The Story of the Piper of Loos in World War One

In the terror of the trenches of World War One, one man's bravery and patriotism earned him the Victoria Cross, through a dashing action which spurred on those who had begun to lose heart. Daniel Laidlaw, 'the piper of Loos' was a member of the 7th Division of the King's Own Scottish Borderers and was forty years old when he fought at Loos.

On 25 September, 1915, he was ordered to lay in wait on Hill 70, prior to an assault on the enemy. The waiting men became terrified and Laidlaw, sensing their growing distress in the face of gas attacks, climbed onto a parapet and marched up and down playing the bagpipes as his fellow soldiers rushed forward to attack.

Laidlaw's bravery earned him the Victoria Cross and his military medals are now on display at the National Museum of Scotland.

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