Laidlaw’s C.O. reportedly shouted, “For God’s sake, Laidlaw, pipe ‘em together!”

Piper Daniel Laidlaw 

Rather than play from the safety of the trenches, Laidlaw mounted the parapet and, ignoring the German shelling, launched into “Blue Bonnets Over the Border.” Encouraged by Laidlaw’s example, the KOSB went over the top with no further prompting, soon followed by the Cameronians and the Highland Light Infantry. As the attack caught up with him and passed him, Laidlaw followed and kept playing. Miraculously, he was not wounded until the attack had nearly reached the German lines. Laidlaw said later, “I kept on piping and piping, and hobbling after the laddies until I could go no farther, and then, seeing that the boys had won the position, I began to get back as best I could to our own trenches.” The bagpipes apparently survived the action without a scratch.

Piper Daniel Laidlaw was one of many heros of the Battle of Loos. Recently, the British paid hommage to Laidlaw and the 20,000 British Solders who died at Loos. Read his full biography here.