Now, would you want me to walk up and down, Sir?" "Yes. That would be nice. Yes, walk up and down." In 1962, the all-star film adaptation of Cornelius Ryan's book, The Longest Day was made. It is commonly believed that Bill Millin had a cameo role in the film, playing himself as the Piper who accompanied Lord Lovat's Commandos. This is untrue, however, as the man was in fact Pipe-Major Leslie de Laspee, official piper to the Queen Mother in 1961. Millin has denied ever being involved in the film, and when Lord Lovat was asked why Millin did not play the part, he said, "My old piper works in a bar in Glasgow now, I believe, and is too fat to play the part." Bill Millin played the lament at Lord Lovat’s funeral in 1995 and donated his Cameron kilt and bagpipes to the National War Museum in Edinburgh. Predeceased by his wife, the skirling Scottish hero died at the age of 88 on August 17, 2010. He is survived by his son.
It is great to hear of courage during D Day. This man was very brave.
Alongside Sean Connery in the surf 🏄♂️ 👌
No doubt his heroic action of walking forward while playing the pipes encouraged other young, scared and inexperienced soldiers to advance as well. Sometimes a good example is the best thing you can provide! All respect to Bill Millin.
A question; You said he was armed with nothing but his pipes and a knife, yet his statue clearly shows a pistol holster on his right hip. Did he have a pistol or did the sculptor commit an error? As a rabid history buff I'm hooked on details.
What a bloody legend 👊💯
God bless him and all them brave boys . They were made different that generation,that I'm sure of . Absolute bloody heroes !! 🇬🇧👊💛💛💯
Extraordinary bravery on the part of this man. Wasn't he portrayed in the movie "The Longest Day"?
yes
@@82ghall. Understood he played himself in the film .
@@mariantaylor7109 i did not know that but i can see that he would the movie had everyone in it... thanks
Mr. Million was an Incredibly Courageous Man! Playing Beautiful Music! Loved this one! Thank You for sharing his Amazing Story!🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️
Mad bastard, indeed. Though the bagpipes saved him, I think, because he wasn't armed, thus not a threat like all those blokes around him. Though I do wonder how he was able to march with those massive balls he has.
It would be greatly appreciated if your people could please cover "Graignes masscare" where 17 US Pows were brutally stabbed and shot by German SS troops, which is very unknown to most of us today.
Bill Millin crazy? Yeaahh, crazy brave!!
He certainly wasn’t crazy, just a quietly brave and calm man. An absolute gentleman.
We are early folks. Gotta admit this channel puts out interesting content consistently. Thanks!
As a former commando, I can totally understand how the affect of hearing the pipes made the soldiers feel
As a Current Scot I concur, I heard a story about how there was a group of men trapped in a shell crater by machine gun fire when all of a sudden they heard the Skirling drone of the pipes and as they looked up they seen the piper marching towards the guns so one soldier turns to the other and says " look lads if that Had Bastard can do it so can we " and that's when they charged. The Pipes call to something deep inside most men whether fear or courage depends upon which side they are on .
And I bet it terrified the Germans! Thank you for your service!
I had the honor of meeting Piper Millen at the Highland Games outside Chicago awhile ago.
If there were no pipes, it wouldn’t be a Scottish battalion.
A Scotsman or any other soldier in battle. The sounds of the pipes I would think have a great affect on the men . And the enemy. VERY GOOD STORY 👍 .
I didn't know about this. Astonishing. Thanks for the education.
I have been to the museum of Pegasus bridge in Normandy they hAve several items donated from William(Bill) Millin .A really interest8ng museum if you ever get the opportunity to visit you’ll not be disappointed .
Yes, it is a great museum!
God pity the soldier who hears the pipes but who is not from Scotland
It's not surprising to get one's dander up when you hear the pipes...even if you are not Irish or a Scot...especially when Millin did what he did with Lovat next to him...probably surprise at his bravery(and his piping skills ;))) ), did Millin survive...regardless of what the Germans & some Brits thought, he was a brave & humble man who inspired his comrades & baffled the Germans...a man with b***s of steel...British courage at it's finest!
The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Great story. Yes, one of the many that should be remembered.
was bill featured in the longest day?
Scott, I'm sorry I didn't notice this post before I posted mine.
He certainly was!
@@steffenritter7497 thats ok :) what an amazingly brave chap was bill
True Scotsman ❤️🏴
He was Canadian but aye lol .
@@greengoblin876 I know
@@lewisdean22 his parents were scottish who moved to canada but then came back to scotland .....just like piper richardson
We hung the Piper at Culloden.....Bagpipes classed as a instrument of war....Before Radios....it carries miles
An extremely brave man. A piper, a commando and "Mad Bastard" Bill Millin and Lord Lovat were like two peas in a pod.
Good afternoon, and Thank You. I appreciate your consistency in posting. We Must Never Forget. Prayers for the Innocent Victims, and those that Fought for Them!💔💔💔💔🙏🙏🙏🙏🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️
scots wha hae!
I cried. Well done
So did I, and for me, it takes a lot to produce tears.
The man had 6lbs brass balls.
Shettleston, the 60s and 70s railway graveyard of so many fine engines.
LEGEND 👏
I will never voice badly about Bagpipes again.
Check out the AC/DC song "It's a long way to the top (if you want to rock and roll "
You'll hear bagpipes!!!
@@robertlewis1965 ok, thanks!
Untold story?? every history channel has covered this story.
He was definitely a morale booster.
Thank you for your history lesson
Great story. To be fair, it’s a pretty well TOLD story.
this man is an absolute legend
always great videos
First comment yeah great video
first & the most useless comment
Good one.
I can’t understand why people are so amazed by this
Did you ever know a Scotsman in the service that wasn’t slightly barmy and totally brave
I finally get the story as to who was playing the pipes in the movie. What a man! His unit, all of Great Britain, even the other allies should be proud to have such a man in their heir midst during a time like this. Reminds me of the British officer who led his troops with only an umbrella in hand. If all the tales from WWII that could be told about men like this were to ever be written down we’d probably run out of pulp trees and printer’s ink before the job was completed. Just one more reason why they are called “The Greatest Generation”.
This was a pleasing change of pace. Thank you.
I am a musician. This is an incredible story.
I am surprised that I have never heard it before.
I'm sorry for the man who hears the pipes, and who wisnae born in Scotland
The music lift your soul, rechargeables for the body.
Just another reason I want to learn tp play bagpipes.
I would love to hear about Peter King who was one of the commando’s on that day. His story is told in the book Amateur Commando. He was a dentist who “invaded “ France with another dentist a couple of years earlier and was then sent to the commando’s where I believe he was Lord Lovatts sergeant major on D Day.
God loves and blesses the pipers!
Yea, it takes an Irishman to play the pipes...
apr8189 it took the scots to teach them.
So untold that it is literally at the core of a fucking Hollywood Movie about the D-Day ...
I have seen a complete documentary on the Graignes massacre and I was horrified but wasn't surprised as I knew of many murders carried out by the AD and Gestapo.
I too would like all to know of these dreadful actions carried out as they are all war crimes.
But it's not an 'untold story' at all, it's well-known having been mentioned in many books and even films!
You really can't call the bagpipes a musical instrument ! Lol . The germans would shoot them first just to shut them up .
Lord Lovat was the main Man behind commandos 😂
I've been to Pegasus Bridge on two D-Day anniversaries (the original isn't there anymore as it has been updated, but is nearby as a monument), and Bill is legendary. All of the Normandy beaches and inland town and villages are fascinating, with lots of museums dotted around. I can thoroughly recommend a trip to Normandy. The film 'The Longest Day' is actually quite an accurate portrayal of events, and would be great if remade, but only if true to the original and actual events, rather than putting on the awful Hollyweird razzle-dazzle!
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Brave man .One of my peopel ❤
Excellent video sir ❤
Hearing that would have been comforting somehow. 👍👏👏☮️💟
Since when is one of the most well-known stories of D-day, unknown? Bill Millin was an exceptionally brave man, marching into battle armed only with his pipes.
This is one of the COOLEST things ive ever heard.
Thank you very much
Ol Roy bones?
The power of that mans lungs to be in battle and play the bagpipes for hours is amazing. Great story
What an incredible story. Legendary Bravery.
🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧
4:00 LOL
Good story, but the first commandos to reach the bridge, were 3 troop No 3 command. They were a specialist troop and had bicycles to enable them to get to the bridge first. I know this is true because my father Ted Pritchard was in that troop.
The bridge was taken by the Oxfordshire And Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, and they were NOT commandos.
Truly amazing!
Wonderfull
It is great to hear of courage during D Day. This man was very brave.