Op Piper - 1TS Commemoration Ficheux

Tyneside Scottish Branch Royal Artillery Association
Somme Battlefield Pipe Band

The Tyneside Scottish Branch Royal Artillery Association and the Somme Battlefield Pipe Band held a commemoration to remember the actions of the 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (Black Watch) at Ficheux on 20th May 1940. 

Northumbrian Gunner: Op Piper - 1 TS Action at Ficheux

The commemoration was held at the Bucquoy Road Cemetery which overlooks the battlefield where the men of the Tyneside Scottish and Durham Light Infantry fought their blocking action.

Bucquoy Road Cemetery
Cross of Sacrifice

Somme Battlefield Pipe Band march on

Tyneside Scottish Branch RAA

Somme Battlefield Pipe Band

Somme Battlefield Pipe Band

Somme Battlefield Pipe Band
Tyneside Scottish Banner

The Ceremony included a remembrance of Lance Corporal Freddie Laidler, a piper who lost his life playing his pipes to encourage the Tyneside Jocks fighting. As the battle raged, Piper Freddie Laidler played his pipes to encourage the fighting Tyneside Jocks. The Regimental history records “piper to the last – carried his pipes into action and was killed with them”

COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES COMMISSION

LANCE CORPORAL FREDERICK JOHN LAIDLER

Service Number: 4457026

Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) 1st Bn. The Tyneside Scottish

Date of Death: Died 20 May 1940 Age 20 years old

Buried: BUCQUOY ROAD CEMETERY, FICHEUX

            Sp. Mem. Plot 8. Row E. Grave 6.

Son of Frederick Laidler, and of Margaret Laidler, of Gosforth, Newcastle-on-Tyne.

TREAD SOFTLY, MY SON LIES NEAR

Bucquoy Road Cemetery
Piper Laidler's grave

Freddie Laidler was the uncle of Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler who wrote a song to remember his uncle – Piper to the End.

PIPER TO THE END 

When I leave this world behind me
to another I will go
And if there are no pipes in heaven
I'll be going down below
If friends in time be severed
someday we will meet again
I'll return to leave you never
be a piper to the end

This has been a day to die for
Now the day is almost done
Up above, a quiet seabird
turns to face the setting sun
Now the evening dove is calling
and all the hills are burning red
And before the night comes falling
clouds are lined with golden thread 

We watched the fires together
shared our quarters for a while
walked the dusty roads together
came so many miles 

This has been a day to die on
Now the day is almost done
Here the pipes will lay beside me
silent with the battle drum
If friends in time be severed
someday we will meet again
I'll return to leave you never
be a piper to the end

Presentation to Somme Battlefield Pipe Band
Lyrics of Piper to the End

Op Piper - 1 TS Action at Ficheux

 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (Black Watch) – 1939-1940

In March 1939, with the expectation of war, the Territorial Army (TA) was expanded. Existing TA units were required to raise a duplicate unit. The 9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry (DLI) raised the 12th Battalion, which was authorised to bear the Tyneside Scottish honour title becoming the 12th (Tyneside Scottish) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry.

When war was declared on 3rd September 1939, 12 (TS) DLI mobilised, establishing its Headquarters in Gateshead, and conducting training in the nearby Ravensworth Park. 

 In February 1940 the Battalion secured affiliation with a Scottish unit and became the 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment).

The connection with the Durham Light Infantry continued throughout the war, the Tyneside Scottish being part of 70 (Infantry) Brigade alongside 10 DLI and 11 DLI.

1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (Black Watch)
Gateshead 1940

Initial Deployment in France

The 1st TS left the North East on 23rd April 1940 for Southampton where they embarked for Le Havre, arriving on the 25th April. They and the rest of 70 Brigade were part of the 23rd (Northumbrian) Division, their task to provide labour for the construction of aerodromes and defences.

The Tyneside Scots proceeded to an aerodrome site at Beauvoir near Frevent (40km west of Arras) where they provided working parties for it’s construction. In their ‘spare time’ they continued to train.

German Invasion of Western Europe

On the 10th May 1940, Hitler launched his invasion of Western Europe, the German Blitzkreig being unleashed on Holland, Belgium and France. In response, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and the First French Army advanced into Belgium and took up defensive positions on the River Dyle. 

The first indications to the Tyneside Scottish of the situation were on the 12th May when Belgian soldiers and refugees began to stream though their location. By the 15th May, the Germans had crossed the River Meuse, and were in danger of outflanking the main British forces still in Belgium.

The 70th Brigade, including the Tyneside Scottish, were ordered to establish defensive positions along the Canal du Nord, and began the 65km (40 miles) move to their new location on 17th May. They initially took up positions on the right flank of 70th Brigade, before becoming the 23rd Divisional Reserve. 

To their north, the BEF and French Army were being forced back, and on the 19th May 1940, the 70th Brigade were ordered to move to Saulty (25 km – 15 miles SE of Arras).

During the evening of 19th / 20th May, the Tyneside Scottish were en-route to Saulty, staying overnight at Neuville Vitasse. On the morning of the 20th, German tanks were breaking through between Arras and Neuville Vitasse, and orders were given for the TS and 70 Brigade to continue their move.

As they withdrew the TS and other Brigade units came under fire from the advancing Germans and they began to establish blocking positions from Mercatel, through Ficheux to Blaireville.

German Invasion of France

 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (Black Watch) Ficheux 1940

On 20th May 1940, the men of the 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (Black Watch) engaged the XV Panzer Corps in the area of Ficheux.

The Germans were highly trained soldiers equipped with tanks and armoured vehicles. The Tyneside Jocks were in the main, trainee troops with no combat experience, and lightly equipped. 

Using limited anti-tank weapons, fighting on till overrun, and attacking with bayonet charges, the Tyneside Jocks blocked the German advance, till eventually they were overcome.

Despite the lack of experience and equipment, over the course of five hours, the Tyneside Scottish lived up to the motto established by their predecessors during the First World War – Harder than Hammers (You can break a hammer, but you can not break the fighting spirit of a Tyneside Jock).

 The actions of the Tyneside Scottish would prove vital. The 5 hour delay they caused provided time for a counterattack, which included men of the 50th (Northumbrian) Division, to be mounted. This helped to create a pocket which was formed on from 23rd May through which the British Expeditionary Force would withdraw to Dunkirk.

The action would cost the Tyneside Scottish 100 casualties, with many more captured and spending the war as Prisoners of War. The remnants of 1TS would make their way to Dunkirk and evacuated to the UK.

Many of those lost were buried in the Buquoy Road Cemetery which overlooks Ficieux and the battlefield where the Tyneside Scottish fought.

Buquoy Road Cemetery looking towards Ficheux

Arras - Bucquoy Road Cemetery

On the 20th May 1940 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (Black Watch) engaged with troops of the German 8th Panzer Division. The action took place between the villages of Mercatel and Ficfieux, 7km (4miles) south of Arras.

 

L/Cpl Piper Freddie Laidler playing pipes which had piped the Tyneside Scottish into Battle at La Boisselle on the first day of the Somme rallied the troops. The lightly armed Tyneside Scots fought heroically and held the German advance, gaining vital hours for BEF retreating to Dunkirk. They sustained heavy casualties.

 

Overlooking the battlefield the Bucquoy Road Cemetery contains the graves of 64 Tyneside Scots who lost their lives during the action.

 

CWGC - BUCQUOY ROAD CEMETERY, FICHEUX

 

Bucquoy Road Cemetery
Looking towards Fichieux

 

Bucquoy Road Cemetery
Tyneside Scottish graves

Bucquoy Road Cemetery
Tyneside Scottish graves

  

Bucquoy Road Cemetery
 

  Another casualty was Piper Fredie Laidler who had piped the TS into battle.

CWGC - LAIDLER, FREDERICK JOHN

 

Bucquoy Road Cemetery
L/Cpl Frederick Laidler
1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish

Bucquoy Road Cemetery
L/Cpl Laiders grave

Freddie Laidler was the uncle of Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler who wrote a song to remember his uncle.

PIPER TO THE END

When I leave this world behind me
to another I will go
And if there are no pipes in heaven
I'll be going down below
If friends in time be severed
someday we will meet again
I'll return to leave you never
be a piper to the end

 

This has been a day to die for
Now the day is almost done
Up above, a quiet seabird
turns to face the setting sun
Now the evening dove is calling
and all the hills are burning red
And before the night comes falling
clouds are lined with golden thread

 

We watched the fires together
shared our quarters for a while
walked the dusty roads together
came so many miles

 

This has been a day to die on
Now the day is almost done
Here the pipes will lay beside me
silent with the battle drum
If friends in time be severed
someday we will meet again
I'll return to leave you never
be a piper to the end

Op Ducy - 1TS Commemoration

On 12th June 1944 the 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (Black Watch) landed on GOLD Beach as one of the follow on Divisions of XXX Corps who would be part of the break out operations from the Normandy beachhead.

The Battalion moved to an assembly area at ESQUAY SUR SEULLES. Three days later they moved to the village of DUCY STE MARGUERITE.

The villagers of Ducy Sainte Marguerite never forgot the men of the Tyneside Scottish. They hosted returning veterans and the serving soldiers of the Tyneside Scottish Royal Artillery on may occasion.

In 1979 a memorial to the 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (Black Watch) was unveiled at the edge if the village.

As part of the commemorations of the 70th Anniversary of the Liberation of Normandy the villagers of Ducy Ste Marguerite invited the Tyneside Scottish Branch RAA to share in their celebrations.
 
Supported by the TS Detachments of Northumbria ACF, nearly 50 people deployed on Operation Ducy at the end of July 2014.




Main effort for the commemoration was the placement of a Roll of Honour  in the church at Ducy Ste Marguerite listing the men of 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish  (Black Watch) who lost their lives in Normandy

Attending was 1TS Veteran 92 year old Brian Stewart, 2IC of the Anti-Tank Platoon, who was wounded during the Battle of Rauray 1st Jul 1944.

Supporting Brian was his son Rory Stewart MP, Chair of the Defence Select Committee, and Kevin Baverstock (author of Breaking the Panzers—Story of the Battle of Rauray) 


A splendid lunch was provided in the Cider Farm prior to the main commemorative event.

Lunch at the Cider Farm

Tyneside Scottish Association and Northumbria ACF TD Detachments
Brian Stewart CMG & Rory Stewart MBE MP

Brian Stewart
2 I/C Anti Tank Platoon 1TS

The commemoration commenced with a march to the TS Memorial at the edge of the village where a remembrance ceremony was conducted followed by the laying of wreaths.

TS March to the Church at Ducy

Commemoration at 1 TS Memorial



Commemoration at 1 TS Memorial

 
The TS contingents then marched to the village church where a service was held and the Roll of Honour was dedicated. 

Church Ducy Ste Marguerite

Roll of Honour
1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (Black Watch)

La dernière cérémonie du 70e anniversaire a ému

 

 

Duty completed attentions turned to renewing the friendship the people of Ducy have extended to the TS over the 70 years since their Liberation. Once again the skirl of the pipes sounded in Ducy Ste Margueritte and a fine occasion was enjoyed by all.

Pipers playing at Ducy

 

Perth - Balhousie Castle

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balhousie_Castle

Balhousie Castle dates to 1631, though its origins are believed to go back a further three hundred years. It originally served as the seat of the Earls of Kinnoull, and stood within a walled enclosure containing subsidiary buildings, orchards etc., on a terrace overlooking the North Inch.

After falling into neglect in the early 19th century, the Castle was 'restored' and extensively remodelled on a larger scale in 1862-63 in the Baronial style by the architect David Smart. No original features survive except for parts of the original rubble walls on the east side.

In 1962, the Castle became the Regimental Headquarters and Museum of The Black Watch.  The Regimental Trustees bought Balhousie Castle in January 2009

 

BLACK WATCH CASTLE AND MUSEUM