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Colleville-Montgomery

Statue of Piper Bill Millin

Colleville-Montgomery

Statue of Piper Bill Millin

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Statue of Piper Bill Millin

Recommended by 81 cyclists out of 89

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Location: Colleville-Montgomery, Caen, Normandy, France

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Willem VS

May 27, 2021

Bill Millin (July 14, 1922 – August 17, 2010), better known as Piper Bill, was the personal bagpiper of Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat, commander of the 1st Special Service Brigade on D-Day.
Millin is best known for being one of the few bagpipers who actually played during a battle in World War II. Bagpipes were commonly used in battles by Scottish and Irish soldiers. However, the British army decreed that the bagpipes could only be played in the rear. Lord Lovat ignored these orders and ordered Millin to play during the battle to boost morale. Millin, then 21 years old, performed "Hielan' Laddie" and "The Road to the Isles" while landing on Sword Beach. He also played the instrument at Lord Lovat's funeral.
Later he also played during the trip to the Pegasus Bridge. This action was filmed in the 1962 film The Longest Day. Millin was played by "Pipe Major" Leslie de Laspee, in 1961 the official bagpiper of the then Queen Mother. His bagpipes are kept in the Mémorial Pegasus in Ranville.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Millin

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🕊️ 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒓

March 10, 2020

Statue representing a thank you from the French to the liberators of the second world war:
Bill Millin, known by the nickname "Piper Bill", was the personal bagpiper of Lord Lovat, commander of the 1st British Special Brigade on D-Day, during the Normandy landings. Piper traditionally led Scottish troops in battle. The rate of pipers killed was so high during the First World War that this practice was prohibited for the avant-garde during the fighting by the British high command. Lord Lovat, however, ignored these orders, and then 21-year-old Bill Millin (1922-2020) played 'Highland Laddie' and 'The Road to the Isles' among his fell comrades during the landing at Colleville- Montgomery (Sword Beach sector), and during the advance at the Pegasus Bridge, a strategic bridge over the Caen-to-sea canal between Bénouville and Ranville. Several German soldiers later testified that they did not target him, thinking he was crazy. fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Millin

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Elevation 50 m

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Monday 24 November

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Location: Colleville-Montgomery, Caen, Normandy, France

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Statue of Piper Bill Millin

1. Graye-sur-Mer Memorial – Lion-sur-Mer loop from Asnelles

2. Lion-sur-Mer – Charles De Gaulle Memorial loop from Le Planître

3. Orne Cycle Path – Lion-sur-Mer loop from La Cour Normande

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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