Para Pipers
 

Here is a Pipers Plaid Brooch for the 15th (Scottish) Battalion, The Parachute Regiment.

I have only just read this thread. The West Midlands Branch of the Military Historical Society had an article on the Irish Lancastrians ( 3rd (Irish Lancastrian) Bn,The Parachute Regt ) in their magazine some time ago.

The article was by Jake Whitehouse, well known in militaria circles and a former member of the battalion.

Jake explained that this battalion formed a pipe band and more recently he kindly let me have a copy of a picture of the pipe band and a copy of the programme for Beating the Retreat which includes many pipe tunes ( The copies are not clear enough to reproduce ).

Unfortunatly I have not been able to discover what,if any, dress distinctions were worn by pipers of this battalion.

P.B.

15 Para Pipe band
 

15 Para wore a Hunting Stewart tartan patch behind the beret badge and this was also worn as the DZ flash, was this tartan also worn by the pipe band?
What is the connection to this tartan and the Parachute Regiment, any info would be helpful.

5th (Scottish) Bn PARA regt. (Formed on the 7th Bn., Cameron Highlanders 1st August, 1942) wore the AAC badge on the Balmoral bonnet 1942/44, then the maroon beret with Para. badge and Hunting Stuart backing until 1948.
Approved By HM King George VI in 1943.
This tradition is maintained by the 15th (Scottish Volunteer) Battalion.
Now why did these Camerons chose a Hunting Stuart backing?

Rgds,
fougasse1940.

The pipers of 15 PARA wore kilts and plaids in the MacKenzie tartan, but wore a Hunting Stewart tartan patch behind their cap badge (as the rest of the battalion did as well).

It was quite weird seeing them in the ceremonial uniform of pipers but wearing the beret rather that a full feather bonnet or glengarry.

I don't know what the origins of them wearing the MacKenzie and Hunting Stewart tartans.

The 5th (Scottish) Battalion, Parachute Regiment also had a Pipes & Drums from at least 1944, their Pipe-Major being P/M George Stoddart, BEM between 1944 and 1946 and then again between 1947 and 1949.

There is a fairly well known photo purportedly of the Pipes & Drums of the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Regiment in Athens/Greece in 1944 or 1945, wearing what is very clearly the uniform of the RHR Black Watch (their sporran pattern, the Royal Stewart kilts and even the Black Watch cap badge!); however given that the 6th Bn. Black Watch were actually in Athens at the time, I suspect that the photo has been wrongly attributed to the 5th Parachute battalion. However I do have to admit that although rather poor quality, the Pipe-Major in the photo does bear a close resemblance to P/M Stoddart.

I suspect that the 5th (Scottish) Para are more likely to have worn the uniform, or one based on it......of the Cameron Highlanders, give that the battalion (5th Parachute) had originally been the 7th Bn. Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders. Furthermore, Pipe-Major Stoddart actually served as a piper in the 2nd Bn. Cameron Highlanders between 1926 and 1939.

Further to my above post, I have now surfaced a photo of the Pipers of the 5th Scottish Parachute Battalion in the Scotsman of 25th Jan 1945 and the Dundee Evening Telegraph of 26th Jan 1945 and they were very clearly wearing the Cameron of Erracht tartan, Cameron Highlander pattern sporrans, Cameron Highlander cap badges and the single eagle feather of the Cameron Highlanders.

As for the 15th (Scottish Volunteer) Bn. Parachute Regiment, you can view their pipers at 1 minute 28 seconds of this video : -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpYkqhzWCYg

Fascinating posts HKPiper, thank you.

Rgds, Thomas

Because of Defence cuts and "OPTIONS FOR CHANGE" in the early 90's 15 Battalion was forced to amalgamte with her sister Battalion 4 PARA (V) in April 1993, much to the dismay of the members of 15 PARA (SV). They where however allowed to retain a token gesture of a rifle company (15 (Scottish) Company) which was still to have its base in Glasgow. 4th Parachute Battalion is the only Parachute Regiment Battalion in the Army Reserves (TA that was) and no longer uses the suffix (V)

10 Parachute Battalion (V) also merged with 4 Para to become 10 (London) Company

But far, far more importantly, they lost their Pipes & Drums!

3rd (Irish Lancastrian) Battalion
 

I am looking for names of Pipe Majors of the 3rd (Irish Lancastrian) Parachute Battalion during the period 1947 to 1956.
Who can help me?
Thanks, Aad

15th (Scottish) Battalion
 

I have the following names of Pipe Majors of the 15th (Scottish) Battalion during the period 1947-1993:
McCormick, Alec (1951?)
Wilson, W. (1952?)
Crawford, Alex (1971?)
Gaye, Reggie (1973?)
McPherson, Iain (till 1982)
Miller, E. (Ian) (1982-1985)
Plunkett, Ian (1985-1987)
Ritchie, David (1987-1993)
I you have any of the missing information I would like to hear from you.
Thanks, Aad