William Haskill Millin (1922-2010) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

William Haskill (Bill) Millin

Born 14 Jul 1922 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

Son of John Millin and Elizabeth (Unknown) Millin

[sibling(s) unknown]

[spouse(s) unknown]

[children unknown]

Died 17 Aug 2010 at age 88 in Torbay, England

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Profile last modified 28 Feb 2021 | Created 20 Jul 2020

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Biography

Known as "Piper Bill". Bill is mostly remembered for courageously continuing to play the bagpipes while under heavy German fire during the D-Day landing at Normandy. He was immortalized with a statue in France and was depicted in the 1962 war movie "The Longest Day".

Son of John & Elizabeth. He had an older sister named Olive. His dad was a police officer. He had learned to play bagpipes starting at age 12. He joined the army at age 17.

Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat, ordered 21 year old Bill to play, even though pipers were banned from the front lines. He played "Highland Laddie" "The Road to the Isles" and "All The Blue Bonnets Are Over The Border" as soldiers fell all around him on Sword Beach. Bill later talked to captured German snipers who said they did not shoot at him because "they thought he had gone mad." Bill was unarmed during this whole event, as all he carried was a ceremonial dagger as part of his uniform.

Bill wore his father's kilt from World War 1 and was still in the water when he started playing. He was the only piper to lead the troops into battle that day and continue playing while walking up and down the beach during the battle. He walked among the smoke, the dead and the wounded crying out for medics. The man that jumped into the water next to him was shot in the head and killed instantly.

On route, his music had been played over a loudspeaker so troops on other transports could hear it. His men called him the "Mad Piper". Former Commando Roy Cadman shows us how much it meant to the soldiers: ‘As we pulled out with Bill Millin playing his bagpipes, all the boats started tooting their hoots and all the men on the decks were cheering. It reminded us of footballers playing for England against Germany, coming out of the tunnel onto the pitch, where all the crowd all cheered as they came out. It was just like that…I’d seen some very tough lads there, the tears were running down their face due to the emotion that was being stirred up.’

Another of his fellow Commandos, Tom Duncan, would later tell what the sound of those pipes meant to him on that awful day. ‘I shall never forget hearing the skirl of Bill Millin’s pipes. It is hard to describe the impact it had. It gave us a great lift and increased our determination. As well as the pride we felt, it reminded us of home, and why we were fighting there for our lives and those of our loved ones.’

Bill's playing literally saved the life of a 16 year old soldier named René Rossey. The young man was trapped and under attack, but Bill's playing stunned the Germans just enough for them to stop firing for a moment, and Ren escaped. Rossey lived to be 89 years old.

Later in life, Bill became a registered psychiatric nurse. First working in Glasgow, Scotland and then in Devon, England, retiring in 1988. He lectured about his D-Day experience and made regular trips back to Normandy for commemoration ceremonies. In 2006 a song was written about him by Sheelagh Allen. France awarded Bill a Croix d’Honneur award for gallantry in June 2009.

Bill continued to play his bagpipes. He even played one last time for Lord Lovat at his 1995 funeral. Bill donated his pipes to the National War Museum in Edinburgh.

His wife Margaret died in 2000. They are survived by their son, John. In 2013, his son and grandson played bagpipes in his memory at the unveiling of the statue to "Piper Bill" at Colleville-Montgomery in Normandy.