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Pipers lead St Valéry 81st anniversary commemoration


By Alan Hendry

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Musicians near and far will be playing the pipes this morning to mark the 81st anniversary. Picture: Mark Owens / Poppyscotland
Musicians near and far will be playing the pipes this morning to mark the 81st anniversary. Picture: Mark Owens / Poppyscotland

Pipers around the world will play simultaneously today in what promises to be a moving tribute to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the Battle of St Valéry.

The World War II battle led to 10,000 mainly Scottish soldiers from the 51st Highland Division being captured as prisoners of war at the French port of Saint-Valéry-en-Caux.

Days after the mass evacuations at Dunkirk, the division remained on mainland Europe supporting its French allies. However, the soldiers were soon surrounded by German troops and forced to surrender.

At 10am today, marking the 81st anniversary, musicians near and far will perform on their doorsteps and at war memorials.

They will play the evocative march Heroes of St Valéry, paying tribute to the 51st Highland Division and remembering those that fell and were imprisoned.

The piece was composed by Pipe Major Donald MacLean, who was one of the 10,000 men captured that day and subsequently spent four years in a prisoner-of-war camp in Poland.

The tributes have been arranged by three leading Scottish armed forces charities – Poppyscotland, Legion Scotland and RCET: Scotland’s Armed Forces Children’s Charity – and the British Army’s 51st Brigade.

Neil McLennan, St Valéry committee chairman and director of leadership programmes at the University of Aberdeen, said: “The events of June 12, 1940, had a profound impact on every town and village in the Highlands, with most families having one or more male relatives enlisted. Continuing to educate and remember the battle ensures we, as a nation and wider military community, do right by those that fought that day.”

In addition to the piper tributes, a socially distanced commemorative service will be held at the St Valéry memorial stone in the French village where Lt Col C D Close and Colonel H J P Wilkinson will be paying tribute and laying wreaths on behalf of the British Army and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Dr Claire Armstrong, CEO of Legion Scotland, said: “As the custodians of remembrance in Scotland we are committed to marking the sacrifices made by the 51st Highland Division annually as it’s an important chapter of Scottish war history that must not be forgotten.

"On behalf of all the charities and organisations involved in the events, I want to extend our sincere thanks to those that have paid tribute and for helping us continue to keep the memory and legacy of their sacrifice alive.”

On Saturday at 10am footage from the doorstep tributes can be viewed on the charities’ Facebook pages and the Poppyscotland YouTube channel. That same evening at 7pm, an expert panel discussion will also be broadcast. This will be followed by a tribute concert featuring a host of contributors including Runrig and the Red Hot Chilli Pipers.


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